Names

My name, Botimi, is derived from the Izon language of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. In English, it translates to ‘Comestay’. After losing two babies, my parents were desperate for a child that would survive, and thankfully, I am here.

Talking about names, this week I find myself thinking of women like Araminta Ross, born in Maryland in 1822. She was a suffragist, an abolitionist, and a fearless advocate. A Black woman risked everything, including her own life, to rescue others from slavery, earning the nickname ‘Moses’.  She chose to change her name to Harriet Tubman, in honour of her mother, as a way of reclaiming her identity as a free woman.

Her story reminds me that names are not just labels; they carry memory, strength, and defiance. They tell of our origins, our choices, and the claims we dare to make in the world. 

Does your name have a significant meaning to you?