World-renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has shared the story behind the creation of her famous name, "Chimamanda." During an interview with media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, the celebrated writer disclosed that her parents originally named her Ngozi, not Chimamanda.
Adichie explained that when it was time to choose a confirmation name in line with her Catholic faith, she opted for "Amanda," inspired by a novel she had read. Throughout her secondary school years and early studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, she was known as Amanda. However, after moving abroad, she became dissatisfied with the commonness of the name and how it was pronounced.
Determined to embrace an Igbo name, especially as she was working on her first novel, Adichie modified "Amanda" to "Chimamanda." Today, she is delighted by the popularity of the name, noting that many children now bear it.
