As a Choctaw child, you could have many names over the course of your life. The first name you were given was bestowed at birth by your parents and usually was related to an event that happened around the time of your birth or something that was seen during the event. The women birthed outdoors near streams and so the names tended to be related to nature and animals seen during the process. During the rest of your life, many names could be added, based on anything from a small happening to a great victory in battle. Many names came from specific groups of names (color, animal type, etc), but there were exceptions to this, too. The red or humma group was one of distinction. Taking a red name called on the Choctaw to act with honor and courage, and was probably one of the largest name groups. Holahta was another name group, roughly meaning “leader,” and was reserved for special use.Here is a selection of Choctaw names:
Girls:
Atepa — ah-TEE-pah — wigwam
Fala — FAH-lah — crow
Issi — IHS-see — deer — The double S is pronounced with a pause between like in dress suit
Kinta — KIN-tah — deer
Nita — NIH-tah — bear
Opa — OH-pah — owl
Panola — pah-NOH-lah — cotton
Poloma — poh-LOH-mah — bow
Talulah — tah-LOO-lah — leaping water
Tula — TOO-lah — peak
Boys:
Chito — CHIH–toh — handsome
Chochmo — CHOCH-moh — mud mound
Chochokpi — choh-CHOHK– pee — throne for the clouds
Hattak — haht-TAHK — man — The double T’s are both pronounce with a slight pause between them like in night-time
Koi — KOH-ee — panther
Kostini — kohs-TIH-nee — wise
Minco — MIN-coh — chief
Nashoba — nah-SHOH-bah — wolf
Shikoba — shih-KOH-bah — feather
Talako — tah-LAH-koh — eagle
Here’s the pronunciation guide:
a = like the a in father
e = like the i in police
i = like the i in pit and sometimes like in police
o = like the o in note
u = like the u in put
v = like the u in cup
au = like the ow in cow
ai = like eye
lh — like the breathy ll in Llewellyn