The trademark of a person lies in the name. Once a name is mentioned, you’ll automatically deduce what origin that person is from without much investigation. I am going to lay more emphasis on the Igbo names today.
We all know that names in Igbo land have meanings and history. Circumstances of a child’s birth can determine the name given to a child. Names can be prayers or pronouncements on a child.
Most of us have lost our cultural identity due to the names we have chosen to bear as against the ones given to us by our parents at birth.
The reasons for this change of names might be as a result of civilization, wanting to belong to the new world order or for the simple fact that you don’t like your birth name.
While others might be due to an Anglicised pronunciation which in effect changes the name completely or lose the true meaning of the name entirely. It could also be that some may think that the list of Igbo names has been exhausted, hence, the fall back on English names.
Whichever reason for the change does not really matter in this writeup, all I am trying to point out here is the relevance of our names in upholding our cultural identity.
Igbo has unique and uncommon names you can give your children and the list is inexhaustible.
Children are gifts from God. Due to the joy and preparations, parents may get overwhelmed and indecisive on the name to give their babies. There are so many beautiful Igbo names to choose from, below are names you can choose from:
ABỤỌMA: PSALMS/ GOOD HYMN
ADA: FIRST DAUGHTER
ADAEZE: FIRST DAUGHTER OF A KING
ADAMMA: BEAUTIFUL FIRST DAUGHTER
ADAKU: FIRST DAUGHTER BORN INTO WEALTH
ADAURE: HAPPY FIRST DAUGHTER
ADAOBI: FIRST DAUGHTER OF THE FAMILY
ADAOLISA: FIRST DAUGHTER OF GOD
ADAỌMA: GOOD/BEAUTIFUL FIRST DAUGHTER
ADAỌRA: FIRST DAUGHTER OF THE COMMUNITY
ADANNA: FIRST DAUGHTER OF HER FATHER
ADAUGO: FIRST DAUGHTER OF THE EAGLE
AGBỌMMA: BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN
AGBỌ-ỌMA: BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN
AKACHI: HAND OF GOD
AKỤABATA: WEALTH HAS ARRIVED
AKỤADỊ: WEALTH HAS ARRIVED
AKỤCHI: WEALTH FROM GOD
AKỤDỊ: THERE IS WEALTH
AKUDO: PEACEFUL WEALTH
AKUNNA: FATHER’S WEALTH
AKỤNNAYA: HER FATHER’S WEALTH
AMAKA: BEAUTIFUL
AMARA: GRACE
AMARACHI: GRACE OF GOD
AṄỤLỊ: JOY
AṄỤLỊKA: THERE IS MORE JOY
CHELUCHI: WAIT FOR GOD
CHETACHI: REMEMBER GOD
CHIADIKAOBI: GOD IS NOT LIKE WE THINK IN OUR HEART
CHIAMAKA: GOD IS GOOD
CHIAZỌ: GOD HAS SAVED
CHIBUGO: GOD IS MY GLORY
CHIBUZỌ: GOD IS FIRST
CHICHETALỤM: GOD REMEMBERED ME
CHIDEERA: WHEN GOD HAS WRITTEN
CHIDIEBERE: GOD IS MERCIFUL
CHIDIMMA: GOD IS GOOD
CHIDIỤTỌ: GOD IS SWEET
CHIDUBEM: MAY GOD GUIDE ME
CHIDUMAGA: GOD LEADS ME ON MY JOURNEY
CHIDUMEBI: GOD LIVES WITH ME
CHIEMEKA: GOD HAS DONE GREAT
CHIEMELIE: GOD HAS WON
CHIGEMEZU: GOD WILL COMPLETE
CHIGỌZIE: MAY GOD BLESS
CHIGỌZIRI: GOD BLESSED
CHIKA: GOS IS GREATER
CHIKADIBIA: GOD IS GREATER THAN THE DOCTOR
CHIKAMSO: I AM FOLLOWING GOD
CHIKAỌDỊLỊ: IT IS IN GOD’S HANDS
CHILOTA: MAY GOD REMEMBER
CHIMDALU: MY GOD, THANK YOU
CHIMAMANDA: MY GOD WILL NOT FAIL/FALL
CHIMARA: GOD KNOWS
CHIMAYA: GOD KNOWS HER/HIM
CHIMMA: BEAUTIFUL GOD
CHIMUANYA: GOD IS AWAKE
CHINEZE: GOD SHIELDS
CHINALỤ: GOD DOES
CHINATỤ: GOD DIRECTS
CHINASA: GOD ANSWERS
CHINAZA: GOD ANSWERS
CHINECHEREM: GOD THINKS OF ME
CHINEMERE: GOD DOES FOR HER/HIM
CHINENYE: GOD GIVES
CHINONYEREM: MAY GOD BE WITH ME
CHINONYELUM: MAY GOD BE WITH ME
CHINWE: GOD HAS
CHINWENDỤ: GOD HAS LIFE
CHINWEOTITO: GOD HAS GLORY
CHINWEỤBA: GOD HAS WEALTH
CHINYERE: GOD GAVE
CHIOMA: GOOD GOD
CHISIMDỊ: GOD SAYS I SHOULD BE
CHIZARAM: GOD ANSWERED
CHIZITERE: GOD BROUGHT
CHIZOBA: GOD SAVE
CHIZURUM: GOD IS ENOUGH FOR ME
EBERECHI: MERCY OF GOD
EKELEMCHI: I THANK GOD
EKWUTOSINA: DON’T SPEAK ILL OF PEOPLE
EYIUCHE: NOT EXPECTED. AMAZED BY IT
EZIAHAKAEGO: GOOD NAME IS BETTER THAN MONEY
EZIAMAKA: THE FAMILY IS GOOD
Trending Igbo Names for Girls
FECHI: WORSHIP GOD
IFEAṄULỊ: THING OF JOY
ỊFECHI: THING OF GOD. GOD’S THING
ỊFEDICHE: A DIFFERENT THING
ỊFEỌMA: GOOD THING
ỊFỤNANYA/ỊHỤNANYA: LOVE
ỊFỤNANYACHI: LOVE OF GOD
ỊHEMACHI: THING KNOWS GOD
IJEDINMA: GOOD JOURNEY
IJEOMA: SAFE JOURNEY
JAYAMMA: PRAISE HIM/PRAISE GOD
JỤỌRỌỤWAHỤ: CHILL FOR THE WORLD
KAMSIYỌCHUKWU: AS I ASKED GOD
KAMSIYỌNNA: AS I ASKED GOD/THE FATHER
KAMSOLUTOCHUKWU: LET ME FOLLOW AND PRAISE GOD
KAṄỤLỊA: LET PEOPLE REJOICE
KOSISỌCHUKWU: AS IT PLEASES GOD
MAKỤACHI: HUG GOD/HOLD ONTO GOD
MGBAFỌ: GIRL BORN ON AFỌ MARKET DAY
MGBANKWỌ: GIRL BORN ON NKWỌ MARKET DAY
MGBECHI: GOD’S TIME
MGBEKE: GIRL BORN ON EKE MARKET DAY
MGBORIE: GIRL BORN ON ORIE MARKET DAY
MỤNACHISO: I AM WALKING WITH GOD
NDIDI: PATIENCE
NDIDIAMAKA: PATIENCE IS GOOD
NJIDEKA: HOLDING ON IS BETTER
NKIRU: THE FUTURE
NKIRUKA/NKEIRUKA: THE FUTURE IS GREATER
NKECHI: BELONGING TO GOD
NKEM: MINE
NKEMAKỌLAM: LET MINE NOT BE LACKING
NKEMDỊRỊM: LET MINE BE WITH ME
NKEMJIKA: WHAT I HAVE IS GREATER
NKỌLỊKA: COMMUNICATION IS GREATER
NNEAMAKA: MOTHER IS BEAUTIFUL
NNEAKỌLAM: LET ME NOT LACK A MOTHER
NNEDINMA: MOTHER IS GOOD
NNENNA: FATHER’S MUM
NNENNAYA: HER FATHER’S MUM
NNENNE: MOTHER’S MUM
NNEỌMA: GOOD MOTHER
NWACHI: GOD’S CHILD
NWADỊỤTỌ: CHILD IS SWEET
NWAKAEGO: CHILD IS GREATER THAN MONEY
NWAKERENDỤ: THE CHILD THAT HAS CHOSEN LIFE
NWANYỊEZE: THE KING’S LADY
NWANYỊUDO: PEACEFUL LADY
NWANYIUGBO: A LADY OF WEALTH
ỌBỊAGELI: SHE WHO COMES WILL EAT
ỌBỊAGELIAKỤ: SHE WHO COMES WILL EAT OF ABUNDANCE
ỌBỊANUJUNWA: SHE/HE WHO COMES IN THE MIDST OF LOTS OF CHILDREN
OBIOMA: GOOD HEART
ỌDỊCHIMMA: IT IS GOOD IN GOD’S EYES
ỌDỊNAKACHI: IT IS IN GOD’S HANDS
OGBENYEANỤ: THE POOR SHALL NOT MARRY HER
OGECHI: GOD’S TIME
OGEMDỊ: MY TIME IS
ỌGỌCHUKWU: GOD’S KINDNESS
ỌGỌNNA: THE FATHER’S KINDNESS
ỌGỌỌMA: GOOD KINDNESS
ỌLACHI: GOD’S JEWEL
ỌLAEDO: GOLD
ỌLAỌMA: GOOD JEWEL
ỌLAMMA: BEAUTIFUL JEWEL
ỌLANNA: FATHER’S JEWEL
ỌLỤEBUBE: GLORIOUS WORK/HANDIWORK
ONYEBỤCHI-IBEYA: NO HUMAN IS GOD TO OTHERS
ONYEDỊKACHI: WHO IS LIKE GOD?
ONYEKACHI: WHO IS GREATER THAN GOD?
ONYEMACHI: WHO KNOWS GOD
ONYENATỤRỤCHI: WHO DECIDES FOR GOD?
ONYENWEAKỤ: THE ONE THAT HAS THE WEALTH
ONYINYECHI: GOD’S GIFT
OSINACHI: FROM GOD
OZIỌMA: GOOD NEWS
RALỤCHI: LEAVE FOR GOD
SOBENNA: BE FOLLOWING GOD
SỌCHIMA: ONLY GOD KNOWS
SỌMADỊNA: LET ME NOT BE ALONE
SOMTOCHUKWU: FOLLOW ME AND PRAISE GOD
SOLUCHI: FOLLOW GOD
TOCHI: PRAISE GOD
TOBECHI: CONTINUE TO PRAISE GOD
ỤCHAMMA: BEAUTIFUL FAIR LADY
UCHECHUKWU: GOD’S WILL
UCHECHI: GOD’S WILL
UCHENNA: THE FATHER’S WILL
UCHEỌMA: GOODWILL
ỤGBỌMMA: BEAUTIFUL MEANS/VEHICLE
UGOCHI: GOD’S GLORY
UGOMMA: BEAUTIFUL GLORY
UJUNWA: LOT’S OF CHILDREN
ỤLỤNNA: FATHER’S LASTBORN
ỤLỤMMA: BEAUTIFUL LASTBORN
URECHI: GOD’S GLORY/PRIDE
URENNA: FATHER’S GLORY/PRIDE/HAPPINESS
ỤZỌCHI: THE PATH OF GOD
ỤZỌMA: BEAUTIFUL PATH/ROAD
WERUCHE: USE YOUR MIND/BRAIN
YAGAZIE: LET IT BE WELL
The list goes on. We have a duty as parents to carry on the legacy bestowed to us by our forefathers. If there is a time we need to recall and retain this legacy, it is now. The fight for freedom starts with the revolution of bringing back and upholding our lost identity in the names we bear.
Lolo Ugo Queensley Kalu reporting, Obinwannem News