Friday, December 16, 2011

Name Post: The List

As you can probably tell from my recent posts, I’ve been trying to make as much headway as I can learning about naming in Morocco before my second round of visitors arrive later this month. My name posts are outnumbering my general life posts lately because if I wrote what I’d been up to it would mainly consist of the not-so-thrilling details of time spent grocery shopping, e-mailing future contacts and catching up on bad American television. Thanks largely to the fact that I am settled into my Rabat apartment and have a slew of wonderful contacts to call on, getting into the research side of things here has proved to be far easier than it was in Indonesia or India. In the past week I’ve had several lunch dates full of naming conversations, was a guest speaker at a high school about my research (more on that later), and have sought the help of a few new friends to do some translation work. All in all, while I've become entirely comfortable with the fact that this year is about many different forms of learning, it’s also nice to feel productive in an academic sense once in a while and have copious notes to prove it. In every country I go to this year I know I won’t be able to have the same kind of contacts or set up with which to work from, but I’m trying to take advantage of all that’s working in my favor while I can.

Hello Rabat.

One research jackpot of the past week was this list. To be honest, neither the person who gave me this list nor I have any idea exactly where it’s from or even how she got a hold of it. I was reluctant to share it just because I have no context for it and because of that, I can’t say that it’s an official document. I’m not sure if this is all the names that were sent to a particular regional committee during a certain time, or only names whose decisions were petitioned. Regardless, I find it quite interesting to go through and see what names were approved and what names were rejected (or, perhaps most interesting of all, what suggestions the government made in order to create a name that would be accepted). I do know the list spans across the years 2004-2007 (given the recent changes in policy, specifically regarding Amazigh names, obviously the outcomes might be different today). Most of the document is in Arabic, but based on what I remember from the translations of a friend, here is a simplified version I typed up:

Name

Decision

Year

Astor Francois

Rejected

2006

Bahrouin

Rejected

2005

Chayna

Rejected

2005

Chynes

Rejected

2005

Dylan

Rejected

2005

Hallya

Accepted

2005

Ikram Tamazight

Rejected; Suggested “Ikram”

2006

Inara

Accepted

2006

Jaid

Accepted

2006

Janet

Rejected

2006

Joud

Accepted

2005

Layana

Accepted

2005

Laytana

Rejected

2005

Linda

Rejected

2005

Loula

Rejected

2005

Magdoul

Accepted

2005

Maissane

Accepted

2006

Maksen

Rejected

2005

Masin Elian

Rejected

2005

Milena

Rejected

2005

Nourjane

Accepted

2005

Nyveen

Rejected

2005

Omaya

Accepted

2006

Rachele

Rejected

2006

Rafel

Rejected

2005

Rayana

Accepted

2006

Romaissa

Accepted

2005

Safir

Accepted

2005

Shahinaz

Accepted

2005

Sidra

Accepted

2005

Tim

Rejected

2006

Vanessa

Rejected; Suggested “Anisa”

2006

Wahib

Accepted

2006

Wissam

Accepted

2006

Youla

Rejected

2005

Zacharia

Rejected

2006

Zoe

Rejected

2005

Alae

Accepted

2004

Iptissam Ptissam

Rejected; suggested just “Iptissam”

2007

Pierre Faaris

Rejected; suggested “Faaris”

2006

Adam

Accepted

2004

Akrane-Idine

Accepted

2007

Yzaia

Accepted

2006

Aslam

Accepted

2005

Aanouz

Accepted

2005

Afane

Accepted

2006

Iguidir

Rejected

2006

Alissa

Rejected; suggested “Anisa”

2006

Ema

Rejected

2005

Imdad

Accepted

2007

Amarin

Accepted

2005

Amaline

Accepted

2007

Amir

Accepted

2006

Amelia

Accepted

2006

Anais

Accepted

2005

Anir

Accepted

2004

Aous

Accepted

2007

Onisa

Accepted

2005

Ouweys

Accepted

2006

Aissar

Accepted

2007

Ilaf

Accepted

2005

Betil

Rejected; Suggested “Batul”

2005

Badis

Accepted

2007

Benyebka

Rejected

2007

Tara

Accepted

2007

Tasmine

Accepted

2007

Tayssir

Accepted

2007

Tifawt

Accepted

2007

Tifa

Accepted

2007

Tawa

Accepted

2006

Jed

Accepted

2005

Jassim

Accepted

2007

Jibrail

Accepted

2004

Jaubeir

Accepted

2007

Jassir

Rejected

2006

Jaloua

Accepted

2005

Jounada

Accepted

2005

Janallal

Rejected

2004

Jinane

Accepted

2007

Janna

Accepted

2007

Joudia

Accepted

2007

Jouwairiya

Accepted

2005

Jeremy

Rejected

2007

Jailys

Rejected

2005

Jihane

Accepted

2004

Houmima

Accepted

2007

Khelian

Rejected

2005

Dalia

Accepted

2005

Dana

Accepted

2005

Dania

Rejected

2007

Djora

Accepted

2005

Douria

Accepted

2007

Douae

Accepted

2004

Douniel

Accepted

2005

Dyran

Accepted

2005

Racha

Accepted

2004

Rakane

Rejected

2005

Ralis

Accepted

2007

Rane

Accepted

2005

Rayn

Accepted

2007

Rita

Rejected

2005

Ritaje

Accepted

2005

Rahile

Accepted

2007

Razane

Accepted

2005

Rocham

Rejected

2006

Riham

Accepted

2004

Rostane Wissen

Rejected

2004

Roman

Rejected

2005

Rayan

Accepted

2004

Zinnira

Accepted

2005

Ziya

Accepted

2005

Zizi

Rejected

2005

Sara

Accepted

2004

Sania

Accepted

2007

Sajida

Rejected

2007

Sirine

Accepted

2005

Soulafa

Accepted

2005

Solwen

Accepted

2007

Salena

Accepted

2005

Sinan

Accepted

2004

Sondosse

Accepted

2004

Sania

Accepted

2007

Siwar

Accepted

2005

Susane

Rejected

2007

Sira

Accepted

2005

Celya

Accepted

2005

Cenda

Rejected

2005

Sinimane

Accepted

2007

Chadine

Rejected

2005

Shahine

Accepted

2006

Chainda

Rejected

2005

Sheaze

Rejected

2004

Chahd

Accepted

2006

Chahla

Rejected

2007

Cheryne

Accepted

2005

Sherihane

Accepted

2006

Sabrine

Accepted

2004

Safora

Accepted

2005

Salena

Accepted

2006

Sahra Isabelle

Rejected

2005

Sakhr

Accepted

2005

Sohaib

Accepted

2007

Sorine

Accepted

2007

Sofia

Accepted

2004

Sohane

Accepted

2007

Abdelhanin

Accepted

2004

Abdesettirre

Rejected

2005

Itab

Accepted

2006

Asli

Accepted

2005

Ilian

Accepted

2005

Ghandi

Accepted

2005

Ghofrane

Accepted

2006

Fady

Accepted

2007

Farabe

Rejected

2005

Kossay

Accepted

2007

Camelia

Accepted

2005

Kenzo

Accepted

2007

Keyane

Accepted

2004

Laala

Accepted

2004

Lamees

Accepted

2007

Lahim

Accepted

2007

Loumedia

Accepted

2004

Louniss

Accepted

2007

Lea

Rejected; Suggested “Layla”

2007

Lea Mariane

Rejected

2006

Lydia

Accepted

2007

Laysa

Rejected; Suggested” Layla”

2005

Lyssa

Accepted

2004

Lilia

Rejected

2005

Lyamine

Accepted

2006

Line

Accepted

2006

Marina

Rejected

2006

Mazine

Accepted

2005

Mazilia

Rejected

2006

Almasse Islam

Accepted

2005

Massine

Accepted

2005

Masinissa

Accepted

2004

Mahelle

Accepted

2005

Awia

Accepted

2005

May

Rejected

2007

Madghis

Accepted

2006

Marame

Accepted

2007

Marwa

Accepted

2004

Malak Rouhi

Accepted

2004

Melissa

Accepted

2005

Melina

Accepted

2007

Manar

Accepted

2004

Manaf

Accepted

2007

Mahal

Accepted

2004

Mahinar

Rejected

2005

Mikael

Accepted

2007

Mira

Accepted

2005

Maysara

Accepted

2006

Maissam

Accepted

2005

Maysoun

Accepted

2004

Neisa

Accepted

2007

Naila

Accepted

2004

Nadine Yossra

Accepted

2007

Nadine

Accepted

2007

Nassia

Accepted

2005

Nabil Juba

Accepted

2005

Nidhal

Accepted

2007

Noam Jibril

Accepted

2007

Noham

Accepted

2005

Nelia

Rejected

2006

Nehame

Accepted

2006

Noha-Meiss

Accepted

2005

Noradan

Accepted

2007

Norman

Rejected

2006

Nouri

Accepted

2005

Noriane

Accepted

2007

Numidia

Accepted

2007

Ninia

Accepted

2004

Hanae Joudiya

Accepted

2007

Haissam

Accepted

2007

Widiane

Accepted

2007

Wadir

Accepted

2005

Waris

Rejected

2007

Wacil

Accepted

2005

Ouiaae

Rejected

2005

Yara

Rejected

2005

Yamin

Accepted

2006

Eliane

Rejected

2004

Yani

Rejected

2004

Yanis

Accepted

2004

El Yassae

Accepted

2004

Alisha

Accepted

2004

Yuba

Accepted

2005

Menen

Rejected

2007

Rymade

Accepted

2007

Iwane

Accepted

2007

Sabri

Accepted

2007

Noe

Accepted

2007

It’s really hard to analyze this list without a context and I think it raises more questions than it answers. I do think it’s interesting to see though and to note the tiny differences in letters that controlled whether this particular committee accepted these names or not; Rachele is rejected, Racha is accepted. Layana is accepted, Laytana is not, Dana is accepted, Dania is not. The very western-sounding (to my ears) Lydia, Adam and Amelia are accepted, but Marina, Zoe and Jeremy are not.

To someone who grew up in a place where people have complete freedom in naming (and often in fact, use creative spellings to make their children’s names unique), the one-letter difference between “Dana” and Dania” seems ridiculous to try to control. It would be as if “Caitlin” was a legal name in the U.S. but “Kaitlin” was not. It’s also a reminder to me though that the difference between “Dana” and “Dania” might be huge to someone who has a much better knowledge of The Qur’an than I do, or of Moroccan history, or of the different ethnic identities within this country. As I am reminded consistently throughout this year, I am only at the tip of the iceberg in trying to understand what the legal, cultural and historical ramifications of these names across nations are.

I talked to a lot of Moroccan students this week as we tried to guess why a government might choose to have these restrictions; or, conversely, why a country like the U.S. would not. Framing these legalities within a specific place, culture and history, is a reminder that the difference between “Dana” and “Dania” may not be one to laugh off. To state the obvious, Morocco is a place that's had to fight for itself quite a bit. And framed within a history of colonization and along with that, a lot of racism and violence, the difference between the (traditionally) French “Lea” (rejected) and the (traditionally) Arab “Layla” (accepted) becomes much greater than just three letters.

Most of all after reading this list, I'm just left with the desire to meet the Moroccan couple who really wanted to name their son "Norman." Now that's a story I'd like to hear.

1 comment:

  1. Norman??? Thoroughly enjoying your posts as always. Another wonderful Sunday with Nell.
    xoxox

    ReplyDelete