Darling Nonkululeko Nkala
The main character and narrator of We Need New Names, Darling is a young girl who once lived a fairly comfortable life in Zimbabwe but, along with her family and much of her community, must move to a shanty town called Paradise following political unrest. She spends the first half of the book as a child in Paradise, playing games and stealing guavas with her friends, and in the second half of the book moves to America to live with her Aunt Fostalina.
Bastard
He is one of Darling's young friends in Paradise who often tries to act brave and manly.
Chipo
She is one of Darling's young friends in Paradise. Her grandfather raped her and got her pregnant, causing her to go mute in the beginning of the story. After Darling leaves for America, Chipo has her baby and names it Darling as well. Chipo is generally a reserved girl, but she yells at Darling over the phone for abandoning Zimbabwe.
Godknows
He is one of Darling's young friends in Paradise who often tries to act brave and manly.
Sbho
One of Darling's young friends in Paradise, she often plays a maternal role in the group.
Stina
He is one of Darling's young friends in Paradise.
Mother of Bones
Mother of Bones takes care of Darling for a majority of her childhood in Paradise, while her father works in South Africa and her mother sells things. Mother of Bones is a very strict and religious woman who makes Darling go to church services on Fambeki and fasts to try to cure Father's sickness.
Mother
Darling's mother is an infrequently seen character as she spends most of her time selling things at the border. She has an affair while Darling's father is in South Africa, sleeping with the man in the same bed where Darling pretends to sleep.
Father
Darling's father leaves for South Africa shortly after leaving their home and moving to Paradise. He returns to Paradise from South Africa when he has become too sick to work, and Darling must take care of him.
Prophet Revelations Bitchington Mborro
The leader of Mother of Bones's church, which meets on the mountain Fambeki, he often preaches loudly and for a long time. He asks congregants to pay large sums of money as a sacrifice.
MotherLove
A woman who lives in Paradise and supplies the villagers with alcohol, she sings beautifully and is brought to tears when she finds the female children trying to get rid of Chipo's stomach with a coat hanger.
Aunt Fostalina
She is Darling's aunt who lived in Zimbabwe and moved to America when Darling was young. Darling has dreams of moving to America to live with her, which eventually come true.
Uncle Kojo
He is Darling's uncle in America.
TK
He is Darling's older male cousin who lives in America.
Marina
She is one of Darling's friends as a teenager in America.
Kristal
She is one of Darling's friends as a teenager in America.
Eliot
He is a man Darling works briefly for as a maid and who has an affair with Aunt Fostalina.
Jim
He is Darling's boss when she works at a grocery store in America.
