Abeni f YorubaMeans
"we prayed and we received" in Yoruba.
Abidemi m & f YorubaMeans
"born in my absence" in Yoruba. It is typically given to children born when the father is away.
Abosede f YorubaMeans
"comes with the start of the week" in Yoruba, given when the child is born on Sunday.
Adaeze f IgboMeans
"eldest daughter of the king" in Igbo.
Adanna f IgboMeans
"eldest daughter of the father" in Igbo.
Adannaya f IgboMeans
"eldest daughter of her father" in Igbo.
Ade 1 m & f YorubaFrom Yoruba
adé meaning
"crown", also a short form of other names beginning with this element.
Adegoke m YorubaMeans
"the crown has ascended the mountain" in Yoruba.
Adeola f & m YorubaMeans
"the crown of wealth" in Yoruba. It is also a surname.
Adisa m & f YorubaMeans
"bundled up and set to dry" in Yoruba.
Alaba f & m YorubaMeans
"second child after twins" in Yoruba.
Alhaji m HausaMeans
"the pilgrim" in Hausa, a derivative of Arabic
حجّ (ḥajj) meaning "pilgrimage, hajj". It is typically a title, not a name.
Amina 1 f Arabic, Bosnian, Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Ingush, Kazakh, Urdu, Swahili, HausaDerived from Arabic
أمن (ʾamina) meaning
"safe, secure". This was the name of the Prophet
Muhammad's mother, who died when he was young.
Asabe f HausaFrom Hausa
Asabar meaning
"Saturday" (of Arabic origin).
Ayo f & m YorubaFrom Yoruba
ayọ̀ meaning
"joy", or a short form of other names containing this element.
Azubuike m IgboMeans
"the past is your strength" or
"your back is your strength" in Igbo.
Balarabe m HausaMeans
"born on Wednesday" in Hausa, derived from
Laraba "Wednesday", from Arabic
الأربعاء (al-ʾarbiʿāʾ), itself derived from
أربعة (ʾarbaʿa) meaning "four".
Bello m Fula, HausaPossibly from Fula
ballo meaning
"helper". This name was borne by Muhammad Bello (1781-1837), the second leader of the Sokoto Caliphate.
Chi 2 m & f Igbo Mythology, IgboMeans
"god, spiritual being" in Igbo, referring to the personal spiritual guardian that each person is believed to have. Christian Igbo people use it as a name for the personal Christian god (as opposed to the omnipresent
Chukwu, though the names are used synonymously in some contexts). This can also be a short form of the many Igbo names that begin with this element.
Chidi m & f IgboMeans
"God exists" in Igbo, derived from
Chi 2, referring to God, and
dị meaning "is". It is also a short form of Igbo names beginning with
Chidi.
Chima m & f IgboMeans
"God knows" in Igbo, derived from
Chi 2, referring to God, and
má meaning "know".
Chinwe f IgboMeans
"God possesses" in Igbo. It is also a short form of Igbo names beginning with
Chinwe.
Chinyere f IgboMeans
"God gave" in Igbo, derived from
Chi 2, referring to God, and
nyè meaning "give".
Chioma f IgboMeans
"good God" in Igbo, derived from
Chi 2, referring to God, and
ọ́má meaning "good, beautiful".
Chisom f & m IgboMeans
"God goes with me" in Igbo.
Chizoba f & m IgboMeans
"God continues to save" in Igbo.
Chuks m IgboDiminutive of Igbo names beginning with the element
Chukwu meaning
"God".
Ejike m IgboMeans
"one having strength" in Igbo.
Ekene m & f IgboMeans
"thanks, gratitude" in Igbo.
Ekwueme m IgboMeans
"one says, one does" in Igbo, indicating a person who is truthful about his behaviour.
Enitan m & f YorubaMeans
"person with a story, storied person" in Yoruba.
Hamisu m HausaFrom Arabic
خامس (khāmis) meaning
"fifth", a derivative of
خمسة (khamsa) meaning "five". It is sometimes added to a given name to indicate the fifth sibling bearing it.
Ibrahim m Arabic, Malay, Indonesian, Pashto, Urdu, Kazakh, Tatar, Bashkir, Avar, Bosnian, Dhivehi, Albanian, Hausa, SwahiliArabic form of
Abraham, also used in several other languages. This form appears in the Quran.
Ifeoma f IgboMeans
"good thing" in Igbo, derived from
ífé meaning "thing" and
ọ́má meaning "good, beautiful".
Ifunanya f IgboMeans
"love" in Igbo (literally "to see in one's eye").
Ige f & m YorubaMeans
"born feet first" in Yoruba.
Jatau m HausaMeans
"fair-coloured, light" in Hausa.
Jummai f HausaFrom Hausa
Jumma'a meaning
"Friday" (of Arabic origin).
Kehinde m & f YorubaMeans
"comes last" in Yoruba. It is typically given to the second of twins.
Ladi f HausaFrom Hausa
Lahadi meaning
"Sunday" (of Arabic origin).
Lawal m HausaFrom Arabic
أوّل (ʾawwal) meaning
"first". It is sometimes added to the name of the first of multiple siblings who share the same given name.
Nkemdilim f IgboMeans
"that which is mine belongs to me" in Igbo.
Nnamdi m IgboMeans
"my father is alive" in Igbo. This name is given to a child when it is believed that he is a reincarnation of his grandfather.
Nneka f IgboMeans
"mother is greater" in Igbo.
Nnenna f IgboMeans
"father's mother" in Igbo. This name is given in honour of the child's paternal grandmother.
Nnenne f IgboMeans
"mother's mother" in Igbo. This name is given in honour of the child's maternal grandmother.
Obi m & f IgboMeans
"heart" in Igbo.
Obinna m IgboMeans
"heart of the father" in Igbo, from
óbì "heart, mind" and
ńnà "father".
Okafor m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Afor" in Igbo,
Afor being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
Okeke m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Eke" in Igbo,
Eke being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
Okonkwo m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Nkwo" in Igbo,
Nkwo being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
Okorie m IgboMeans
"boy (born on) Orie" in Igbo,
Orie being one of the four days of the Igbo week.
Ola 3 m & f YorubaFrom Yoruba
ọlà meaning
"wealth" or the related
ọlá meaning
"honour, respect". It is also a short form of names containing those elements.
Olu m YorubaShort form of Yoruba names beginning with
olú or
olúwa meaning
"lord, God".
Opeyemi f & m YorubaMeans
"gratitude is suitable for me" in Yoruba.
Rabiu m HausaFrom Arabic
رابع (rābiʿ) meaning
"fourth", a derivative of
أربعة (ʾarbaʿa) meaning "four". It is sometimes added to a given name to indicate the fourth sibling bearing it.
Salisu m HausaFrom Arabic
ثالث (thālith) meaning
"third", sometimes added to a shared given name to indicate the third sibling bearing it.
Sani 2 m HausaFrom Arabic
ثانٍ (thānin) meaning
"second", a derivative of
اثنان (ithnān) meaning "two". If two or more siblings share the same given name, this name may be appended to that of the second.
Shehu m HausaFrom Arabic
شيخ (shaykh) meaning
"elder, chief, sheikh", a title of Usman dan Fodio (1754-1817), the founder of the Sokoto Caliphate.
Taiwo m & f YorubaMeans
"taste the world, taste life" in Yoruba.
Talatu f HausaFrom Hausa
Talata meaning
"Tuesday" (of Arabic origin).
Tunde m YorubaMeans
"return, come again" in Yoruba, also a short form of names containing that element.
Uche m & f IgboMeans
"wisdom, sense, mind" in Igbo.
Uchenna m & f IgboMeans
"wisdom of the father, sense of the father" in Igbo.
Ugochi f IgboMeans
"eagle of God" in Igbo, from
ùgó meaning "eagle, honour" and
Chi 2, referring to God.
Uju f IgboMeans
"fullness, plenty" in Igbo.
Umar m Arabic, Urdu, Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz, Indonesian, HausaMeans
"flourishing, living long" in Arabic, related to Arabic
عمر (ʿumr) meaning "life". Umar was a companion and strong supporter of the Prophet
Muhammad who became the second caliph of the Muslims. He is considered to be one of the great founders of the Muslim state. The name was also borne by a 12th-century poet from Persia, Umar Khayyam.