In Yoruba culture, the child is usually named on the 8th day of life, a week after the child was born. In a traditional naming ceremony, a name is an edifying emblem given to a child at birth by the parents and relatives.
The Yoruba people believe that people live out the meanings of their names. As such, they put considerable effort into naming a baby.
Their philosophy of naming is conveyed in a common adage, ile ni a n wo, ki a to so omo l’oruko (“one pays attention to the family before naming a child”): one must consider the tradition and history of a child’s relatives when choosing a name.
The importance of names in Yoruba Culture
Yorubas believe that given names are so profound, meaningful and powerful that the names children bear can influence their entire life cycle, from sundary behaviour, integrity, professions, success and so on.
For example, they believed that a child who answers the name of a past ancestor is more likely to preserve his/her origin.
In Yoruba culture, tradition calls for children to receive names from their fathers. However, children often receive names from their mothers, their grandparents, or other close kin as well.
Many Yorubas have more than one given name. At birth, the mother and father each bestowed their choice of names on the child, as a beloved child. In addition, grandparents and even close relatives are entitled to give the child favourite names.
The origin of Yoruba names
Yorubas pay particular attention to the physical characteristics and circumstances surrounding the birth of a child. In addition, names are also given that reflect the religion, profession and cultural roots of the family.
Thus Yoruba names can be broadly classified into two categories:
- Destiny Names (brought from heaven)
- Acquired Names (given on earth)
Most prominent amongst the destiny names are Taiwo and Kehinde, the name reserved for twins.
Some families have long-standing traditions for naming their children. Such customs are often derived from their profession or religion.
For example, a family of hunters could name their baby Ogunbunmi (Ogun gives me this) to show their respect to the divinity who gives them metal tools for hunting. Meanwhile, a family that venerates Ifa may name their child Falola (Ifa has honor).
Naming
Since it is generally believed that names are like spirits which would like to live out their meanings, parents do a thorough search before giving names to their babies.
Naming ceremonies are performed with the same meticulous care, generally by the oldest family member. Symbolic of the hopes, expectations and prayers of the parents for the new baby, honey, Kola, bitter kola, Alligator pepper, water, palm oil, sugar, sugar cane, salt, and liquor each have a place and a special meaning in the world-view of the Yoruba.
For instance, honey represents sweetness, and the prayer of the parents is that their baby’s life will be as sweet as honey.
After the ritual, the child is named and members of the extended family have the honour of also giving a name to the child.
The gift of a name comes with gifts of money and clothing. In many cases, the relative will subsequently call the child by the name they give to him or her, so a new baby may thereafter have more than a dozen names.
