The Power in Yoruba Names

“Ilé làá wò ka tó s’ọmọ l’órúkọ”.

(We examine the home or lineage before we name a child)

The question – what is in a name? – is often posed and, in most cases, the answers indicate a tendency to shrug them off as mere identification tags. But for the Yorùbá, or indeed most Africans, it is deeper than being simply a means of identification. So, what is in a Yorùbá name? 

A Yoruba naming ceremony (Courtesy-Afrobeat Star Femi Kuti)

The late Professor Bolaji Idowu, the then patriarch of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, in his book Olódùmarè: God in Yorùbá Belief, described the Yorùbá by saying “in all things (they are) spiritual”. In the worldview of the Yorùbá, nothing happens by chance (ẹ̀ṣẹ́ kìí dédé ṣẹ̀). As such, in giving a child a name, the indigenous Yorùbá takes a cue from the gamut of activities and circumstances surrounding the birth of the child. Many factors are taken into consideration; what memorable events occurred at the child’s birth? Were there special attributes or peculiarities around or about the child at birth? Some names are related to the dominant deities in the ancestry of the family; some reflect the vocation that the family is known for. It follows that Yorùbá names are statements connoting something significant; a reflection of a deeper reality in their perception of life.

Some categories of Yorùbá names include –

1. Destiny Names (Ámútọ̀runwá ‘brought from heaven’) due to peculiar circumstances surrounding birth, e.g. for children whose foetus lie in the breech position, usually with legs emerging from the cervix instead of the head, the name Ìgè naturally attaches to them; for twins Táíwò is the first (tọ́-aiyé-wò which means ‘taste the world’) and Kẹ́hìndé is the second (Ọmọ-kẹ́hìndé-gb’ẹ̀gbọ́n which means the one that comes after becomes the senior)
   
   
2. Acquired Names Ábísọ (given at birth) In most cases, the child could be named as a result of the prevailing situation at the time, or it may be a philosophical statement relating to an incident. As example, Abísógun means ‘born during war time’ Abíọ́nà means ‘born on the road – during a journey’. Names like Bẹ́ẹ̀kọ́lọlárí (shortened as Bẹ́ẹ̀kọ́) means ‘this is not how to use exalted position or you have not used your position of authority appropriately or you don’t abuse your position of power’ is a name given when one desires to use the occasion of the child’s birth to make a statement of admonition to a person who has abused his position of authority.
   
   
3. Panegyrics or Praise Names Oríkì
   Names like Àjọ́kẹ́, Àṣàbí, Àkànó, Àlàó, Àyìnlá Àyìndé, Àrẹ̀mú, Àdùbí). Everyone likes some accolade of some (ọ̀wọ̀ díẹ̀ díẹ̀ lara ńfẹ́). The Yoruba customarily finds it necessary to praise a child when the child’s conduct has been impressive. Even just by way of responding to a child’s greeting, especially in the mornings, parents find it necessary to praise the child with his/her oríkì When one is praised with the panegyrics of either his ancestry or his personal attributes, the child will feel elated and be encouraged to display more good conduct.  This is one of the ways parents elicit the inherent virtue in a child and constantly remind them of their pedigree.
   
   
4. Some names are also associated with the deities (Òrìṣà) or vocations; for instance, those related to

• IFÁ (the divinity of wisdom) would have names likes:
  Fákúnle (‘Ifá is abundant in our household’)
  Fáyẹmi (‘Ifá suits me’)
  Odùtọ́lá (Odù – the corpus – of ‘Ifá can be equated with wealth’)
  Odùsàmì (‘Odù makes a mark’)
  
  
• ÒGÚN (the divinity of metal and engineering):
  Ògúnṣẹ̀yẹ (‘Ògún bestows honour’),
  Ògúnṣakin (‘Ògún is courageous’)

Ṣàngó statue with the oṣé

• ṢÀNGÓ (the divinity of electricity) have names like
  Ṣàngósànyà (‘Ṣàngó revenges’),
  Bámgbóṣé many would not know that the popular street in Ìsàlẹ̀ Èkó (centre of Lagos Island) known as is actually a Ṣàngó-related name – bá-mi-gbé-oṣé-Ṣàngó (hand me the staff of Ṣàngó) – oṣé is the axe-like staff of Ṣàngó – a symbol of his authority.
  
  
• Ọ̀ṢUN (the divinity of fertility, erotica and wealth)
   Ọ̀ṣuntókun (Ọ̀ṣun can be equated to the sea/ocean),
  Ọ̀ṣunkíyèsí (Ọ̀ṣun takes note or is aware of all that is significant)
  
  
• ỌYA would be
  Ọyagbọlá (Ọya attains wealth/honour),
  Abọ́yadé (accompanied by Ọya or in association with Ọya);
  
  
• EÉGÚN, which means masquerade representing ancestry, their names are prefixed with
  Ọ̀jẹ̀ Ọ̀jẹ̀múyìíwá (This was brought upon by Ọ̀jẹ̀ – by the ancestors),
  Ọ̀jẹ̀tókun (Ọ̀jẹ̀ can be equated to the sea/ocean),

For the vocations or professions, they are usually prefixed with the name of the profession:

• ÀYÀN (Drummers) –
  Àyànkọ̀gbẹ́ (the drummer rejects residency in the wilderness or bush),
  Àyànlàjà (the drummer intervenes in abating war).

ÀYÀN Drummers

• ỌDẸ (Hunters and/or warriors)
  Ọdẹsànyà (‘Ọdẹ avenges on your behalf’)
  Ọdẹyẹmi, (‘Ọdẹ suits me’)
  Ọdẹwálé. (Ọdẹ comes home’)
  
  

It is a cultural tragedy today that the children of Yorùbá extraction feel ashamed of their indigenous names. They feel modernity – ọ̀làjú – does not compel them to bear names related to their ancestry. In some cases, the names related to the deities have been Christianised; the deity-related names are considered sacrilegious and fetish, “not worthy in the sight of God”. So, we now get names prefixed with Olúwa which means Lord. Ògúnsànyà has now been changed to Olúsànyà.

It is ironical that African-Americans desirous of connecting to their African roots are dropping their slave and colonial names and are adopting very deep Yoruba names, while in on the African continent, most people prefer the names of the colonial masters or Christianised their indigenous names. Can we continue to reject what is innate about us and expect acceptance from elsewhere?