In African cultures, names are not just labels. They carry the weight of identity, history and even prayer. Traditionally, Africans do not choose names just because they are popular or sound cool. Instead, they use names as tools for storytelling by narrating the circumstances around one’s birth, and connecting the individual with their family and destiny.
Across the continent, diverse ethnic groups have developed intricate systems for naming children, each reflecting unique worldviews and values. Here are five of the most fascinating naming traditions from across Africa.
Yoruba Naming Ceremony (Ìsomọ lorukọ) – Nigeria
The Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria believe deeply that ‘Orúkọ ńróni’, meaning a name influences one's destiny. This conviction transforms the naming of a child into one of the most sacred events in Yoruba culture. The ceremony, known as Ìsomọ lorukọ (literally ‘to give a child a name’), marks the child's full entry into the world. It is traditionally held 7 days after the birth of a female child and 8 days after the birth of a male child or twins. Before the influence of foreign religions like Islam and Christianity, the male child’s naming ceremony used to be held on the ninth day.
On the morning of the ceremony, family members, friends and community elders gather at the child's family compound. The event begins with prayers led by an elder or religious leader, invoking blessings for the child's health, prosperity and long life. Then comes the most symbolic part of the ritual: the presentation of sacred items, each representing a wish for the child's future.
Water (omi) is touched to the child's lips first, symbolising purity and the hope that the child's life will flow as smoothly as water. Honey (oyin) follows, representing the sweetness of life. Salt (iyo) is given so that the child will be valuable and never lack. Palm oil (epo) signifies protection and a smooth journey through life. Kola nut, bitter kola and alligator pepper (atare) are presented for longevity, wisdom and vitality. In modern times, some families add a Bible or Quran.
After these rituals, the child's names are announced. A Yoruba child typically receives multiple names from different family members, each carrying specific meanings which are prayed over so that they can come to fruition in the child’s life. There are Orúkọ Amútọ̀runwá (predestined names), believed to be divinely chosen or revealed by the Ifa oracle. Names like Taiwo and Kehinde are given to the first and second twins respectively, whilst Idowu is reserved for the child born after twins.
Orúkọ Àbísọ are acquired names given by family members based on aspirations or significant events. A child named Ayodele means ‘joy has come home’, whilst Omotayo means ‘a child is enough to be joyful over’. Oruko Idile are lineage names that connect the child to family heritage or profession. There are also Oriki (praise names) which are used to eulogise the child and highlight the value of the child. For instance, ‘Abike’ (female) means one who was born to be pampered, while ‘Ayinde’ (male) means one who is praised on arrival.
The ceremony concludes with feasting, music and dancing, as the community celebrates the new life. This tradition endures even amongst Yoruba Christians and Muslims, who have adapted the rituals to align with their faiths whilst preserving the cultural essence.
Akan Day Names – Ghana
In Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo, the Akan peoples tie great significance to the day a child is born. The Akan use a day-naming system where children are given specific names based on the day of the week they were born, a practice rooted in the belief that each day carries distinct spiritual energy and character traits. Thus, the names are collectively called Kra Din, meaning soul names.
A boy born on Monday is named Kojo or Kwadwo, whilst a girl is Adwoa or Adjoa. Tuesday-borns are Kwabena (boy) or Abena (girl). Wednesday brings Kwaku (boy) or Akua (girl). Thursday gives Yaw (boy) or Yaa (girl). Friday children are Kofi (boy) or Afua (girl). Saturday-borns are Kwame (boy) or Ama (girl). Sunday completes the cycle with Kwasi (boy) or Akosua (girl).
Each day name carries symbolic meaning. Monday (Jowda) is associated with peace, Tuesday (Benada) with the ocean, Wednesday (Wukuda) with the spider deity Ananse, Thursday (Yahwada) with the earth, Friday (Fida) with fertility, Saturday (Memeneda) with God and Sunday (Kwesida) with the universe. The Fante, which like the Asante are a sub-group of the Akan, have slight variations of these names e.g., Kwesi instead of Kwasi.
The Akan believe these associations influence personality traits. Monday-borns are thought to be calm and nurturing peacemakers, whilst Tuesday-borns are energetic and courageous but temperamental.
The Akans also hold a naming ceremony 8 days after the child is born. At this ceremony, the father gives the child a day name or another name that bears another form of significance. Other categories of Akan names are circumstantial names (Din Pa) or ancestral names that connect the child to their former heritage. Similar to the Yoruba, Akan children receive additional names that reflect birth order. The elder twin is called Panyin, the younger Kakra, and a child born after twins is Tawia.
Day names go beyond simple identification. They function as a form of kinship—two people who share the same day name consider themselves spiritual siblings, creating instant bonds even amongst strangers.
This tradition has travelled far beyond Ghana's borders. During the trans-Atlantic slave trade, enslaved Akan people carried their naming traditions to the Caribbean and Americas, where day names persisted. Many leaders of enslaved people's rebellions bore names like Cudjoe (Kojo) and Cuffy (Kofi). Today, notable Ghanaians like former president Kwame Nkrumah and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan exemplify the enduring pride in this ancient system.
Orthodox Baptismal Names – Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, particularly amongst Orthodox Tewahedo Christians, a child receives not one but multiple names throughout their lifetime, each marking a different stage or aspect of identity. At birth, parents give the child a secular or ‘world’ name based on circumstances surrounding the birth or family aspirations. A girl born during sunrise might be named Misrak (meaning ‘east’), whilst a boy born during revolutionary times could be called Abiyot (meaning ‘revolution’).
But the most significant naming event comes later, during baptism. For boys, this occurs on the 40th day after birth; for girls, on the 80th day. This practice reflects the biblical account in Leviticus and the belief that Adam entered Paradise on the 40th day after creation, whilst Eve entered on the 80th.
During the baptismal ceremony, the child is fully immersed in water three times in the name of the Holy Trinity. At this moment, the child receives a baptismal name, typically chosen to honour the saint whose feast day falls on the day of baptism. A child baptised around Easter might be named Wolde Tensaye (Son of the Resurrection) or Wolete Tensaye (Daughter of the Resurrection). Other common baptismal names include Gebre (servant of), Wolde (son of) or Wolete (daughter of), combined with names of saints or attributes of God.
This baptismal name holds profound religious significance. It is used during all church rituals—communion, marriage, confession and burial—whilst the secular name is used in daily life. The duality reflects the Ethiopian Orthodox understanding of existence: one foot in the earthly realm, one in the spiritual.
Interestingly, amongst the Amhara people, there is a poetic naming tradition called migətʼom səm, where a child's name builds upon their father's in a form of multigenerational wordplay. A man named Abebe (meaning ‘he flowered, blossomed’), son of Woldemariam, creates a combined meaning of ‘the son of Saint Mary has blossomed’. These traditions have continued in some families for centuries.
Ethiopian naming conventions also differ structurally from Western systems. There are no family surnames. Instead, a person's full name consists of their given name followed by their father's name, and sometimes their grandfather's name, creating a patrilineal chain. This system has caused confusion for Ethiopian immigrants in Western countries, where women are sometimes mistakenly thought to change their names at marriage—something that never happens in Ethiopian tradition.
Maasai Naming Ceremony (Enkipukonoto Eaji) – Kenya and Tanzania
For the semi-nomadic Maasai people of East Africa, naming a child is an act of profound spiritual significance. Due to historically high infant mortality rates, Maasai parents traditionally wait at least three months before formally naming their child, a period during which both mother and child remain in relative seclusion. During this time, the child is known only by a temporary name called Embolet, meaning ‘opening’. Common placeholder names include Enkoshoke-ai (my womb) or Enkutuk-ai (my mouth).
Throughout the seclusion period, both mother and child allow their hair to grow long. Then, on the day of the naming ceremony—called Enkipukonoto Eaji, meaning ‘coming out of the seclusion period’—the transformation begins. The ceremony starts with the community gathering outside the family's homestead to pray to Engai (God) for blessings upon the mother and child.
The ritual involves careful preparation. Two sponsors are selected, one for the mother and one for the child, each closely related to the family. Two rams are chosen, one of which is slaughtered. Significantly, only women are permitted to eat the meat of this ram—a gesture to honour and compensate them for the pain of childbirth and to give thanks to Engai for granting them the ability to bear children.
At the heart of the ceremony, an elderly woman shaves the heads of both mother and child, symbolising rebirth and a fresh start. This act requires a healthy cow's hide, an elder's stool and a gourd filled with watery milk. The mother then places a bracelet called Olkererreti, made from the right leg of the slaughtered sheep, on the baby's right hand.
The child's name is chosen by the father after extensive consultation with his age group and the clan's elders. This consultation ensures the name does not belong to someone of bad repute—a former thief, murderer or social misfit. In Maasai culture, a name must not carry bad luck or negative association but must instead reflect favour and blessings.
Names are often drawn from nature, family history or significant events, creating a personal narrative that the child will carry throughout life. For instance, ‘Naserian’ means born during a time of peace. The naming ceremony concludes with a great feast of traditional food and honey beer, marking the child's official entry into the community.
Zulu Introduction Ceremony (Imbeleko) – South Africa
The Zulu people of South Africa approach naming differently from many other African cultures. Unlike societies where elaborate naming ceremonies occur, Zulu babies are typically named before birth or shortly after, with no formal naming ritual. However, what the Zulu do have is equally significant: the Imbeleko ceremony, a rite of passage that introduces the newborn to both the living family and the ancestral spirits.
Imbeleko, literally meaning ‘baby carrier’, traditionally takes place around the tenth day after birth, once the umbilical cord has fallen. The ceremony serves multiple purposes: it welcomes the child into the family, gives thanks to the ancestors for protecting the baby during pregnancy and birth, and establishes a spiritual connection between the child and the amadlozi (ancestors).
The ritual begins with the brewing of umqombothi, traditional Zulu beer. One of the family elders makes the first offering to the ancestors by placing a small amount of beer at the umsamo, the sacred area in the home where ancestral spirits reside. Impepho, a sacred indigenous herb, is burnt to invite the ancestors to the ceremony. The elders then pray whilst the child touches or strokes a goat, establishing a spiritual link between the child, the amadlozi and the animal.
The goat is then slaughtered, and from its body come powerful symbols. The bile from the goat's gallbladder is applied to the child and the child sleeps with it unwashed so that the ancestors can identify and protect them. Some families even have the child swallow a few drops. A piece of the goatskin is cut to make isiphandla, a bracelet worn by both mother and child on their wrists, creating a tangible connection to the ancestors. This bracelet is worn until it falls off naturally.
The remaining skin is cleaned, salted and dried, then used as the imbeleko itself—the baby carrier in which the mother will carry her child on her back. This practical object becomes sacred, a constant reminder of the child's introduction to the ancestral realm.
Zulu names themselves carry deep meaning, often reflecting circumstances of birth, parental feelings or religious beliefs. A child might be named Thandiwe (beloved), Nomvula (mother of rain, if born during rainfall) or BongiNkosi (be grateful to God). What makes the Zulu tradition particularly poignant is the belief that a child who does not undergo Imbeleko may encounter problems and bad luck later in life.
The Enduring Significance of Names
These five naming traditions, diverse as they are, share common threads. They all recognise that a name is never arbitrary. It is a declaration of belonging, a map of identity and a prayer for the future. While the influence of the West and other religions has introduced many changes to the African naming traditions, many Africans still strive to maintain the core of their cultures. In doing so, they honour the wisdom of their ancestors and ensure that the stories embedded in names will continue to be told for generations to come.
