Democratic Republic of the Congo naming customs

"Every Congolese person is designated by a name composed of one or more elements which serve to identify him. The first name (prénom), surname (nom), and post-surname (postnom) constitute the elements of the name."

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is common for individuals to possess three separate names: a first name (prénom) and surname (nom) as well as a post-surname (postnom). Each form may comprise one or more elements. For example:

This practice is distinctive to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is not found in other neighbouring countries. As well as ethnic, regional, or familial identity, modern-day naming customs reflect significant historical changes under Belgian colonial rule and the Mobutu regime as well as the post-Mobutu restoration.

  1. ^ Mata, Freddy (23 February 2020). "Pourquoi des Congolais portent-ils des postnoms?" (in French). Radio-Canada. Ici Toronto. Retrieved 17 September 2020.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · View on Wikipedia

Developed by Nelliwinne