GINI BU AHA GI?
“When a person is given a name, his gods accept.” – Igbo proverb
Traditions like the naming ceremony demonstrate the importance of names within Igbo society. In Igbo, the ceremony is referred to as “Igu Afa”.
In contemporary Igbo culture, the custom is usually performed on the eighth day after the child is born. Two names are usually given to the child by each side of the family. However, only one name is retained for later life.
Within the diaspora and those in Nigeria who live outside of Igboland. The tradition and context of names can become a lost part of a person’s heritage.
Many of us living abroad bear surnames that feel alien to us, relics from a culture that has often not been explained or elaborated to us.
In the modern globalised world, names can be a unique glimpse into a person’s history and origin. With surnames, in particular, being important indicators that map the collective journey of a family or clan.
At Okwu ID we are drafting a register archiving Igbo surnames and their meanings.
If you know of/have an Igbo surname, or if you have ever wondered what the meaning and context of your surname is. Message us on okwuidteam@gmail.com
We will do our best to try to find out what it means.
See the current list below:
Some names have not yet been defined/speculative (?) If you know the meaning let us know.
NAME (AHA) |
BREAKDOWN |
MEANING |
| Abara | Spirit | |
| Achebe | ||
| Acholonu | ||
| Adichie | ||
| Agughalam | Do not side-line/marginalise me | |
| Aguta | Countless/To have many | |
| Agwuegbo | The hardship is over | |
| Aku | Wealth | |
| Alaneme | Ala (land)+ neme (is doing something) | The land is active – may have other interpretations |
| Ama | Compound | |
| Amadi | Ama + di | The compound remains |
| Amaike | Ama + ike | The compound is strong |
| Aniefuna | Ani/Ala + efuna | My land is not lost |
| Anokwuru | Ano + Kwuru | Four talk |
| Anosike | Ano + si + ike | Four is strong |
| Anuoru | Anu + oru | To stay well? |
| Asiegbu | A + si + egbu | |
| Asika | Asi + ka | Asi (lie) = to lie a lot?? |
| Asinobi | A + si + na + obi | From the heart |
| Atuche | Atu + uche | To think / to plan something in the mind |
| Atuegbu | Atu + Egbu | Speculation will not kill me |
| Atusiemobi | Take heart (my condolences) ? | |
| Awachie | ? | He has come to replace ? |
| Awujo | A wu ujo | To be quiet ? |
| Azuka | Azu + Ka | “The back is above.” m. Azu ordinarily means “the back” but it likewise refers to “the backer.” The family was poor, but since it had wealthy relatives, it was assured of social status. This fact is expressed in the name. |
| Azunna | Azu + nna | My fathers back |
| Chidozie | Chi + dozie | My spirit/God looks after |
| Chuke/Chike | Chu(kwu) + ike | God’s power |
| Chukwumerije | Chukwu + mere + ije | God makes (something) walk |
| Chukwunyelu | Chukwu + nyelu/nyere | God gives |
| Diri | ||
| Dozie | To repair – to look after – to make well | |
| Dunga(maeze) | Sit here/stay here and know the king | |
| Duru | ||
| Duruaku | ||
| Duruji | ||
| Ebujo | To kill the wrong person ?? | |
| Edochie | To replace | |
| Edolasim | Do not side-line/marginalise me | |
| Edozie | Edozie | To repair – to look after – to make well – well ordered |
| Edoziem | My life has been ordered by God | |
| Eguminyo | ||
| Ehioma | Ehi + oma | Good cow |
| Ejike | from: Ejiro-ike-erne-ife-enu | “We do not use power in doing things of the world.” |
| Ejikeme | We don’t do anything by force | |
| Ejiofor | Eji + Ofo | The Ofo is the an object historically used to settle disputes and to bestow judgement. Eji = To hold |
| Ejofor | Eji + Ofo | The Ofo is the an object historically used to settle disputes and to bestow judgement. Eji = To hold |
| Ekezie | Eke +ezi | Good sharing |
| Emenike | E me na ike | “Do not with force.” |
| Eregbu | ? | |
| Esiokwu | Esi + okwu | |
| Ezejiofor | Eze + ji + ofor | The King holds the Ofor |
| Ezemonye | I fear no one | |
| Ezenwa | Eze + nwa | The kings child |
| Ezeogba | Eze + ogba | |
| Ibe | (Abbr. of Ibeanaeweka) | “People continue to be angry too much.” ?? |
| Ibeh/Ibe | Towns people/villagers | |
| Ibekwe | Ibe + kwe | Ibe (people) + kwe (agree) = my people agree |
| Ibem | Ibe m | My people |
| Idozuka | ||
| Igweze | Igweze the ‘staff’ the king holds but happy to be corrected! | |
| Iheme | Ihe + me | Things happen |
| Ihemelu | Ihe + melu/mere | Something happened |
| Ike | Strength | |
| Ikeji | I + ke + ji | Yam harvest festival (To break/split yam) |
| Ikwuakolam | Let me not lack brothers/neighbours | |
| Isiguzo | ||
| Iwuoha | ||
| Kalu | (also Kamalu) | The god of thunder |
| Kanu | (also Kamanu) | The god of thunder |
| Manufor | ||
| Mbanefo | May the nation/community remember | |
| Mborie | Mba + Orie | ? |
| Metu | Touch | |
| Mgbodile | ||
| Mmeremikwu | To be higher/better | |
| Monye | Mu + onye | Me and who |
| Ndukwe | Ndu + ekwe | Let life permit. |
| Ndunesokwu | ||
| Nkwo | Nkwo market day (the last of the 4 days on the Igbo calendar) | |
| Nnadi | Nna + di | It means “my God is alive” or “my father lives |
| Nnadozie | Nna + dozie | father looks after ? |
| Nnamdi | Nna m di | It means “my God is alive” or “my father lives |
| Nnebe | ||
| Nnodim | ||
| Nwabara | Nwa + abara | (Child) of the spirit |
| Nwabeke | Nwa + beke | Foreign Child |
| Nwachukwu | Nwa + chukwu | (Child) of the supreme God |
| Nwadibia | Nwa + dibia | (Child) of a native doctor |
| Nwadike | Nwa + di + ike | (Child) is of strong lineage / this person is strong/ Child warrior/hero |
| Nwaeze/Nweze | Nwa + eze | Child of the king |
| Nwaigbo | Nwa +Igbo | (Child) of the Igbo people |
| Nwaigwe/Nwigwe | Nwa + Igwe | (Child) of the king |
| Nwaike | Nwa + ike | (Child) of strong lineage |
| Nwakali | also Nwakala/Nwakani | A child dedicated to Ali/Ala/Ani (earth goddess) |
| Nwakuba | ||
| Nwamadioha | Nwa + amadioha | Child/ people |
| Nwamdi | ||
| Nwaneri | Nwa + na + eri | A child shall eat |
| Nwaogu/Nwogu | Nwa + ogu | (Child) of war |
| Nwaokocha | Man of the people | |
| Nwaokoha | Man of the people | |
| Nwaokolo/Nwaokoro | Nwa + okoro | Child of a young man |
| Nwaokpara | Nwa + okpara | Man/Child of the first son |
| Nwodoh | ||
| Nwogu | Nwa + ogu | The child of the ogu ? |
| Nwokeabia | Nwoke + a’bia | The man has come |
| Nwokeoha | ||
| Nwokoye | Nwa + Okoro + Oye | Son born on the Oye market day. Similar to Ok(afor) Child son born on the Oye market day |
| Nwosu | Nwa + osu | A child devoted to a specific god |
| Nwozuzu | ||
| Obah | ||
| Obasi | God (name for God varies per region) | |
| Obi | Heart | |
| Obiajunwa | ||
| Obiajurumobi | Obi + juru + m +obi | I am consoled (with the arrival of this child) |
| Obiaka | No home is greater than another | |
| Obiakaeze | A home is not greater than the king (or the person that owns it) | |
| Obiakaraije | A stranger who has come to stay permanently in a new place (An immigrant) | |
| Obiako | Short for Obiakolam | May I not lack a family/home |
| Obiakolam | May I not lack a family/home | |
| Obiakpani | Obi (chief/leader) + Akpani – shield | Chief warrior ? |
| Obialom | My heart is now rested – no more in suspense | |
| Obialor | ||
| Obialor | ||
| Obianagha | Obi + agha | He came to fight |
| Obilaso | obi la so | (happy)obi (heart) (courage) ? |
| Obimma | Obi + mma | |
| Obinna | Obi + nna | “father’s heart” |
| Obioma | Obi + oma | |
| Obiyo | Calm down – to calm the heart ? | |
| Odigwe | O + di + igwe | |
| Odinlo | Odi + nlo | It’s soft/easy |
| Odoemena | ||
| Ofoegbu | Ofo + egbu | The Ofo is the an object historically used to settle disputes and to bestow judgement. The Ofo staff can not kill |
| Ofor | The Ofo is the an object historically used to settle disputes and to bestow judgement. | |
| Ogbonna | ||
| Ogbonnaya | ||
| Ogeri | Ogu + eri | War wont kill me? |
| Ogu | Similar to the ofo, ( Ogu-na-Ofo) an object historically used to settle disputes and to bestow judgement. | |
| Oha | Oha (type of vegetable leaf) / society? | |
| Ohuruogu | Oha + ruo + ogu | When people gather to go to war |
| Ojukwu | Palm kernel (sometimes used to cleanse the body from enchanted food poisoning) could denote a strong person. | |
| Okafor/Okoroafor/Okorafor | Okoro + afor | Child son born on the afo market day. |
| Okeke/Okoreke | Okoro + eke | Child son born on the eke market day. |
| Okonkwo | Born on Nkwo market day | |
| Okonkwo /Okonokwo |
Okoro + Nkwo | “Young man of nkwo-day.” f. Nkwo is the name of one of the four days of the week. The name indicates that the boy was born on that day. |
| Okonma | Okoro + nma | “good man” |
| Okoro | the child of the freeborn man/ young man | |
| Okorocha/Okocha | ||
| Okoronkwo/Okonkwo | Okoro + nkwo | Child son born on the nkwo market day. |
| Okoye/Okorie/Okolie | Okoro + oye/orie/olie | Child son born on the Oye market day. |
| Okwelume | ||
| Okwuosa | Okwu + Olisa (osa) | Okwu – word + Osa (Olisa) God [Anambra] |
| Omezi | O + mezie | To do well |
| Onwumere | Onwu + mere | Curse of death (situational – where excessive death is seen) |
| Onyeachu | Onye + acho | The person they are looking for (denotes something wanted/special that was found) |
| Onyeji | Onye + eji | The person who holds |
| Onyekwere | Onye+ | |
| Onyema | Who knows – usually who can predict the mind of God | |
| Onyemachi | Onye + mma | A good person |
| Onyeme | Onye + eme | A person who does well |
| Onyeneme | Onye + (na) + eme | A person who does well |
| Onyenewere | Onye – nwere | The person has |
| Onyewelu | Onye + welu | The person has |
| Onyewkwere | Onye + kwere | The person who agrees |
| Oparah/Okpara | First son | |
| Orendu | ||
| Orji | ||
| Osakwe | Osa(Olisa)+ kwe | If God permits [Anambra] – Osa – throat – if your greed(long throat) can agree. |
| Osondu | Oso + Ndu | To run for life (race for life) |
| Ovuworie | ||
| Ozoemena | ||
| Uche(Chukwu/Nna) | Thought of God or Father | |
| Uchelue | ||
| Uchenna | Uche + nna | Fathers/Gods thought |
| Uderede | ||
| Udochukwu | Peace of God | |
| Uduike | Udu (clay pot to fill water) + Ike (strength) | It means fullness of power |
| Ugochukwu | God’s Eagle | |
| Ugwuana | ||
| Ugwunauwa | Ugwu + | |
| Ugwushie | Ugwu + shie | To (overcome) rise above |
| Ukachukwu | Uka + chukwu | Church of God / Word of God [Anambra] |
| Ukah/Uka | Church/Talk[Anambra] | |
| Ukegbu | Uka + egbu | ? Uka – church (place of worship) egbu – wont kill /Uka – variation of okwu = talk/discussion |
| Ukpabi | Name of a deity (Ibini Ukpabi – of Arochukwu) | |
| Umeh | Strength (Could be regional?) | |
| Umunakwe | Umu + nna + kwe(re) | My people/my siblings agree |
| Umunna | Umu nna | Children of the father (Siblings)/Family |
| Unigwe | Uno(Ulo) + Igbo | Heaven (House of the sky) [Anambra?] |
| Uzoegbu/Uxoebgulam | Uzo + egbu + (m) | The road till not kill me |
| Wabaranta | Nwa + abara + nta | Child of the spirit |
Updated: 04/03/2021
Please contact for updates and corrections.
Also visit: myigboname.com for more