Popular Dog Names in Zimbabwe
Popular Cow Names in Zimbabwe Rural Areas
After realizing that many people are interested in dog pet names, I decided to take a trip through the flowery road called nostalgia. I will write about my experience from the context of a Zimbabwean city boy growing up in a suburban area, as well as my experience visiting the rural areas for the first time. If you were born and raised in Zimbabwe you know very well that as an urban city boy, you were so excited when the school holidays were around the corner. There is no exciting week at school like the last week of the term. One of the things that we loved about the one-month holidays was the exciting prospect and adventures of visiting the rural areas to see grandma and grandpa, and many more things. In Zimbabwe, rural areas are the countryside where people live the subsistence farming lifestyle. Many things are freely available, cheap and tax-free. Unlike in the city, you won't need to buy basic necessities like food crops, vegetables, milk and meat because grandpa has a kraal, growing fields and food stocks in the grain hut.
City boys are excited to visit the rural areas for the first time, just as rural boys are excited to visit the city for the first time. City boys are excited to see how a cow is milked, herded and slaughtered, how to catch fish in the river, venturing into the bushes and mountains, collecting wild fruits, and maybe see a rabbit, pangolin, kudu or jackal in the wild. After playing in the dust all day, we would go to the nearby river or stream for a compulsory bath, then go home for a delicious meaty vegetable dish with Sadza waiting for us, to be finished with curdled milk (mukaka wakakora) as a dessert. Uhmm ( salivating). What kind of Zim child doesn't love this delicacy? :)
One of the things I loved as a child on my vacation in the rural ruras was waking up in the morning to watch cows being milked in the kraal and going out in the fields to graze the cattle with my uncle. All the cows in the kraal had names, as is the tradition in Zimbabwean rural Shona households. Each cow is given a name either by the grandpa, uncles or boys in the family.
What struck me about the names given to each cow in the kraal in my grandpa's homestead was their fascinating resemblance to the cow's personality. Here are some of the cows that were in my grandpa's kraal:
Charubek - This was a bull loved by everyone, from kids to elders. He was kind of admired for his strength, muscular, mean and handsome looks. Charubek resembled someone with power, an African Chief or King.
Maddicows - I don't know how the name was spelt but "Maddicows or Muddycows" is how it was pronounced. This cow had long horns. She was very troublesome judging by the reaction of herders who knew her, my uncle, grandpa and even grandma. They would be heard complaining or pissed by how Maddicows trespassed the neighbour's field, grazing on their crops and grass. Maddicows would occasionally break out from the herd, grazing on forbidden land and the next thing, my uncle would be out looking for her....
Nice - She was a dairy cow with black and white spots, and large udders. She was kind of silent, steady and docile, a mature matron who didn't need to be herded but knew when and where to go.
Masister - She was a golden red young cow, distrustful and wary of people and creatures.
As kids, the saddest time was the last few days of our vacation, especially the last day. We would entertain hopes that maybe mum was joking or she would actually extend the vacation when we told her we wanted to stay. But alas, the day would come... The journey back to the city was particularly silent and sad. Four days later, I would be sitting in the classroom, with an English assignment before me "What Did You Do During the Holidays?"
Without wasting time, here are some of the names that Zimbabweans give to Cows and Dogs:
Popular Dog Names in Zimbabwe:
If you live in high density suburbs of the city, you will realize that houses are close, streets are a maze, and dogs bark here and there. As you walk through the streets, you will come across many names:) , although fewer people have dogs in Zimbabwe than other countries I have visited. I guess fewer dogs means Zimbabwe is a relative safe country, since most people in urban Africa get dogs for home protection and security against burglars, while those in the rural areas keep dogs for hunting and protection.
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| The Zimbabwean Rhodesian Ridgeback |
Shumba - (Shona name for Lion)
Tiger
Fox
Danger
Bomber
Zesa - (Yes, some people use this name for their dogs. It's an abbreviation for Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority)
Fire
Scotch
Blakey
Sango
Bingo
Spider
Hyena
Gringo
Ginger
Ringo
China
India
Killer
Jagger
Puma
Panda
Daff
Mamba
Razor
Super
Shango
Shasha - (Shona name for Champion)
Terror
Cheetah
Jumbo
Russia
Rambo
Ninja
Bush
Togo
Siren
Sport
Saisai
Soja
Jecha
Jet
Njanji
Gava
Diesel
Cooper
Vaya
Viva
Zeus
Ranger
Honda
Bozzo
Brick
Greek
Dizzy
Shadow
Popular Names for Cows in Zimbabwe Rural Areas:
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| Sanga Africander Cow |
Charubek
Maddicows or Muddycows
Masister
Hippo
Rhino
Buffalo
Nice
Bantom
Harare
Bishop
Blanket
Champion
Kudu
Shangani
Zambezi
Kariba
Viscos
Blazer
Zambia
Egypt
Kilimanjaro
Safari
Tyson
Disaster
Samora
Nyika
Zeus
Viva
