Congolese Name Generator

A Congolese name usually has three parts: a given name, a postnom and a family name. In the DR Congo, Mobutu's authenticité campaign of the 1970s banned Christian first names, so a whole generation carries purely African names like Ilunga Kabongo or Nsimba Lukeni. Since the 1990s French names have returned, and a newer fashion favors faith and hope names: Dieudonné, Dieumerci, Merveille, Gloire, Héritier, Trésor, Plamedi (from 'plan merveilleux de Dieu') and Exaucée. The family name often points to a region. Mukendi, Kabeya, Tshibanda and Ngalula are Luba names from Kasai; Nsimba, Matondo, Nzuzi and Mavungu are Kongo names from Kongo-Central; Kasereka, Kambale and Kavira are Nande names from North Kivu, where birth-order names are shared by everyone in the community; Bolamba, Ekofo and Lokombe come from the Mongo of Équateur.

Across the river in Congo-Brazzaville, common surnames include Mabiala, Makosso, Itoua, Okemba, Ondongo and Nganga, reflecting Teke, Mbochi and Vili roots, and French Catholic given names such as Parfait, Gervais and Ghislaine remain the norm.

The list mixes all of these registers so you can pick a believable Kinshasa musician, a Lubumbashi engineer, a Bukavu nurse or a Brazzaville civil servant for a novel, screenplay or game.