The Yorùbá Naming System
Among the Yorùbá, a name is never arbitrary. The proverb 'Ilé ni à ń wò kí á tó sọ ọmọ lórúkọ' — we consider the family before naming a child — captures a belief that names carry meaning, prophecy, and identity.
The Naming Ceremony (Ìsọmọlórúkọ)
A child is formally named on the seventh, eighth, or ninth day after birth in a joyful ceremony. Symbolic items are tasted — honey for sweetness, salt for flavour and wisdom, kola nut, water, and more — each carrying prayers for the child's life.
Types of Names
Yorùbá names fall into several kinds: Orúkọ àmútọ̀runwá (names tied to circumstances of birth, such as Táíwò and Kẹ́hìndé for twins), Orúkọ àbísọ (given names chosen by the family), and Oríkì (praise names). Names often reference God (Olú-, -ọlá), deities, or family fortunes.
Names as Destiny
A name is a lifelong prayer and a compass. The Yorùbá believe a person tends to live out the meaning of their name, so families choose with great care — encoding hopes, gratitude, and the family's story into a single, sacred word.
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