Naming could be used to pass information(by Atim Jenny)

Acholi as a group of people have a way of passing massage and information through naming of children in a cultural way that signify situations, relationship and possibly inherit from forefathers. Naming to help memorial situation of war! For example Olweny, Omony and in situation of famine, names like okech, is used and when death occurs Otto, Odongkara, and Onen are the names used. These that begins with Letter ‘O’ are applied to boys and the difference in naming of girls in this situation is that instead of beginning with’O’, it begins with ‘A’.

Relationship between parents and among the extended family generally are remembered for example ‘Ociti’ implies that mother and father were most likely to divorce the time when mother was pregnant but due to intervention from relatives, they did not divorce so such babies when the mother gives birth, they are named ‘Opoka’ for boys and for girls ‘Apoka’. Whereas ‘Omara’ are given to baby born whose parents have too much love for the other and also if the mother is loved by the extended family.

Children could also be named in memory of forefathers who were of great importance in the society. They do name like that so that may be the baby can take the same dignity of that person. That is why even when some important person visits a mother who has just given birth, they name that person. Naming also signify to remember important days. Like when Clinton former president of America visited Uganda, mothers who gave birth on that day named their children Clinton.