n. - Personal name
popular with African Americans or found exclusively in African American communities.
For girls, Ebonics names typically follow the pattern of three syllables with the stress on the second vowel. This may be accomplished by adding a prefix to a mainstream, two-syllable name, or by inventing a name from
scratch. Less commonly, a two-syllable name is made by adding a syllable to the ending "-
elle."
For boys, Ebonics names are often names formerly
popular with whites. Otherwise, they are two syllable names with the stress on the second syllable. This pattern can be achieved by adding a prefix to a single-syllable mainstream name, or by inventing a name by combining two syllables. As with girls, a
boy's name can also be formed with the "-el" (notice masculine spelling) ending.
Invented Ebonics names often begin with the syllables La/Le,
Da/De, or Sha/She.
Bessie grandbabies all have Ebonics names: LaTanya, LaWanda, Deneka,
Chantelle, Calvin,
Reggie, Demond, Lamont, Montel, and DeWayne.
