My Name

Joseph Wangombe

Eng 102          

2/8/11

Kizzier. C

My Name

            My name Joseph Wangombe is part Hebrew and the other half of the name is African. My mum gave me the name since she was a religious woman and was fascinated by the character Joseph in the Bible. Once I asked her the meaning of my name, she gave me a vague meaning of my names. I decided to venture out seeking the deeper meaning of it.

            Joseph originates from the Bible, name given to the eleventh son of Jacob also know as Israel, Jacob loved his son more than he loved the other 10 sons, for he was born of his second wife Rachel. Jacob had worked in the fields for 14 years to be able to pay her dowry. Israel had Joseph in his old age. Israel would make him a garment that was long and full such that was worn by the noble during biblical times. The meaning of his name was one that would bring increase. He lived up to the name, where he went there was abundance; sold by his brother to the Egyptians he soared as a slave in foreign land. Becoming the ruler of Egypt. Even though the name is ubiquitous it is one of a kind, trying to live up to the name is a challenge.

            My Last name is Wangombe, my father’s name that I have to bare, I love the fact that it is unique, Ever since I came to America I have not heard of anyone with that name. I asked my father the meaning of the name, and to my surprise he was vastly knowledgeable about the name. Wangombe means one that has a lot of cattle in Swahili, which happens to be my first language.  My father told me that before the British came people were given one name, and you would earn a first name by your trade. My great grandfather was a colonial chief in the early 1920’s. With that title came a lot of pride as one had all the privileges in the whole community, he would settle dispute of borders among the people. Family related issues among many other duties. He had more than 1500 cattle that grazed in the land that happened to be communal. In the declaration of independence in the early sixties the British left the responsibility of dividing the land to the colonial chiefs. The chiefs to this day are blamed for the way they allocated the land, it was distributed according to the needs and size of the family but the chiefs went with the biggest and most fertile lands. With that My great grandfather earned his name Wangombe.

Even though I live in the 21’s century world, people not knowing the full meaning of their names, I now know my task is big since I am named after people who had lived a lifetime to earn their names.