Republic of the Congo Naming Customs

Online Tools

 * Behind the Name: Central African Surnames
 * Behind the Name: Central African Given Names
 * Congolese Last Names in Alphabetical Order
 * Congolese Last Names
 * Republic of the Congo Surnames
 * African Congolese Names or Zairian Names (Given Names)

Given Names
or aunt).
 * A Congolese child in most cases is named after grandparents, parents or closed relatives (uncle
 * A first-born is usually named after her father’s side of the family; the second born usually takes the name of her mother’s side of the family.
 * Once grandparents are honored with the naming, then the parents name themselves if they have more children. Then they usually name uncles, aunts, and then their siblings.
 * Most people name their first born after their father (for boys) and mother (for girls). However, this is not a written rule, since in some situations because of significant events, a girl maybe named after a male for example. This is usually found when a parent’s family member dies childless. In those cases, the next child usually carries the name of that family member regardless of their gender (and whether that family member was a parent or sibling) as a way of honoring the dead. Thus, it is not uncommon to find girls with what is considered a “male name” and vice versa.