Its homeland is in southwestern nigeria and the adjoining parts of benin and togo, a region that has come to be known as yorubaland. Nairaland forum nairaland general culture traditional yoruba names and their meanings 1910 views traditional yoruba society. Typically, in yorubaland, the naming ceremony of a child is a very important event as a lot of significance is placed on the babys name and youll probably hear some of the names mentioned above been given. Thus adesewa could mean one whose arrival turns to beauty such as one whose arrival was not really planned for or expected, just like adewumi. Mar, 2017 the naming ceremony in yoruba culture is taken seriously because the yorubas believe that a child eventually lives out the meaning of his or her names. The sociolinguistic basis of yoruba personal names jstor. We are periodically adding new names and fixing errors to make it worth useful. Means crown in yoruba, also a short form of other yoruba names beginning with this element. As an ethnic description, the word yoruba or more correctly, yaraba was originally in reference to the oyo empire and is the usual hausa name for oyo people as noted by hugh clapperton and richard lander. Come add yours now they occupy major states in the country like lagos, ogun, ondo, and the osun states and can be found in the minority group in some other states. Dada adelowo introduction this paper is motiated by the need. It is a popular thing mostly among the people of the yoruba descents. A lot of thought, research, family traditions and history are considered before a name is picked for a new baby in yoruba culture. A to z of yoruba names ethnic name search engine scribd.
Beautiful yoruba baby names and their meaning madailygist. You should pay for my creativity butdont worryi gat you. There are various dialect within yoruba language, hence most animals and birds are called in different names according to the various dialects. Yoruba people usually name their babies with meaning. Also if you want to know the meaning of your yoruba name, you are welcome to ask. That is, names must be meaningful to the bearer child as well as the giver parent this paper therefore intends to examine the concept of name, the meaning of selected names and the communicative role of names among yoruba. The names of the yoruba children are traditionally found by divination performed by a. These are a few of the beautiful and unique names on our list. It is a common perennial herb with a height of 30 cm.
The names of the children are traditionally found by divination performed by a group of babalawo traditional ifa priests, but in recent times names can also come from those of ranking members of the family, including the father, mother, grandparents, or next of kin. This comes after the childs ritual birth, massage of specific body parts and other rites as well. Unique yoruba names and meaning to choose for your baby. Oriki olodumare from the names of god the praises of. Apart from the misconstrued names, there are other yoruba names whose meanings are now recondite as many people no longer knows what the names mean. Given names oruko amutorunwa, ascribed names oruko abiso, and pet names oriki. A lot of religions use different ways to depicts god. The yoruba names can be nominal or sentential and the names has been classified into three. Tiaraoluwa, digiola, aanuoluwakiishi, or oluwadabira. For instance ask the young master olopade the meaning of his name and he will probably tell you that his name means. About yoruba names and their meanings awesomely luvvie i love this post.
There are many yoruba names whose meanings are now lost due to the facts that the words forming the roots of those words are no longer in use. Also, the paper offers some recommendations on how to. Yoruba names dictionary yorubaname newsletter follow us behind the scenes for exclusive news, freebies, links, lexicographer tools, and other important updates about this dictionary. You that yoruba boy or girl that when people ask for your name and all what you tell them is i dont know the meaning. For instance ask the young master olopade the meaning of his name and he will probably tell you that his name means policeman has come. Names of god in yoruba language and their meanings. African names have a better chance of appropriately attributing, citing, and indexing the many articles that people with african names have written for englishlanguage journals. This section has several thousands of meaningful boys and girls names suitable for your child. Also, you will find some interesting yoruba oriki names and meanings of these names that we have listed below. This dictionary covers over 6,000 names in common use in english, including the traditional and the very newest. The name given to a child in yoruba land is usually based on circumstances surrounding the birth or when the child was born or holidaysfestivalsevents that were happening at the time of the birth. Standard yoruba has its origin in the 1850s, when samuel ajayi crowther, the first african bishop, published a yoruba grammar and started his translation of the bible to yoruba more languages. A pragmalinguistic study of yoruba personal names digital.
Atinuke one who has been taken care of right from conception. Names and naming in yoruba have undergone many changes since the 16thc. The yoruba is one of the major tribe in nigeria with a rich culture and they occupy the western part of nigeria. The yoruba religion comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practices of the yoruba people. Which name would you choose for your little yoruba princess. Here is a list of yoruba baby names that are not very common these days and their meanings. Search our database of thousands of names, by selecting from a number of options. He wore his hair unusually long for a yoruba, and he had the filed upper teeth of the gun, his mothers people. Ilori this is a child born during the absence of menstruation.
Apart from the twins series, other children born in yoruba land in peculiar circumstances or ways are given predestined names too. Means we asked for her, and behold, we got her in yoruba. These are attributive names parents give to their children, to express the pride the child has brought to the family, or to evoke admirable traits believed to be innate in the child by pedigree. A first name is defined as a name that is given to one when one is born and it must come before ones family name cf. Light bringer radiating gods light spiritual leader walks. Prefixes to yoruba names and their meaning segilola salami. Many parents attach a lot of significance to the names they give their children. Do you know that the names cecelia and claudia mean blind and lame. Dec 09, 2019 here is the collection of 698 genuine nigeria yoruba names and their correct meaning. Traditional yoruba names and their meanings culture nigeria. I am going to make available cute yoruba female names, at least 200 of those names and their meaning, so that those who desire to give their female children yoruba names or perhaps, those who wish to change their names and take to yoruba.
The thought of monotheistic was that god is known to be the supreme being of the whole. For instance, ask the young master olopade the meaning of his name and he will probably tell you that his name means policeman has come. In section 4, the strategies for name formation in yoruba are presented and the differences between personal names, attributive names, and nicknames are outlined in detail. Girdlepod irawo ile the botanical name of the herb is mitracarpus scaber. About yoruba names and their meanings awesomely luvvie. Pdf on jan 1, 2002, olanike ola orie and others published yoruba names and gender marking find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Looking for a modern name like iteoluwakiishi, oluwafifehansimi, or do you prefer a traditional name like ademola. Oya check the meaning of your name now and memorize it. A lot of research was done before yoruba names of animals was published. Yoruba keyboard to type a text with the special charaters of the yoruba alphabet. It tells you the age, origin, and meaning of the name, as well as how it has fared in terms of popularity, and who the famous fictional or historical bearers of the name have been. In lleife, the ancestral home of the yoruba, there is a priestchief whose duty is to offer this ritual every morning in the name of the doni and of all the people. There is a more comprehensive dictionary of over 10,000 yoruba names and their meanings published in 2006, authored by the late professor s.
Ade ahdeh yoruba male name meaning crown or royal one. Yoruba has over fifteen dialects and standard yoruba is the written form of the language and the standard variety learnt in school. The yoruba use the same term, dun, for a palatable meal and a memorable spectacle, both arousing a desire for more. For example erinmi watersea elephant is more common than erinmilokun.
Adebayo m western african, yoruba means the crown meets joy in yoruba. It means that the valiant man should never give room for abuse or insults that is. You will find some that you are probably used to and also some uncommon yoruba names. Pdf historical changes in yoruba names researchgate.
Here is the collection of 698 genuine nigeria yoruba names and their correct meaning. And people of other tribes, give your yoruba friend a surprise by telling them the meaning of their indigenous name. It was therefore popularized by hausa usage and ethnography written in ajami during the 19th century by sultan muhammad bello. The thought of monotheistic was that god is known to be the supreme being of the whole and the major object of faith. Yoruba names are unique mainly because they carry powerful meanings.
However, it is unfortunate to note that the direct ritualistic worship of 0l6dumare, as a regular aspect of cultic. Nov 11, 20 there is a more comprehensive dictionary of over 10,000 yoruba names and their meanings published in 2006, authored by the late professor s. What are the names of god in yoruba language and their meanings in english you have come to the right place to get the full list and meaning. The real origin and meanings of yoruba names oldnaija. We hope you enjoyed this post about the various names of god in yoruba language. Whatever your taste, we have the perfect name for your little yoruba prince. They occupy major states in the country like lagos, ogun, ondo, and the osun states and can be found in the minority group in some other states. Means crown in yoruba, also a short form of other yoruba names beginning. This explanation is in line with your interpretation of adesina as my coming has opened the way, rather than crown has opened the way. However, my focus in this article will be on yoruba female names and the meaning attached to these names. By custom, yoruba children are named in a ceremony that takes place 7 days after their birth. Traditional yoruba names and their meanings culture nairaland. This is the day of prosperity on which money joined orisa on earth and is known as the day of.
The book of african names duke university libraries. Unlike some tribes that prefer western names, yorubas are known for giving their children our traditional yoruba names. Mar 21, 2016 which name would you choose for your little yoruba princess. This entry was posted in learning yoruba, yoruba for the young and tagged africa, african wild animals, yoruba names of animals on november 19, 2019 by bim a.
Mar 23, 2020 what are the names of god in yoruba language and their meanings in english you have come to the right place to get the full list and meaning. Here\\s a top collection of some of the best yoruba baby boy names and their meanings. Some of these include names like ayo, bayo, ola, olu, tunde, segun, tayo etc. The morphology, semantics and sociolinguistics of yoruba names. Oriki praise poetry names are also common in yoruba culture.
According to yoruba custom, the yoruba people a majority ethnic group from southwestern and north central. That is, names must be meaningful to the bearer child as well as the giver parent this paper therefore intends to examine the concept of name, the meaning of. Traditional yoruba names and their meanings culture. In yoruba land, one of the most important things done when a child is born is to give the child a name. Its beautiful to think of your name as a blessing and a goal all at the same time. Come add yours now they occupy major states in the country like lagos, ogun, ondo. Explore, check them out and pick a name for your precious little. Female yoruba baby names beginning with a all things nigeria.
The colored kerchiefs of the women are in the style of the yoruba of nigeria. Having knowledge of african names will also help in communicating with african authors and editors. The yoruba are predominately christians and muslims as their main religion. It is believed that the name will have an impact on the destiny of the child or family. Yoruba girl names and their meaning a aanuoluwapo the mercy of the lord is abundant. Worldwide, naming a child is as essential as having the child itself. Im not yoruba not even close but i am fascinated byobsessed with names. Name languagecultural origin inherent meaning spiritual connotation a aaron, aaran, aaren, aarin, aaronn, aarron, aron, arran, arron hebrew light bringer radiating gods light abbot, abbott aramaic spiritual leader walks in truth abdiel, abdeel, abdeil hebrew servant of god worshiper abdul, abdoul middle eastern servant humble abel, abell hebrew breath life of god. Came with christmas or one who was born during christmas. To leave in lagos is not easy, so youve got to learn all about lagos especially the slangs we use.
Predestined names in the yoruba land known as oruko. Yoruba names are used by the yoruba people of nigeria. Names are given to the child by the father, mother. Below is the list of yoruba girl names and their meaning. Yoruba religion is formed of diverse traditions and has no single founder. The best part being that they are all rich in meaning. Yoruba oriki names are names yoruba people give to their children for symbolic reasons. Sep 06, 2018 the contemporary meaning of some words in yorubaland differs from the original or historical meaning. Observed changes include name borrowing, loss of names, change in use of names, disregard for lineage history in name. Some are the ones ive heard from others and others are my coinage. A to z of yoruba names ethnic name search engine free download as pdf file. They can indicate gender, marital status, birthplace, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and position within a family or even within a society.
Shadare sadeko, sadela etc, these names derive from the orisala otherwise called obatala deity. Ojo and aina this is a child born with the umbilical cord twisted round hisher neck. There are many yoruba names whose meanings are now lost due to the fact that the words forming the roots of those words are no longer in use. Names are given to the child by the father, mother, grandparents paternal and maternal and some. According to yoruba custom, the yoruba people a majority ethnic group from southwestern and north central nigeria and also southern and central benin, name their. Baby names meaning name is considered as the unseen identity of a persons personality.