This study was an attemptto establish the meanings of Tumbuka death daring personal names within the Tumbuka social and cultural setting.It sought to identify and analyse meanings of selected names and to find out the socio-cultural implications of the names and naming patterns and/or strategies that are used among the people in the study area. The qualitative approach was used and the researcher used semistructured interviews, focus group discussions, observation of and interaction with the study population as well as introspection to collect primary data. On a large scale, purposive sampling was the employed technique, and was supplemented bysimple random sampling. Secondary data was obtained from existing Tumbuka literature including school and village registers. Findings showed that, among the Tumbuka people, the first name is bestowed on a child after detachment of its umbilical cord, with the father and grandfather of the child's father being the sole name-givers. First name bestowal arises from different factors, but the study focused only on those names that are influenced by death, with particular reference to those that are used to taunt death. Using the Unified Theory of Names, generated data was analysed. In relation to the findings, it was deduced that personal names in Tumbuka-prone speech communities go beyond being mere personal labels, to expressions and stories that mark the various social and psychological milestones and circumstances surrounding the birth of a child to be named. This in turn makes personal names an integral meaningful part of the Tumbuka cultural heritage which should be explored by scholars.