Beautiful Igbo Names for Baby Boys and Girls: Names are not just something one goes out to the street and pick up, it shouldn’t be a coincidence. A name is a declaration of one’s identity, it is not just a declaration but also a unique expression of what constitutes the person’s identity and uniqueness. This means that picking out a name should be done carefully and precisely.
Deciding a name is not what the Igbo nation takes for granted they look for a name which reflects the culture and the heritage of the people. A lot of the Igbo names have a dramatic effect and are grammatically constructed to have significant symbolic meanings. One of the most significant symbol of the name of an Igbo child, is that they reflect the circumstances of one’s birth. Another symbol is that it reflects the situation or conditions of the family by the time the child was born or before they were born.
An example is the name Ozoemena: this means another should not happen. It is a name for the boys and the reason for giving a child this name could be that his family has suffered consistent child loss before he was born. Hence they are making a prayer with the name, asking that no child should die again. Funny enough, this child end up living to a ripe old age and do not die like his siblings. Another name like this is Ujunwa: it means born in in the midst of many children, it could also mean born in the midst of wealth.
Another thing the Igbo name reflects in the belief in appraising the strength and power of God. An example of such name is Chukwuebuka: God is great, Chidinma: God is good and many other names are either to praise God or make a prayer to God (Chidubem: God lead me).
The Igbo culture also use a name to pay tribute to their deceased ancestors and their place of birth. In other to differentiate the child’s name from a person from the same generation, the parents or elders would have to join the father’s first name to the given name. It has been said that in the olden times, Igbo women were sometimes named after any of the four Igbo traditional market days.
Not only are names important and special, but surnames are important as well amongst the Igbo people. A surname is an evidence of one’s root and identity.
Before modernization which lead too many people changing their names because they think it is evil, surnames would tell many stories of the family in Igbo land. They told the history of a family and they are marked as good family name or a bad one. Whenever or whenever a family name is mention, the elders in the family could easily tell the identity of the person. Surnames are also used for sustaining the family heritage. In the olden days, unlike in the western world today, women never change their name after marriage, where it is necessary, she could change it to her husband’s first name and not his surname.
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Most Lovely Igbo Names for Baby Boys and Girls And Their Meaning
Lovely Female names and their meaning
1. Mmadiya: This name means; a woman whose beauty makes her husband proud it can also mean the beauty of her husband. The reason for giving a girl child this name is to show and prove how well the baby would be properly taken care of by her husband.
2. Adaugo: This name means; a beautiful daughter, the first daughter of an eagle or daughter of an eagle. When a girl child is born, the father considers the child his pride and joy and his beautiful daughter, hence he takes pride in naming her the daughter of an eagle. This is because an eagle is considered a magnificent and superior bird. This name is only given to the first daughter of every family (Ada means first daughter).
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3. Kamtochukwu: This name means; Let me praise God. This name is usually used when something good happens at the birth of the child and the parents are praising God.
4. Ahunna: This name means; one with her father’s body or is her father’s look alike. This literally means if you see the child, you have seen the father. This name is given to a girl child who is a spitting image of her father. When a child is born, the father looks at her and says, this is my own then names her.
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5. Ogechi: This name means; Godstime or A fresh and successful ending of a struggle. When a family has suffered childlessness before giving birth to the child, or when they have gone through a hard time and it appears that the birth of the child had brought a sign of hope for the family, they name her Ogechi.
6. Nkeiruka: This name means; the future is bright. This gives and means that the parents are hopeful. The parents name a child Nkeiruka when they see that the future is better by reason of the birth if the child.
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7. Nnenna: This name means; my father’s mother. When a man believes that his mother has come to be with him through the child or that the child is a reflection of his mother, he would name her Nnenna.
8. Nnedimma: This name means; motherhood is wonderful or my mother is wonderful. This is another name that pays tribute to a mother, this time, it may not be the father’s mother but also the mother’s mother.
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9. Nwanyibuife: This name means; a woman is light or a woman is value. The meaning of this name depends on how it is pronounced, therefore it could mean any of these.
10. Chimsimdi: This name means; My God says I shall live. One of the major reason a child is named Chisimdi is when the parents are hopeful that she would live on because they have suffered child loss or something of that nature. Or when they make a prayer for her that she could continue living.
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Lovely Igbo male names and their meaning
1. Chukuemeka: This name means: God has done something great. This is a simple praise to God from the family.
2. Anozie: This name means: We are now settled or well positioned. This name could be used as a surname too, the first time I heard it, it was someone’s surname.
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3. Chijioke: This name means; God holds my portion or that He is the custodian of all talents and blessings.
4. Jachike: This name means; Give praise to the God Almighty
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5. Maduka: This name means; People are worth a lot. Another name that is similar to this is “Madukaku” which means that people are more than riches.
6. Chiaroke: This name means; God knows how to share gifts. This name comes in different form with each form having a distinct meaning, this because a letter in Igbo language can change an entire sentence. For example, Chimaroke; God knows the boundary, Chimarokem; My God knows my share.
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7. Kanayochukwu: This name means; Let us keep begging God. This is a sign of hope from the parents, it means they are hopeful that more good things will come, hence let them keep begging God.
8. Arinzechukwu: This name means; God’s assistance and grace, this could also be a praise to God, saying, if not for God, this may not have happened.
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9. Chukwumerije: This name means; The Lord Almighty created the journey, or God knows the journey.
10. Nnduka: This name means; Life is more important or more precious than everything else.
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In conclusion, these names are just a tip of the iceberg to the many names the Igbo nation give their children. The names are part of our identity and should be carefully chosen in other not to send the child in ruins. Bad names create bad omen, good names give the bearer hope of something good or better. Even in the face of trouble, the child would be able to stand her ground because she believes that there is nothing God cannot do (Oluebebechukwu). What’s the most beautiful Igbo name, Beautiful Igbo Names For Baby Girl and Boy, Most attractive igbo names in Nigeria,
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Samuel is determined to leverage his skills in technology, SEO, and legal practice to revolutionize the legal profession worldwide by creating web and mobile applications that simplify legal research. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people.