Influences And Implications of Anthroponyms: The Case of Suuryee among the Dagara of Northern Ghana

Abstract

This study investigates the socio-cultural importance of personal names among the Dagara of Ghana. Specifically, it strove to discover the extent to which Suuryee, a category of Dagara anthroponyms, influence behaviour and can function as a medium of communication for development. This is an important subject because although some studies have discussed names in general in Ghana (see Bemile 1991, 2015; Agyekum 2006), very few studies have focused specifically on the possible influences and implications of names, particularly Suuryee on the Dagara of Ghana. The study is guided by three theories: Jahoda's (1954) Self-fulfilling Prophecy Theory, which establishes an intrinsic link between names and behaviour; the Participatory theory of communication, a two-way process that advocates communication from the socio-cultural perspective of the beneficiary group; and Roodney's (2009) model of development, which argues that development emanates from both the mindset and behavioural patterns. In terms of methodology, the study adopts a qualitative research approach that used an in-depth interview of sampled population of the people of the research area. The study discovered that there is a range of socio-cultural underpitnnings of Suuryee and several motivations for these names; that there is a strong influence of Suuryee on their bearers; and that Suuryee have implications for communication and development. The study also discovered that many Suuryee convey a high degree of rancour and resentment even as they connote positive behavioural implications. This props up Suuryee as interesting phenomena that could be underpinned by deep socio-cultural concerns, the full scope of which this study did not cover. The study, therefore, suggests that researchers should delve more into Suuryee and other categories of Dagara anthroponyms as well as personal names of other ethnic groups in Ghana, to provide further insight into possible benefits or otherwise of such names.