There's a growing trend among white South Africans to name children according to what's important to the parents at the time of birth. This has for centuries been an African tradition, although right now more and more blacks are giving their children Western names, causing a bit of a stink among traditionalists.

People also often name their children according to the time of day or year that their child is born. For example:
Nomsa – grace/dawn
Aurora – Roman goddess of the dawn
Levanna – Latin for rising sun
Luna – Roman goddess of the moon
Badhur – born at full moon
Cecil – born on the sixth or at six o' clock
Octavia for babies born on the eighth
Nomgxi – born on Saturday
Noel – born on Christmas day
Baba – born on Thursday

And others on how they feel about the new baby
Thami – lucky blessing
Gabriel – in honour of the angel
Thabo – joy
Mangoliso – miracle
Abeni – girl prayed for
Amiri – prince
Anana – soft/gentle
Anwar – the brightest
Cheche – small thing
Chike – power of God

The Kabalarian naming system
While there are baby name finders galore on the web, one of the best sites to visit is that of The Society of Kabalarians (a registered non-profit society) that draws on over 60 years of research and experience in providing name analysis. The system is based on mathematical principles that can be used to make recommendations for a change of name to a balanced name, which offsets the weaknesses of the old name, and tunes the mind to the true inner potential determined from one's date of birth. It's uncanny how accurately they describe personalities according to names, and they have covered just about every nation's names (including general African and Afrikaans) on the planet as well as their meanings.

According to the Kabalarians, the names below are the most common/popular South African names (visit the site by clicking on the relevant related link below, click on South Africa and then on the names for their meanings)

Boys
Afzal | Ayize | Biko | Chaka | Chihambuane | Chuguel | Dhayalan | Dingane | Gogo | Hansie | Herschelle | Jak | Kamuliva | Kamuzu | Kopano | Leabua | Mokgohlwe | Mpumelele | Mthuthuzeli | Naeem | Nieem | Nkosi | Nolizwe | Nonceba | Paki | Sigidi | Sindile | Sipho | Sipliwo | Thandiwe | Themba | Tutu | Uuka | Vusimuzi | Xola | Yera | Zulu |

Girls
Abongile | Anneria | Benechia | Blyde | Caryn-Ann | Charlize | Cornea | Dziko | Hananke | Hanli | Kanisha | Keorapetse | Lauren | Liesle | Lindiwe | Mabuufo | Mafuane | Mandisa | Mariaan | Nkosazana | Nobanzi | Nomalanga | Nombeko | Nomble | Nomuula | Nonyameko | Patrys | Penny | Sarah | Serafina | Siboniso | Silezia | Siphiwe | Sunica | Tamaryn | Tanday | Thandi | Thandiwe | Themba | Vasha | Venda | Xhosa | Zylonna |

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