From: andythewiros
Message: 64901
Date: 2009-08-21
>Actually I looked up 'Lakeisha' and 'Lawanda' and found out that some of these African-American names are of Arabic or Swahili origin. However, many are merely rhyming-variants of Arabic or Swahili words, or of names of other origin. 'Lakeisha', according to the website, may be either of Arabic, Swahili, or rhyming origin (rhyme of 'Letitia'/'Leticia', from Latin 'joy'); 'Lawanda' is listed as of American origin (hence created).
> At 3:23:54 PM on Friday, August 21, 2009, andythewiros wrote:
>
> > To tell the truth, I made up "Jawanda" out of thin air, I
> > couldn't at that moment remember another actual
> > African-American girl's name.
>
> It actually does exist: a Jawanda King ran 24.11 in the
> women's 200m at the USATF Junior Olympic Track & Field
> Championships this summer.
>
> The results lists from that event are a good source of such
> names, by the way: <Ta'Janeece>, <Camesha>, <DeOna>,
> <Shaquana>, <Danheisha>, <Laniece>, <Lamesha>, <Keyonnia>,
> <Jalisha>, <Uniqua>, <Jeronda>, <Tralanda>, <Jerika>,
> <Shanania>, <Myshauna>, <J'Quyra>, <Kawanna>, <Johniqua>,
> ... .
>
> > I knew 'Lawanda' but I didn't want to make it sound like
> > they all begin with 'La-', so I improvised.
>
> The <La-> family is one of the largest one, at least on the
> feminine side.
>
> Brian
>