Comic book creators and filmmakers pick some superhero names just because they sound cool. Other names, though, are chosen for their deep connection with a character or setting. Many of the names from Wakanda, the home of Black Panther, are especially rich in symbolism and significance.
Join us as we answer these questions and more:
- Is there a real Wakanda that inspired the name of the technologically advanced supercountry?
- 黑料网 is Black Panther鈥檚 real name?
- 黑料网 does Namor鈥檚 name mean?
Warning: May contain spoilers. If you haven鈥檛 seen the movies, go watch them!
Is Wakanda a real place?
In the Marvel Universe, Wakanda is a fictional East African nation whose people have used its rich reserves of the rare (also fictional) substance vibranium to make it one of the most advanced nations in the world. Its name is not based on or connected to any real place in Africa. Instead, the name Wakanda is believed to have been based on a name used鈥攊n various forms鈥攂y Native American Peoples of North America, including the Omah, Ponka, Osage, and Kaw tribes. Though the name can vary in pronunciation and spelling from community to community, it is often used to refer to a supreme deity. When聽Black Panther debuted, members of the Osage Peoples noted that the name Wakanda in the movie is pronounced the same as their word for 鈥淐reator鈥� or 鈥淕od.鈥�
Among some of these Peoples, the name Wakanda has also been used to refer to a legendary place of goodness that all aspire to journey to, sometimes also called 鈥渢he country of life.鈥�
Why is the superhero named Black Panther?
Black Panther (the first Black Marvel superhero) and his people worship Bast, a panther god, and took their name from this deity. In the real world, the name Black Panther predates the superhero.
The name is particularly associated with the Black Panther Party, an African American organization most prominent during the 1960s and 鈥�70s that was established to work for the advancement of the rights of Black people, often by radical means.
Organizers of the Black Panther party have said that the name was inspired by the animal itself (and its instincts of self-defense) as well as by the name of an earlier group: the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, which worked for voter registration and rights in the 1960s and used a panther as its symbol.
But that鈥檚 not the first use of the name. During World War II, a segregated unit in the US military was known as the Black Panther Tank Battalion.
黑料网 is Black Panther鈥檚 real name?
In the comics and the Marvel film series, the name of the original Black Panther character is 罢鈥檆丑补濒濒补. 罢鈥檆丑补濒濒补 takes on the title of Black Panther upon becoming the ruler of Wakanda after his father鈥檚 death.
黑料网 does T鈥機halla mean?
In 2018, Marvel Comics clarified that, in the fictional language of Wakanda, the name 罢鈥檆丑补濒濒补 means 鈥渉e who put the knife where it belonged.鈥� Perhaps a source of inspiration, Tchalla (without the apostrophe) is a common last name among people of the West African nation of Togo.
黑料网 does Namor mean?
In Marvel Comics, Namor is a half-human, half-Atlantean from the undersea world of Atlantis. His name is said to mean 鈥淎venging Son鈥� in the fictional language of Atlantean. The movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever deviates from Namor鈥檚 comics origin story and also gives him a new name: 碍鈥檜办鈥檜濒办补苍 (meaning 鈥淧lumed Serpent God鈥�), which is apparently based on the Mayan language Yucateco. In Wakanda Forever, as his people (called the Talokanils) defend themselves against Spanish colonizers, the young 碍鈥檜办鈥檜濒办补苍 is described by a priest as a ni帽o sin amor (meaning 鈥渃hild without love鈥� in Spanish).
Other notable names from the world of Wakanda
It鈥檚 not always known why a name was chosen for a certain character or place, but in the world of superheroes, many seem to contain clues about a character鈥檚 traits. Here are some interesting linguistic connections to the names of Wakanda鈥檚 characters.
Nakia
The name of T鈥機halla鈥檚 love interest Nakia fittingly means 鈥減ure and faithful鈥� in Egyptian and 鈥渦nconquered鈥� in Greek.
厂丑耻谤颈听
Shuri is a princess of Wakanda and the sister of T鈥機halla. Shuri is a popular name in Japan, meaning 鈥渧illage鈥� in Japanese.
搁补尘辞苍诲补听
Ramonda is Queen of Wakanda and the mother of T鈥機halla and Shuri. The name Ramonda is considered a variant of Ramona, which means 鈥減rotecting hands.鈥�
翱办辞测别听
Okoye is a general of the forces that protect T鈥機halla. In real life, Okoye is used as a last name in Nigeria and can be translated as 鈥渟omeone born on oye/orie market day.鈥�
Erik Killmonger
Black Panther antagonist Erik Killmonger is also known as Erik Stevens and 狈鈥橨补诲补办补. His not-so-subtle nickname Killmonger makes use of the term monger, which can be used to refer to 鈥渁 person who is involved with something in a contemptible way鈥� or more literally to mean 鈥渁 dealer in or trader of a commodity鈥� (in this case, a dealer of death).
