

Journal of Language and Literature 

ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online)              Akintoye Oluwole Samuel & Ojo George Adekunle 

 
131 

 
Endangerment of Yorùbá Individual Names: 
Implication on Yorùbá True Identity 
  

Akintoye Oluwole Samuel 
akinwolesam1 @gmail.com 
Department of Linguistics and Nigerian Languages, Ekiti State University, Ado–Ekiti, NIGERIA 
Ojo George Adekunle 
georgeade4life@yahoo.com 
Department of English and Literary Studies, Ekiti State University, Ado–Ekiti, NIGERIA 

 
Abstract 
 

Name plays an important role in Yorùbá society. Yorùbá does not bear names without considering some 
factors because of its future consequences. Although, name is for identification, it also serves as a source of 
honour and pride, especially for those who are born from heroic and warrior families. People love identifying 
with such names by bearing the names of the heroes or warriors. These names have been reduced to 
surnames today. Other names are praise namely Àmo ̣̀ ke ̣̀, Àrìnpè, Àmo ̣̀ó, Alàní, Àkànke ̣̀, and Àbe ̣̀ke ̣̀. These 
names are regarded as archaic today and nobody reckon with them anymore. It is dismal that these names 
and many others that are associated with deities are gradually going into extinction owing to modern 
religions. This forms the discussion of this paper.  The purpose of the paper is to call the attention of Yorùbá 
scholars to the fact that not only Yorùbá language is going into extinction, Yorùbá original names also do. 
The data collection for the paper is drawn from texts and journals on Yorùbá names. An interviewed was 
conducted among the youths and the informants who are between 70 and 75 years old from Adó- Èkìtì were 
consulted. They are selected because aged people value names unlike the youths who bear names without 
minding the implication. The JAMB admission broad sheet students seeking admission into Èki ̀ti ̀ State 
University, Ado ́- Èki ̀ti ̀, Nigeria and the Faculties final admission lists sent to the Faculty of Arts were 
consulted. The data cover three sessions; 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19. This is possible because the researcher 
is in-charge of admission process in his Department. The paper adopts descriptive approach for the data 
analysis.  

 
Keywords:  name, corrupt, implication, religion 
 

Introduction 

Yorùbá pays a serious attention to names. 
Since names have imparted on the moral 
conduct and future of their children, according 
to Yorùbá belief, they are careful at giving names 
to their children. Names with a positive 
connotation are adopted while the names with a 
negative connotation are frown at (Ekundayo, 
1977). Apart from using names as a mark of 
identity, names are also used among Yorùbá 

people to demonstrate their loyalty and honour 
to their deities and their progenitors who were 
at the fore-front of the worship of these deities 
(Ajiboye, 2009). Other functions that names 
perform in Yorùbá society are showing the 
circumstance surrendered the child birth, the 
family occupations and the situations in the 
family or in the society during the child birth 
(Akintoye, 2015). These functions make all 


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Vol. 20 No. 01 – April 2020                                                                                                                             ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online) 

 
132 

 
families in Yorùbá society to try as much as 
possible to preserve their families’ names. 

 
In spite of these functions, the present 

generation does not value some of Yorùbá names 
any longer owing to modern religions and 
civilization. Instead, they try to modify the 
names to suit their new religions and avoid some 
names that they regard as archaic.  Some even 
prefer English names to Yorùbá names. The 
researchers such as Adéoye ̀ (1972), Odùyọye ̀ 
(1972), and E ̣kúndayọ̀ (1977) are of the opinions 
that Yorùba ́ adopt names that associated with 
their deities and occupations as demonstrated 
below. 

 
Ògúndọro ̣̀  “the god of iron became wealth” 
Ṣàngóṣèyí  “the god of thunder did this”  
Ifáṣọlá   “divination created wealth”  
Àyànyẹmi  “drumming suits me” 
Ifáde ̣̀ro ̣̀ “divination becomes simple” 
O ̣̀suntáyo ̣̀ “O ̣̀ṣun goddess is equal to joy”  
Ògúndáre “the god of iron gave a fair trial” 
There is a total departure from these names 
by the present generation as stated by 
Ìko ̣̀ tún and Aládésanmí (2012), Ìko ̣̀ tún 
(2013, 2014) and Akintoye (2015), they 
prefer such names like 
Jésùtófúnmi “Jesus is enough for me” 
Olúwágbàmílà “the Lord delivered me” 
Ìtùnúolúwa “the comfort of God” 
Jésùṣọlá “Jesus created wealth” 
Ọlọ̀ runyẹmí “God suits me” 
Olúwade ̣̀ro ̣̀ “The Lord becomes simple” 
Ọlọ̀ runtáyo ̣̀ “God is equal to joy”  
Olúwádáre “the Lord gave a fair trial”. 

 
If this continues, there is a possibility for 

Yorùbá names to go into extinction. This is the 
thrust of this paper. The purpose of the paper is 
to call the attention of Yorùbá scholars to the fact 
that not only Yorùbá language is going into 
extinction, Yorùbá original names also do. The 
paper adopts descriptive approach for the data 
analysis. 

 
The paper is divided into five sections. The 

introductory part forms the section one of the 
paper. Section two contains the literature 
review. Section three consists of the research 

method. Section four examines the attributes of 
Yorùbá native names. Section five deals with the 
name change, modifications and avoidance as 
stigma on Yorùbá true identity. 

 
Previous studies show that many scholars 

have written on naming in Yorùbá society. For 
instance Ogunbowale (1966), Daramola and Jeje 
(1967), Adeoye (1972), Abiodun (1997), and 
Osunnuga (2003) mention that naming is very 
important in Yorùbá culture and it is done with 
fanfare. Akinnaso (1980) explains that Yorùbá 
personal names are drawn from the home 
contexts. He also says further that personal 
names with negative and unpleasant 
connotations are avoided, because a child’s 
name plays an important part in its development 
and future career. That being the case, a child 
may react to a name that has negative social 
implication in the future. The scholar itemises 
some contexts that are considered by Yorùbá 
before giving names to their children. Adeoye 
(1972), Ekundayo (1977), and Babalola and 
Alaba (2003) also categorize Yorùbá tradition-
based personal names into different groups; 
names related to the circumstances surrounding 
the child birth (orúkọ àmúto ̣̀ runwá), names 
related to the family’s deities, chieftaincy names, 
reincarnation names, names related to events 
and festivals in the community, family 
occupations, praise names and appellative 
names. 

 
Ajiboye (2009) argues that the practice of 

name change or modifications because of 
Christianity is a violation of God’s 
commandments, disrespect to parents and it can 
lead to a semantic ambiguity. It is of the opinion 
that if there will be a desire to change one’s name 
or parent’s name, one should take a new name 
that will not bastardize the existing names. 
Ikotun (2012) has a contrary view; he argues 
that surname change is not new. It has been in 
existence right from the Bible time and it has 
nothing to do with religion but a personal 
decision. Ikotun (2013) argues that the advent of 
Christianity in Yorùbá society introduced new 
dimensions to Yorùbá naming like, the 
modifications of Yorùbá personal names 
whereby the NPs which show the belief in 


Journal of Language and Literature 

ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online)                                                                                               Akintoye Oluwole Samuel & Ojo George Adekunle 

 
133 

 
Yorùbá gods are replaced with ‘Lord’, Hebrew 
and European names were also introduced into 
the Yorùbá naming system. 

 
Akintoye (2015) explains that a name 

marks a period of events and promotes morals in 
Yorùbá society, hence, a Yorùbá adage says 
Orúkọ ọmọ ni ìjánu ọmo (The name that a child 
bears regulates his/her habit). He stresses 
further that a name is a mark of an identity. 
There are names that are confined to a particular 
community, such as Akínkúgbé, Akíndùtirẹ̀̀ , 
Akínrèlíẹ̀̀ , Akíntẹ̀̀ ìnwá, Akíngbèsọ́̀ tẹ̀̀  and 
Akínkúòlúlíẹ̀̀  which are only restricted to Oǹdó, 
Ìdànrè and Ilẹ̀̀ -Olújìí (all in South-western 
Nigeria). A name is also a source of pride and 
honour, especially to the families of those that 
made exploits in terms of war or politics. People 
used to be identified with the names of such 
families in the olden days by christening their 
children such names with a belief that they 
would do exploit like the original owners of the 
names. The names that are similar to them are 
praise names (orúkọ̀  oríkì) like, Àmọ̀̀ kẹ́̀ , Àrìnpè, 
Àmọ̀̀ ó, Alàní, Àkànkẹ́̀ , Àbẹ̀̀ kẹ́̀ . These names are 
regarded as archaic these days and nobody 
reckons with them anymore owing to 
modernization. 

 
A critical study of the works of these 

scholars shows that although, many issues have 
been discussed about naming in Yorùbá, 
attention has not been paid to the fact that 
Yorùbá names are endangered; the arbitrary 
modifications of Yorùbá surnames and 
avoidance of some Yorùbá names regarded as 
archaic may lead to Yorùbá original names going 
into extinction in the nearest future.  

 
Methodology 
 

The data for the paper were drawn from 
texts and journals on Yorùbá names and the 
informants who are from Adó Èkìtì. Their ages 
ranged between 70 and 75 years. They were 
selected because aged people value names, 
unlike the youths who bear names without 
minding the meanings and the implications.  The 
JAMB admission broad sheet of the students 
seeking admission into Èkìtì State University, 

Adó- Èkìtì, Nigeria and the Faculties final 
admission lists sent to the Faculty of Arts were 
consulted. This is possible because the 
researcher is in-charge of admission process in 
his Department. The data cover three sessions; 
2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19. The lists contained 
the names, date of birth, religions, and the State 
of origins of the newly admitted students. The 
data showed that the date of birth of students 
entering into Nigerian Universities nowadays 
falls between 1999 and 2003 and that the 
personal names adopted by majority of these 
students were modified. In the sense that the 
subjects of the names were modified to suit their 
parents’ new religion while the Verb Phrases 
were retained.  An interview was also conducted 
among twenty students who are Yorùbá native 
speakers from Ekiti State University, Adó- Èkìtì. 
These students were randomly picked to know 
their views on why the youths of today do not 
like to adopt the praise names. There were 
divergent reactions from these students. Twelve 
of these students were of the opinion that the 
names have become old fashion (old school, in 
their own language). Three saw the names as 
supplementary given to the children by their old 
grand-parents which the children may decide 
not to adopt if they grow old. Two of the students 
commented that the names are adopted by the 
people from the local areas. Two of them also 
said that they liked the names and they would be 
happy if people called them so. The remaining 
one student did not see anything wrong with the 
names only that they did not blend with the 
modern trends. The outcome of the interview 
shows that there is a drastic departure from 
Yorùba ́ original names and praise names by the 
present generation. 

   
Findings and Discussion  
 
The Attributes of Yorùbá Names 
 

This section discusses the significance of 
names in Yorùbá society. This will enable the 
readers to see the reason why research works 
must tend towards naming to forestall Yorùbá 
original names going into extinction. The 
primary function of naming is for identification 
purpose. Without names, there will be 


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Vol. 20 No. 01 – April 2020                                                                                                                             ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online) 

 
134 

 
misrepresentation among human beings 
(Ogunbowale, 1966). Naming goes beyond 
identification of individuals; clans, families, 
communities and things generally are 
recognized by their names. According to Adeoye 
(1972), the super beings or deities have names 
which enable their devotees to differentiate 
them from one another and the devotees also 
adopt names that portray their affinity to these 
gods and goddesses as itemized below. 

 
Ògún 
  

Ògúnyẹ̀ mi “the god of iron fits me” 
Ògúnṣ̀ ọ̀ lá  “the god of iron made wealth” 
Ògúnlọ̀ lá  “the god of iron is wealth” 
Ògúndánà  “the god of iron made a way” 

 
O ̣̀ rúnmìlà 

 
Fáyẹ̀ mi  “divination fits me” 
Fáníran  “divination has generation” 
Fáṣ̀ èyí  “divination did this” 
Fálọ̀ lá  “divination has wealth” 

 
O ̣̀ ṣun  

 
Ọ̀̀ sunyẹ̀ mi  “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess fits me” 
Ọ̀̀ súndùn  “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess is sweet” 
Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ ungbèmí  “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess favours me” 
Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ untẹ́̀ yẹ̀   “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess is equal to  
 honour”  

  
Ṣàngó 
 
Ṣ̀ àngófẹ́̀ mi “the god of thunder loves me” 
Ṣ̀ àngógbèmí  “the god of thunder favours 
 me” 
Ṣ̀ àngótọ́̀ lá  “the god of thunder is equal to 
 wealth”  
Ṣ̀ àngòlọ́̀ wọ̀̀   “the god of thunder has 
 respect” 

 
In Yorùbá setting, according to Oduyoye 

(1972), there were names that were related to 
positions which were meant only for the families 
that held such positions in those days. For 
instance, the royal families are associated with 
Adé (crown), Ọlá (honour) like Adégoróyè, 

Gbádébọ̀̀ , Adéyẹ̀ mi, Adétóyèṣ̀ e, Adéolú, 
Adégbólú, Adélabú, Ọ̀ láwùmí, Gbọ́̀ lágadé. The 
warriors are identified with the names that are 
associated with Akin (bravery) and ogun (war) 
like Akínrógunjó, Akínrogun, and 
Akíngbógunníyì. The afore-mentioned names 
have different semantic interpretation from the 
ones borne by the general populace like. 

 
Adébọ́̀ lá  → a-dé bá ọ̀ lá “he that     
   came to meet honour” 
Adérẹ̀̀ mílẹ́̀ kún  → a-dé rẹ̀̀  mí lẹ́̀ kún. ”he that 
   came to console me” 
Adébùsọ́̀ lámi  → a-dé bù sí ọ̀ lá mi “he that 
   came to add to my  
   wealth 
Akíntóyè → Akin tó oyè “bravery is 
   equal to chieftaincy” 
Akintáyọ̀̀  → Akin tó ayọ̀̀  “bravery is 
   equal to joy” 
Akinwùmí → Akin wù mi “I like  
   bravery” 

 
There are professional names which are 

only peculiar to the families or clans that engage 
in the professions as highlighted below 
(Ilesanmi, 1989)  

 
Àyàngbèmí  “drumming favours me” 
Àyànwálé  “drumming came home” 
Àyàntọ́̀ lá  “drumming is equal to 
 wealth”   
   
Àyànṣ̀ ọ̀ lá  “drumming made wealth  
Ọ̀̀ jélàdé  “masquerade has crown” 
Ọ̀ ̀jẹ́̀ níyì  “masquerade has honour” 
Ọ̀̀ jẹ́̀ gbadé  “masquerade received 
 crown” 
Ọ̀̀ jẹ́̀ gbèmí  “masquerade favours me” 
Ọ̀̀ jẹ́̀ tọ́̀ lá  “masquerade is equal to 
 wealth” 
Ọ̀ dẹ̀́ ṣ̀ ọ̀ lá  “hunting made wealth” 
Ọ̀ dẹ̀́ sanmí  “hunting favours me” 
Ọ̀ dẹ̀́ tọ́̀ lá  “hunting is equal to 
 wealth” 
Ọ̀ dẹ́̀ yẹ̀ mí  “hunting favours me” 
Ọ̀ dẹ́̀ wálé  “hunting came home” 
Awóyínká  “divination surrounds me” 
Awóníyì  “divination has honour” 
Awógbàmí  “divination delivered me” 


Journal of Language and Literature 

ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online)                                                                                               Akintoye Oluwole Samuel & Ojo George Adekunle 

 
135 

 
Awópégba  “divination profits me”  
Abífádé  “coming along with 
 divination” 
Amóògùnníyì “making medicine to have 
 honour” 
Ewégbèmí  “leaves favour me”  
Ewéjẹ́̀   “leaves are active”  
Ìjílóògùn  “wind has medicine” 
Ọ̀ nàdàpọ̀̀   “arts and crafts mix 
 together” 
Ọ̀ nàṣ̀ ílé “arts and crafts opened the 
 house” 
Ọ̀̀ nàbáńjọ̀   “arts and crafts fit him” 
Ọ̀̀ nàgbèmí  “arts and crafts favour me” 

 
Each community has names that are 

confined to it which no other communities can 
bear. If the names are found in other areas, the 
source can be traced back to the original owners 
of the names. Some of these names show Yorùbá 
philosophy, like Ìkálẹ̀̀  names. Our observation 
here is at variance with Ikotun (2014) who is of 
the opinion that surnames that are peculiar to a 
particular area may be found in another area as 
a result of wars and business activities. The 
reason for our claim above is that Oǹdó, Ìdànrè, 
Ilẹ̀̀ -Olújìí and Ìkálẹ̀̀  still protect their names, such 
that the names have not migrated to other areas 
as shown below. 

 
Ìkále ̣̀ 
 
Morúwàawọ̀ n   “I saw their habit” 
Amùseghọ̀ n  ”I know their habit”  
Mámúkúyọ̀̀ mí ”do not reproach me with 
  death” 
Tọmọmeghò  ”I consider child”  
O ̣̀ ro ̣̀ dúùgbàgbé  ”word is not easily  
  forgotten” 
Méònújù ”do not think too much” 
 

Ìlàjẹ 
 
Éhùúwàyíjọ̀̀ mọ̀   ”there is no habit that is 
  greater that a child” 
Ìyàọ̀ mọ̀ lérè “suffering on a child is 
 rewarding” 
Ọ̀ mọ̀́ jùlówó “a child is better than 
 money” 

Ìwáijómọ̀  “no habit is greater than a 
 child” 
Olówófóyèkùn “a rich man cannot miss a 
 chieftain title” 
 

Oǹdo/Ìdànrè/Ile ̣̀-Olújìí 
 

Akíndùtie ̣̀ “bravery struggles for its 
 own” 
Akínbile ̣̀je ̣̀ “bravery did not spoil the 
 land” 
Akíngbùlí “bravery captured the                     
 house”    
Akínjàgunlà “bravery fought the battle 
 and survived it” 
Akingbèso ̣̀ tè “bravery did not support   
 treason” 
 

Èkìtì 
 

Faluyì “divination has honour” 
Fáṣ̀ uyì “divination made honour” 
Ọlo ̣̀ nilu ̣̀à “a person that has many 
 people has ceremony”  
Aku ̣̀àjọ̀  “a person that has how to    
 organize ceremony”  
Ùsìbàká “the fame is known 
 everywhere” 
Jo ̣̀ lu ̣̀ adé “let god come” 
O ̣̀ ṣátúyì “deity deserves honour” 

 
Ìje ̣̀bú-Òde 
 

O ̣̀ nàbánjọ̀  “arts and crafts gather with 
 him” 
Odùṣ̀ ọ̀̀ tẹ̀̀  “divination never involves  
 treason” 
Kúyẹ̀̀ bá “death digresses” 
Òkúnlúgà “string has fame” 
 

E ̣̀ gbá 
 
Ṣó níkàn “the seer has generation” 
Ṣólẹ́̀ yẹ̀  “the seer has honour” 
Lìjádù (no English translation) 
Líṣ̀ àbí (no English translation) 

 
Ìje ̣̀ṣà     
 

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136 

 
Arómọ̀ láàrán ”he that arrays a child with   
 a decent cloth” 
Arómirẹ́̀  “he that likes water” 
Ògedèǹgbé “a warrior name”  
Fádáùnsi “divination intervened” 
 

Òyo ̣̀  
 
Ládìgbòlú “having a contact with 
 wealth” 
Ṣ̀ ìyànbọ́̀ lá “run to meet wealth” 
Gbádégẹ̀ ṣ̀ in “put the crown on the 
 horse”  
Adéńrelé “the crown is going home” 
 

O ̣̀ wo ̣̀  
 
Ajagunnà “a warrior name” 
Àjàná “a warrior name” 
Ọ̀ látẹ́̀ rù “wealth is big enough for load” 
Ọ̀ lágbẹ̀̀ gí “wealth deserves tenderness” 

 
Names are also a source of honour and pride 

to the owners. People delight to associate with 
the popular figures in the society by giving their 
children the names of these figures with the 
belief that their children will excel like them. The 
popularity may be in terms of wealth, academic 
achievement, and gallant performance in the 
battle field, political exploit, and royal status. All 
tribes have these popular figure, for instance, 
some people bear Ab́iọ́̀ lá because of June 12th 
incident, Tinúubú after the heroine, late Madam 
Ẹ̀ fúnróyè Tinúubú. Some even go to the extent of 
bearing foreign names such as Obama, being the 
first African man to become an American 
President, Osama Bin Laden, and the Islamic 
notorious terrorist. The families of afore-
mentioned names are highly respected and they 
occupy prominent positions in the Federal and 
States. What their generations enjoy and they 
will continue to enjoy are the names that their 
fore-fathers have built a long time ago. 

 
The peculiarity of the names in examples 

above lies on dialectical perspective, for 
instance, Ìkálẹ̀̀  and Ìlàjẹ̀  names are philosophical, 
in the sense that they showcase Yorùbá concepts 
in ọmọ (child), ikú (death), o ̣̀ro ̣̀ (word), and 

ìwà/ìṣe (habit). Another examples are Yorùbá 
attach a strong importance to child such that 
nothing can be substituted for it as shown in 
Éhùúwàyíjo ̣̀mọ (there is no habit that is greater 
that a child), Ọmọ̣̀́jùlówó (a child is better than 
money), and Ìwáijọ̣́̀mọ (no habit is greater than 
a child). No matter how much some women 
suffer in their matrimonial homes, they may 
endure it and not pack out just for the sake of 
their children as shown in Tọmọmeghò (I 
consider the children) and Ìyàọmọlérè 
(suffering on the children is rewarding). 

 
 Yorùbá also believes that whatever one 

says goes a long way, therefore, they are careful 
of their utterances. Hence, an adage says; “Ẹyin 
lohùn, tó bá bale ̣̀ a á fo ̣̀” (word is an egg, if it 
drops, it will scatter). If one talks carelessly to a 
person, such person may not forget forever as 
shown in O ̣̀ ro ̣̀dúùgbàgbé (word is not easily 
forgotten) and this can make the person to 
ponder much on the matter as reflected on 
Méònújù (do not think too much). Although 
eighty percent of Oǹdó, Ìdànrè, and Ilẹ̀̀ -Olújìí 
names have Akin as the NP, the peculiarities in 
Oǹdó, Ìdànrè, and Ilẹ̀̀ -Olújìí names lie on the Verb 
Phrases as highlighted in the examples above. 
The peculiarities in Èkìtì names lie on the NPs; 
Ọni (human being), uyì (honour), u ̣̀à (ceremony 
or habit), ùsì (fame), Ọlụ̣́̀ a (a kind of god), and 
O ̣̀ ṣà (orìṣà) (deity). Name formation obeys vowel 
harmony principle in that [-ATR] vowels /ọ̀ / and 
/ụ̀ / in Ọlu ̣̀ a and [-ATR] /ọ̀ / and /a/ in O ̣̀ ṣà co-
occur with each other respectively in Èkìtì 
dialect. In addition, Èkìtì, Oǹdó, Ìdànrè, Ilẹ̀̀ -Olújìí, 
and Ìkàlẹ̀̀  dialects operate vowel /u/ word initial 
as reflected on their names in the examples. Ẹ̀̀ gbá 
names are recognized by the segments lí and ṣó 
while Ìjẹ̀̀ bú names are known with ùgà (fame), 
odù (divination), ọna’ (arts and craft). These 
differences make names to be a tool of origin 
tracing. No matter how long a person or a group 
of people stays in a particular area, if their names 
differ from the names common to the immediate 
neighbours, their origin can be easily traced and 
they will be regarded as sojourners. They cannot 
have a sense of belonging in that area neither can 
they hold traditional chieftaincy titles. 


Journal of Language and Literature 

ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online)                                                                                               Akintoye Oluwole Samuel & Ojo George Adekunle 

 
137 

 
Names Change, Modifications and 
Avoidance as Stigma on Yorùbá True            
Identity 

 
This section focuses on the reasons for 

name modification and name avoidance and the 
consequences in Yorùba ́ society. A plethora of 
research has shown that language 
endangerment is of a serious concern to 
scholars. All scholars are using their research to 
look for solutions on how to preserve the 
endangered languages from going into 
extinction. Although, if a language dies will affect 
culture, the concern that the scholars have for 
the endangered indigenous languages, like            
Yorùbá, has not allowed attention to be drawn to 
the fact that Yorùbá clan and praise names with 
orúkọ àmúto ̣̀ runwá (natural names) are also 
endangered. The reasons are because of the 
arbitrary name change and modifications to suit 
religious affection and avoidance of some names 
regarded as archaic. Although the previous 
studies on naming, like Ajiboye (2009), Ikotun 
and Aladesanmi (2012), Ikotun (2013), and 
Akintoye (2015) discuss intensively on surname 
change, none of these scholars mentioned the 
dangers of surname change in Yorùbá land.  

   
According to Ikotun (2014), the advent of 

Christianity introduced Western and European 
address forms in Yorùbá land whereby the use of 
surnames is emphasized was a blessing to 
Yorùbá. What was a blessing then has turned to 
become harm in Yorùbá land in that the Yorùbá 
Christian fanatics are modifying the subject NPs 
that portray the faith of their progenitors in their 
deities in the first parts of their surnames or clan 
names to suit their new religions. They regard 
such names as being associated with paganism 
as demonstrated below. 

 
Ògúnyẹ̀ mi “god of iron favours me” 
becomes 
Ọ̀ lọ́̀ runyẹ̣̀̀ mi  “God favours me” 
 
Ògúnjìmí  “god of iron shook me” 
becomes 
Ọ̀ lọ́̀ runforíjìmí “God forgave me” 
 
Ògúnníyì “god of iron has honour” 

becomes 
Olúwaníyì “the Lord has honour” 
 
Ògúnníran “god has generation”   
becomes 
Olúwaníran “the Lord has generation” 
 
Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ untóbi “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess is great”                             
becomes  
Olúwatóbi “the Lord is great” 
 
Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ unlọ́̀ lá “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess is wealthy”                       
becomes 
Olúwálọ́̀ lá “the Lord is wealthy” 
 
Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ unlẹ́̀ yẹ̀  “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess has 
honour” becomes 
Olúwalẹ́̀ yẹ̀  “the Lord has honour” 
 
Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ undùn “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess is sweet”                
becomes 
Jésùdùn “Jesus is sweet” 
 
Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ unládé “Ọ̀̀ ṣ̀ un goddess has a 
 crown” 
becomes 
Jésùládé “Jesus has a crown” 
 
Fáníran “divination has 
generation” 
becomes 
Olúwáníran “the Lord has generation” 
 
Fáníyì “divination has honour” 
becomes 
Jésuníyì  “Jesus has honour” 
 
Fálọ̀ là “divination is wealthy” 
becomes 
Ọ̀ lọ́̀ runjẹ́̀ mbọ́̀ là “God is wealthy” 
 
Fálohùn “divination has voice” 
becomes 
Ọ̀ lọ́̀ runlohùn “God has voice” 
 
Fágbàmílà “divination delivered me” 
becomes 
Olúwágbàmílà “the Lord delivered me” 
There are other names that are gradually 

fading out. People do not like to adopt them 


                                                                                                                                                                                  Journal of Language and Literature 

Vol. 20 No. 01 – April 2020                                                                                                                             ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online) 

 
138 

 
because they are regarded as archaic. Such 
names are praise names. If these names exist as 
first names and they are embraced at all, it will 
be in the villages given by the grandparents or 
uneducated parents. These names are adopted 
by both males and females as itemized below. 

 
Males  Females 
Àmọ̀̀ ó  Àlàkẹ́̀  
Àlàní  Àmọ̀̀ kẹ́̀  
Àjàní  Àrìnpé 
Àlàó  Àbẹ̀̀ bí 
Àtàndá  Àyínlé 
Àyìnlà  Àbẹ̀̀ fẹ́̀  
Àkàngbé  Àbẹ̀̀ ní 
 
Some youths detest the above names. 

Ikotun (2013) mentions  
 
In addition, praise names like Àkànjí, Àyìndé 
Àdùke ̣̀, and Àdùnní to mention a few, are also 
not adopted as names for the children who 
are below the age of 10. There are reasons for 
the non-use of the praise names. One of the 
reasons is that mothers and grand-mothers 
who are below the age of 60 do not know the 
Yorùbá eulogies where the praise names are 
derived. The few great-grand-parents who 
know are usually cautioned when they start 
to recite any of the eulogies such as “Àdùnní, 
ọmọ ẹkùn, ọmọ erin...” (Àdùnní, the daughter 
of a leopard, the daughter of an elephant...). 
The reaction from parents would be “ọmọ mi 
ò kìí ṣe ọmọ ẹkùn, ọmọ erin, ọmọ Jésù ni” (my 
daughter is not the daughter of a leopard or 
an elephant, she is Jesus daughter). 
 
Whatever the reasons, they will do all things 

possible to make sure that other Yorùbá or 
Christian names overshadow the names that are 
considered to be archaic. The so called names 
that are brought from heaven “orúkọ̀  
àmútọ̀̀ runwá” such as Ìgè, Dàda, Òjó, Àìná, O ̣̀ ke ̣̀, 
Òní, Àjàyí, Táíwò, and Ke ̣̀hìndé are also 
endangered.  For instance, many parents do not 
like their children to be addressed as Dàda (a 
child born with dreadlock). If they notice that 
their new babies are Dàda, they will cut the 
knots before the baby is mature. Some people 
who do not want to eradicate such names 

completely usually combine them with other 
names to form compound names as reflected 
below. 

 
Olú-Àjàyí 
Adé-Òjó 
Òjó-Adé 
Adé-Àjàyí 
Ọ̀ lá-Òní 
Olú-Òjó 
Ọ̀ láníyì-Ìgè  
Owó-Ọ̀̀ kẹ́̀  

 
The above names are also reduced to surnames 
and commonly adopted by married men while 
their wives and children adopt the men’s first 
names as their surnames. At the demise of these 
men, the natural names will be dropped.   
 

People that modify names because of their 
religious beliefs and demonstration of allegiance 
to God or avoiding some names in order to flow 
with the trends of modernization may think that 
they are justified for that development. 
Whatever their reasons, the fact remains that the 
demerits it has on the future of Yorùbá society 
are more than its merits.  Apart from the 
semantic ambiguity noted by Ajiboye (2009), 
name modifications and avoidance can lead to a 
complete elimination of the family religious 
history in the sense that the generations to come 
will not know the original religions of their 
progenitors since their fathers did not bother to 
tell them due to a wrong perception about the 
family religion. In addition, name modifications 
can cause confusion in the family; while one part 
of the family bears the modified names and the 
other part bears the family original names, it 
may be difficult for the third party to link the 
part that adopts modified names to the part that 
maintains the family’s original names. 

 
It can also lead to a low brotherhood 

interaction in the family because there is already 
religion dichotomy in the family whereby the 
fanatics will have low participations in the 
family’s affairs and also regard other family 
members as pagans on the ground of religion. 
These fanatics will definitely indoctrinate their 
immediate families not to have anything to do 


Journal of Language and Literature 

ISSN: 1410-5691 (print); 2580-5878 (online)                                                                                               Akintoye Oluwole Samuel & Ojo George Adekunle 

 
139 

 
with their family members less they indulged 
them in their fetish activities. Name avoidance 
can lead to a gradual extinction of the praise 
names and reincarnation names because with 
time, there will be a complete repulsiveness for 
them by the generations to come. As such doing, 
one part of Yorùbá culture is eliminated. 

 
Conclusion 
 

This paper has considered the dangers of 
misconception of Yorùbá individual names on 
the future of Yorùbá true identity. The paper 
explained that it is not only Yorùbá language that 
is endangered, Yorùbá names are also 
endangered. The paper stated the attributes of 
Yorùbá names in Yorùbá society and the claims 
of the religious fanatics and the name avoiders 
for that development. The various demerits of 
name change, modifications and avoidance in 
Yorùbá land were highlighted in the paper. 
There is a need for Yorùbá scholars to use their 
research works to protect Yorùbá names from 
going into extinction. 

 
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