Yoruba names and their meaning

Yoruba names are much more than mere identifcation tags, much more
than mere "luggage labels"; each has a reason (a) for being just what it
is; and (b) for being given to a particular individual. Yoruba names
embody circumstances of birth, history, family, religion, or some other
eually pertinent facts relevant to that particular individual bearing the
name. Yoruba names are, in fact, in most cases contractions of whole
sentences. "!toloye," for e"ample #see above list$, is but the shortened
form of
! to ni oye," and could be amplifed into "%niti o to lati f je oje& 'e to
whom a (hieftancy is but right and proper".
"!toloye" is perhaps more properly amplifed into "! to ni oye", i.e )*%niti
o to ni oye", where "to" is a verb that means "to be durable" +he only
uestion here is, can this apply to a person on his accession to the
(hieftaincy, at which time nobody could possibly ,now what the future
held in sure for the new (hief-" .n the other hands, the salutation to a
Yoruba chief, from the moment of his accession, is "!de a pe l/ori, 0ata a
pe l/ese, olori a sise ebi, %sin oba a ma j/o,o12which is to say2"3ong will
the crown remain on the chief/s head; long will the shoes remain on the
chief/s feet; the chief/s wives will bear children; the chief/s virile member
will always be fully active (literally4 the chief/s horse will eat fodder), "at
a time when no one ,nows what the gods have planned for the chief. 0y
the same to,en, the derivation of "!toloye" as "'e who is durable as
(hief" (with /durable/ being used in the sense outlined abive), is perhaps
to be preferred
!ll Yoruba names are unise" e"pects the one starts with !,in,
baba, iya 5 ye and the ori,is
".lu .run" & ".lorun "& (+he (hief 5the owner or heaven)
.lutunwase"
.lu(ti o) ntun iwa se & 6od who remodels character in being.
.lupawada"
.lu (ti o) npa iwa da & 6od who changes character (from bad to good, implying the
7egenerative 8ower of 6od.)
Fagbohunmi Ifa gbo ohun mi = Ifa heard my voice
/answered my prayer (may be looking for child or male
child)
!dene,an & !de ni eniti o n,an & (rown (or honor) comes only to the chosen.
!dedoyin& !de di oyin & (9y) crown had become (sweet as) honey.
!deyin,a& !de yi mi ,a & (9y) crown surrounds me4 i.e. , all those things
associated with a ,ing/s crown2prestige, honor, authority, etcetera2surround me.
!deniji& !de ni iji & (9y) crown has a shade (under which : rest).
!detoro& !de mi toro & (9y) crown is without blemish (is unru;ed).
.yerinde& .ye rin de & 'igh ran, has wal,ed in (to me).
.yesi,u& .ue si ile,u(n) & 'igh ran, has open the door (to all good things).
.yerola& .ye to ola & 'igh ran, is euivalent to (i. e., is such that it has brought)
honor (or authority, dignity).
.,unowo(.,un ni owo )& .,un ni owo2+he strings (of beads) commands respect.
.,uneye& .,un ni eye & +he string (of beads) commands adoration.
.,unbajo& .,u(n) ba eni (pe) jo & +he string of beads gather together .ith us.
'ere, ".,un" is the string of beads, one of the insignias of the powerful.
.layin,a& .la yi mi ,a &'onor (authority, dignity) surrounds me.
.latunde& .la tun de. i. e., tun (pada) de & 'onor has returned again.
.labopo&.la bo si ipo (re) & 'onor has returned to its rightful place.
.gundele& .gun (the .risa) has reached (his) home.
.gundare(.gun da are) & .gun has found in my favor, acuitted me.
.gunsola& .gun se ola & .gun has created (ie. e. clothed me with ) honor.
.gundehin& .gun dehin (wa) & .gun has turned bac, to come to us.
%gunleti& %gun ni eti & +he !ncestral <pirit (7gun) has ears (to hear us through
this baby)
.jediran& .je di (ohun) iran (diran) & +he cult of the !ncestors has become part of
our family heritage (something handed down from one generation to the ne"t,
down the line forever and a day.
!begunrin& %niti o mba %gun rin & .ne who wal,s with the !ncestral <pirit ( i.e. ,
who communes with the !ncestral <pirit).
<angowanwa& <ango wa mi wa & <ango has come loo,ing for me.
<angodijo& <ango has closed the ran,s (of our group).
<angolaja& <ango la ija & <ango has made peace (has settled the dispute).
.yagbaro& .ya gbo aro & .ya has heard our grief (and turned it into joy).; #.ya is
the wife of <ango$
.yabunmi& .ya bun emi & .ya has given me (this child).
.yatunde.ya tun de & .yahas come bac, again.
.yagogun& .ya to ogun & .ya to ogun & .ya is (in herself) e=ective magic.
!yangbami& !yan gba emi & !yan has accepted me #could also mean4 !yan has
saved me(from childlessness).$
!yandiran& !yan di #ohun) iran(diran) & !yan has become an heirloom; i. e., the
worship of !yan (the patron god of drumming and drumming styles)has become
something handed down from generation to generation in our family.
!layande&%niti o nsin !yan de & +he devotee of !yan has arrived.
!yanlaja & !yan la ija & !yan has made peace, replaced strife with concord.
Note; one can replace ayan! oye! "ango Ifa! #wo with
one another
>atoyinbo& :fa to .yinbo & :fa is to be euated with .yinbo. 'ere, ".yinbo" is not
#?ote "not" is underlined$ the white man," but the Yoruba child of Yoruba parents
who at birth is light2s,inned, and is held to bring good fortune to himself and to all
connected with him.
>atoyinbo
>abunmi & :fa bun emi & :fa has given me #this child$.
>agbemi & :fa gbe emi@ :fa is on my side. #:fa supports me$.
>alana & :fa la ona & :fa has opened (or has shown)the way.
.dutola & .du to ola & .du is euivalent to (is worthy of) honor. (.du can be
rep#ace with, :fa, .gun, !de etc)
.dun eye &.du ni eye & .du intrinsically possesses adoration (is such that men
automatically adore and worship it).
.dulate & .du la ote &.du has made conspiracy ine=ective (has cut conspiracy
open as with a ,nife).
!wotunde & !wo tun de & +he mysteries (!wo) have a new lease on life (or the
!dept&!wo2has returned again).
!wolaja & !wo la ija & +he adept (by his birth) has brought peace.
!wolowo & !wo ni owo & 7he adept has reverence (shown to him; or
+he 9ysteries are holy, sacred).
!nother names are those or the types the star with )a bi*
meaning )born to*
!biola &0orn during the time of a festival.
!biola & 0orn into wealth
!biona & 0orn on the road
!bioye & 0orn after the installation as a chief or a ,ing
!bidemi & 0orn before the arrival of the father.
!bide,un & +he last born ( ?o child is born after the child)
!bodunrin & 0orn when a festival is approaching.
?ote; +hese names are unise" names.
$wins family ( %bi :beji)
0aba ibejiAAA +wins father
:ya ibejiAAAA.+wins mother
:ya ibetaAAA.+riple*s mother
0aba :betaAA..+riple*s father
:betaAAAAA.+riplet
.mo meji 5ibeji 5ejire (eji ore)
Bedunwa & ! child born before a set of twins. (this name is given after the birth of
a set of twin)
+aiwo & +he frst child of a set of twin5 triplet
Behinde & the second child of a set of twin5 triplet
:dowu & (hild born immediately after a set of twin5 triplet
%tao,o 5 :dowu.. the third child of a set of triplet
!to & .+he only girl in a set of a triplet.
!laba & .0orn after :dowu
:dogbe & 0orn after !laba
:doha & .0orn after :dogbe
Bo,orugudu. & 0orn after :doha
%ther important names are &%ruko amutorunwa' (brought
from heaven names)
Note; names under twins family are oruko amutorunwa.
!jayi. & (hild faced down immediately after the birth
.jo & ! baby boy born with umbilical cord round his nec,
!ina & ! baby girl born with umbilical cord around her nec, (note; %gba people
give !ina to baby boy)
:lori & (hild born without mother menstruates
Coojo.. & +he child who his or her mother dies immediately after the delivery of the
baby.
.lugbodi. & +he child that born with si" fngers.
.,e. & +he child who folded with membrane (sac li,e) during birth.
.ni. & (today) +he baby who cries always
.la. & (tomorrow) (hild born after .ni
.tunla. & (day after tomorrow) (hild born after .la
0abatunde. & 0aby boy born after the death of one*s grandfather
Yetunde5:yabo5Yewande & 0aby girl born after the death of grand mother
0abarimisa & +he child whose father dies after the delivery
Yeyerimisa & +he child whose mother dies after the delivery (not that day but befor
the naming ceremony).
!biiba & +he child who did not meet his father.
!biara.. the child who did not ,now his5her father.
.ri,i (8raise name)
!,anbi & ! male child born after many female children (the parent are loo,ing for
female)
!labi. & ! male child born after many female children or born by another wife after
the frst wife have given birth to many children.
!jani. & ! baby boy born after the dispute between the parents settled.
!,ano. & ! male child born when parent are loo,ing for female
!,anni & !s !,ano
.!la,e. & 0aby girl born after many male children or born by another wife after
many children by another woman.
!jo,e. & 0orn to be ta,ing care.
!jo,e & De are to ta,e care of this together.
!sabi & 0aby girl born after many boys or special baby to parent
!lamu & same as !labi.
#nother set of names are ;
.juolape & +hose to ta,e care of this child are available or completed
.mobaoni,ee & +he child meets those to ta,e care of him her
.ni,eepe & +hose to ta,e care of him5her are completed
.nipede. & +he child born after a disaster in a family (the child to plead to the
family)
#biku
4 "0o ,u o te" meaning ":f you die you disgrace yourself", revealing that this woman
had had "abi,u" (short2 lived) children prior to this one
"0ioba,u," i. e., "0i (iwo) ,o ba ,u," or in %nglish4 ":f (you, or ) this one does not die"
an inconclusive phrase reuiring a "then" part to complete it; a "then" part of the
name of "9y heart will rejoice", or "6od will have heard my prayers," or "9y
sorrows have ended, " or some such phrase".
!iyEdun F 3ife is sweet
!iyEdun, & 3ife is sweet, don*t go (die) again
!iyElagbe & in the world we live, do not go
! jG F Hog, do not brea, the rope, sorry, do not go
!jEigbe Dealth is not lost
!,lsatGn F 7ag has fnished, do not use more rags
!,IjJ Dhat are you dead, awa,ens
!,Iji, ,nife sorts of sleight of hand
!para . 'e who go to the heaven and return
!ybrunbK 6o to 'eaven and bac,
0GnjL,L 2 senta2se comigo
0GnjL,L, sits5rests5stay with me
HIrLdLlI, & wait and see good things
HIrLjaiyE & wait and enjoy life
HIrdorli,e 2& <tay, thou shall be spoiled (in this world) (MbJ,I name for a girl)
HIrLsomo & stay and do child