Slave Names
In Gilead, the Handmaids are no longer allowed to keep their real names when they are assigned to work in a new household. They have become possessions of their masters, or Commanders. The main character’s name in the show is actually June, but she is called “Offred”, or “Of Fred”. In the book, there is no mention of the main character’s first name. A woman serving a man named Warren is called “Ofwarren.” Etcetera. If they move to a new house, their name is changed to suit their new master.
When slaves were taken from Africa, they were never allowed to keep their real names, because they were often too foreign-sounding. Slaves were given new names, like John, Bill, or Sally. Their last names were also changed to match their masters. This is why many modern-day African Americans have English-sounding last names, like “Jones”. In the privacy of their quarters, slaves would call one another by their true African names.
This is why, during the Civil Rights Movement, there was a resurgence in African-sounding names in the black community. Malcolm X changed his last name to “X” because he did not know his ancestor’s original African last name. Changing their names was a way for African Americans to reclaim their identity and freedom. In modern times, many African-American names are not actually based on a name from an African country, but rather just a creative exercise in borrowing unique names from other cultures or invent new spellings and pronunciation variations for names that already exist.