99% Invisible: "What’s in a Name"

Host: Roman Mars
Producer: Kim Chakanetsa
Air Date: January 27, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode explores the unusual, creative, and story-rich naming culture of Zimbabwe, focusing on how the country’s history—from precolonial times through colonial rule to the present—has influenced the ways Zimbabweans name their children. Producer Kim Chakanetsa, herself Zimbabwean and soon to be a parent, traces her own family’s names as a springboard for a deep dive into the meaning, significance, and sometimes social controversy behind Zimbabwean names—names that, to outsiders, often sound like English phrases, virtues, or everyday words. Along the way, the episode examines the roles of colonialism, religion, resistance, and modern migration in shaping these naming traditions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Zimbabwean Family Trees and Naming Curiosity

• Kim receives a family tree from her uncle, revealing a wide array of names, both traditional Shona and English, and sparking curiosity as she prepares to name her first child.
• Kim Chakanetsa [01:22]:
  “My family tree seemed like a good reference point…as I went through it, I was seeing all of the greatest hits…the classics when it comes to Shona names… There were also English names… Ruth, Gladys, and Lewis.”

The Uniqueness of Zimbabwean Names

• Names like “Safer,” “Medicine,” “Beer,” and “Lovemore” are common in Zimbabwe, though distinctly odd to foreign ears.
• Some names are gendered (“No Matter” or “Memory” are usually for girls).
• Kim [02:41]:
  “Outside of the country, these kinds of names are rather unusual, but to me and millions of other Zimbabweans, these are fairly standard.”

Names as Communication and Expression

• Tanaka Chidora (writer/academic): Shona names are traditionally communicative—expressing parents’ hopes, dreams, grievances, or even insults.
  • Tanaka [06:33]:
    “Names were like WhatsApp statuses...careers of our aspirations, achievements, grievances, tribulations.”
  • Examples include names given to settle scores or express current circumstances (“Netsai” meaning “to bother” or “nag”; “Namu” meaning “misfortune”).

Colonialism and the English Language

• Under British colonial rule, English names and naming conventions were aggressively promoted, often replacing African names in public life.
• Employers would Anglicize “difficult” Shona names (e.g., “Tirivangani” became “Peter”).
  • Ignatius Mabasa (academic) [11:16]:
    “...most of the names that you have among indigenous people, names that are being derived from the association with the white population...I’ll go and give Mr. Brown’s name to my son.”
• The Christian church was instrumental in imposing English names through baptism and missionary schools.

Political Resistance and a Return to African Names

• By the 1960s, nationalist and anti-colonial sentiments begin fueling a resurgence of Shona names—many with explicit or implicit political messages.
• Names became statements of resistance:
  • “Teorai Ropa” (“to spill blood”), or “Tichava Tonga Mabunu” (“we will eventually rule over the whites”).
  • Tanaka Chidora [15:29]:
    “They start giving names that address or speak to this situation of being oppressed.”

Post-Independence Experimentation

• After Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, a spirit of “gradualism” under Robert Mugabe meant a hybrid culture: English remained dominant, but creative and bold experimentation with names exploded.
• Zimbabweans found freedom to “remix” English with Shona, combining verbs, adjectives, and determiners, or constructing long, compound names.
  • Give Moshonai (academic) [22:04]:
    “So we’re also free to do whatever we want with the language as long as it satisfies what we want to do with the names. We can break the rules.”
  • Names like “No Matter,” “Godknows,” “Admire,” and “Hardlife” became not just common but markers of modern Zimbabwean identity.

The Global Stage: Mockery, Pride, and Change

• In the context of migration and globalization, Zimbabwean names sometimes become fodder for jokes on social media and draw attention abroad.
  • “I know someone whose name is Gearbox…” [26:08]
• Some Zimbabwean parents now choose “safer” international names (Jaden, Jordan, Kaden), fearing ridicule or misunderstanding abroad.
  • Tanaka Chidora [27:04]:
    “They are saying, when my children go and live outside Zimbabwe, I want them to carry a name that does not bring laughter.”

Personal Stories: Embracing Unusual Names

• Learnmore Genasi (comedian): Shares how his name drew mockery abroad but ultimately became a point of pride and a conversation starter on stage.

  • Learnmore [28:08]:
    “Learn More is a Zimbabwean story...everybody wants to know why and that’s my way to start educating people.”

• More Precision Mzadzi (politician): Explains the history and personal pride of his unique name, inspired by his father’s work with Precision Engineering.

  • More Precision [25:23]:
    “My name has got meaning. It’s not a meaningless name. It means being accurate to the point in whatever I do. So it kind of inspires me to do the right thing.”

The Ever-Evolving Identity of Zimbabwean Names

• Kim reflects on naming her own child, choosing “Yanaya,” meaning “the rain has come,” after a long personal “dry season.”
  • Kim [29:02]:
    “My son came after a long wait. His name is Yanaya, which in Shona means the rain has come.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tanaka Chidora [06:33]:
  “Names were like WhatsApp statuses…careers of our aspirations, our achievements, our grievances, our tribulations.”
• Ignatius Mabasa [11:16]:
  “So, you know, my name is Tirivangani. Oh, that's too long. That's too long. Can I, can I call you Peter?”
• Tanaka Chidora [15:29]:
  “They start giving names that address or speak to this situation of being oppressed.”
• Give Moshonai [22:04]:
  “We’re also free to do whatever we want with the language as long as it satisfies what we want to do with the names. We can break the rules.”
• More Precision Mzadzi [25:23]:
  “My name has got meaning…it means being accurate to the point in whatever I do.”
• Learnmore Genasi [28:08]:
  “Learn More is a Zimbabwean story…that’s my way to start educating people.”
• Kim Chakanetsa [29:02]:
  “His name is Yanaya, which in Shona means the rain has come.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:22] – Kim introduces her family tree and reflects on the traditional vs. unusual names in her family.
• [02:41] – Discussion on Zimbabwean names as everyday words/phrases.
• [03:18] – Tanaka Chidora’s perspective on the ubiquity of these names in Zimbabwe.
• [04:45] – Comedian Learnmore Genasi shares reactions to his name abroad.
• [06:33] – Explanation of names as personal statements/statuses in Shona tradition.
• [11:08] – Colonization and the forced adoption of English names.
• [12:40] – English names become dominant in public/work life, with only indigenous names at home.
• [13:21] – The pushback and resurgence of statement-making African names during revolution.
• [15:29] – Names as expressions of resistance.
• [20:20] – Independence and the culture of naming experimentation.
• [22:19] – Zimbabweans experimenting and "shonifying" English names.
• [23:24] – Examples of Bible-influenced English names in Shona.
• [25:14] – More Precision Mzadzi’s unique name origin.
• [26:36] – The influence of global perception and migration on naming choices.
• [28:08] – Learnmore Genasi’s journey to embracing his name.
• [29:02] – Kim’s personal decision in naming her own child.

Conclusion

"What's in a Name" offers a thoughtful, funny, and moving look at how a nation’s history is embedded in even the most personal choices, like what to name a child. Zimbabwe’s naming traditions—bold, poetic, at times provocative—capture centuries of cultural resilience, adaptation, and creative expression. As Zimbabweans grapple with life at home and abroad, these names continue to evolve, carrying with them a rich, layered story of colonial struggle, resistance, and the ongoing dance of identity.