Names in African American Short Stories -- ep. by Kenton Rambsy

A brief take on the memorable names that shape African American short fiction, showing how writers from Chesnutt and Hurston to Baldwin and Bambara use naming to capture voice, region, history, and character across generations of stories.

Written by Kenton Rambsy

Read by Kassandra Timm

Transcript

Big Boy. Liza Jane. Missie May. Sonny. Squeaky. Gracie Mae Still. Have you ever thought about all the notable and memorable names in African American short stories? So have we.

You are listening to Remarkable Receptions, a podcast about the reach and circulation of African American literary art and more.

 Charles Chesnutt, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Ralph Ellison, James Baldwin, Toni Cade Bambara, and Alice Walker, seven of the most anthologized African American short story writers, show how names define character, region, and voice in African American fiction.

In Chesnutt’s stories, naming reflects both language and point of view. Uncle Julius, one of his most memorable narrators, retells stories filled with memorable figures such as Mars Dugal McAdoo, Tenie, and Sandy. The mix of names captures the speech of the Reconstruction South and shows how storytelling preserves history through tone and perspective.

Hurston’s fiction draws from the oral traditions of the South, where names emerge naturally from everyday talk. Spunk, Missie May, Delia, and Sykes sound like the people and places they describe, capturing the rhythm of rural life. Wright’s Mississippi settings continue this pattern with common African American rural, Southern names and nicknames such as Big Boy, Bobo, Lester, Buck, and Mann that reflect the familiarity of close communities.

 Ellison creates a striking contrast in “Battle Royal,” where the narrator stands as one of the most memorable figures in twentieth-century fiction. Ironically, this unforgettable character has no name.  

 Baldwin’s stories often tie naming to sound. Sonny and Creole in “Sonny’s Blues” reflect his attention to music, while Gabriel and Elizabeth draw from his church background. His names echo music and faith, showing how  he incorporates these aspects of his background into character design.

 Bambara’s Squeaky, Flyboy, and Big Butt belong to the vernacular of the city, showing how nicknames form through play, reputation, and neighborhood talk. In Walker’s “Everyday Use,” the character Dee’s choice to rename herself Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo reflects an important tension in the story: signaling Dee’s assertion of cultural pride and personal transformation, while also marking her departure from her family’s rural roots.

 Across the work of these seven widely anthologized Black writers, names have helped shape how African American short fiction is remembered and discussed. The names and nicknames make the characters distinctive and keep their stories present in the ongoing reception of Black literature.

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This episode was written by Kenton Rambsy and Jade Harrison. The episode was edited by Elizabeth Cali and Howard Rambsy. The episode was read by me, Kassandra Timm.

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