Significance of names in Samuel S. Hanengeta’s Kalya uzumanana, Lazarus M. Mwiinga’s Nyoko ngumwi and Joseph B. Mweemba’s Mukandeke.

Narratives rely heavily on onomastics, where names are part of the raw materials that weave the plot, and are essential ingredients of narration. Naming is a critical literary device and within artistic works, every detail adds to the overall representation and the use of names is no exception. The research analyses the onomastic aspects in Chitonga literary texts of Mukandeke by Mweemba J. B, Kalya Uzumanana by Hanengeta S. S and Nyoko Ngumwi by Mwiinga L. M., with a perspective of the usage and functions of names in a narrative. Onyms are but single components of literary creation and arguably present one of the most important parts of development of the Chitonga narrative in the selected texts. The onyms are connected to the literary purposes of the texts and are chosen according to their value and influence in the context. There is no literary name that is without value in Chitonga narratives no matter how minor a role it may play within a narrative. Names do not come into existence by chance but according to causal connection. It is clear that names or name elements are such elements that are selected according to their value and content, for instance their effective value in enhancing the development of a narrative and characters in the selected texts. The choice of names that the authors use plays a significant role in the realisation of themes, development of narratives, setting and characterisation. The authors thus choose names with suitable connotations which include implied messages about the character's physical or behavioural traits, that is, charactonym. From the analysed data, the title of works for the three text were carefully selected as they have a close association with the thematic preoccupation and vision of the authors.