Igbo names

97 names from the Igbo naming tradition, each with its meaning, origin, pronunciation and how it is seen around the world.

AdaezeGirlFrom Igbo ada, "daughter" (specifically a firstborn daughter), and eze, "king" or "chief": a name for a family's eldest…
AdannaGirlFrom Igbo ada, "daughter", and nna, "father": "her father's daughter", marking a firstborn girl.
AdannayaGirlFrom Igbo ada, "daughter", nna, "father", and ya, "her": "her father's eldest daughter".
AkachiUnisexFrom Igbo aka, "hand", and chi, "God" or a person's guardian spirit: "the hand of God".
AkuchiUnisexFrom Igbo aku, "wealth", and chi, "God": "wealth from God".
Ala (Igbo)GirlIgbo for "earth, land": the name of the earth goddess at the centre of traditional Igbo religion.
AmadiBoyAn Igbo word for a freeborn man, used historically to mark someone born free rather than into slavery or an outcast…
AmadiohaBoyFrom Igbo àmádí, "freeborn person", and ọ̀ha, "community": literally "a freeborn person of the community", the name of…
AmakaGirlA shortened, independently used form of Chiamaka, an Igbo name built on words for "God" and "beautiful".
Amara (Igbo)Girl"Grace" in the Igbo language.
AmarachiGirlFrom Igbo amara, "grace" or "favour", and chi, "God": "God's grace".
AnuliGirlFrom Igbo aṅụrị, "joy": a name for a child who brings happiness.
AzubuikeBoyFrom Igbo azu, "back" or, figuratively, "the past", bu, "is", and ike, "strength": "the back is strength" or "the past…
ChiUnisexIgbo for "god, spiritual being": the personal guardian spirit each person is believed to have, and the clipped form…
ChiamakaGirlFrom Igbo chi, "God", and mma ka, "more beautiful": "God is more beautiful", praising God above all else.
ChibuezeBoyFrom Igbo chi, "God", bu, "is", and eze, "king": "God is the king".
ChinasaGirlFrom Igbo chi, "God", and aza, "answer": "God is answering."
ChineduBoyFrom Igbo chi, "God", and the verb du, "to lead": "God is leading."
ChineloGirlFrom Igbo chi, "God", and echiche, "thought": broadly, "God's thought."
ChinenyeGirlFrom Igbo chi, "God", and the verb nye, "to give": "God is giving."
ChinonsoUnisexFrom Igbo chi, "God", and nso, "near": "God is near."
ChinweGirlFrom Igbo chi, "God", and the verb nwe, "to own": "God owns" or "God possesses."
ChinweikeBoyBuilt on Chinwe, "God owns", plus ike, "power": "God owns power" or "God is powerful."
ChinwenduUnisexBuilt on Chinwe, "God owns", plus ndụ, "life": "God owns life."
ChinweubaBoyAn Igbo statement that God is the true owner of wealth, from chi "personal god", nwe "to own" and uba "riches…
ChinyereGirlIgbo for "God gave", from chi "personal god" and nyere, the past form of nye "to give".
ChiomaGirlIgbo for "good God", from chi "personal god" and ọma "good, beautiful".
ChisomUnisexIgbo for "God is with me", from chi "personal god", so "accompany, go with" and m "me".
ChizobaUnisexIgbo for "God keeps on protecting", from chi "personal god" and zoba "to go on saving or guarding".
ChuksBoyA clipped, English-spelled short form of Igbo boys' names that open with Chukwu, "God".
ChukwuBoyFrom Igbo chi, "god, spiritual being", and ukwu, "great": "the great god", the Igbo name for the supreme deity.
ChukwudiBoyIgbo for "God exists", from Chukwu "the supreme God" and dị "is, exists".
ChukwuebukaBoyIgbo for "God is greater", from Chukwu "the supreme God" and ebuka "great, immense".
ChukwuemekaBoyFrom Igbo Chukwu, "God", and emeka, "has done exceedingly well": broadly "God has done a great thing".
ChukwumaBoyFrom Igbo Chukwu, "God", and ma, "know": "God knows".
EbereGirlFrom Igbo ebere, "mercy, compassion".
EbukaBoyFrom Igbo buka, "is supreme, is great", as in Chukwuebuka, "God is supreme".
EjikeBoyFrom Igbo eji, "holds, has", and ike, "strength, power": broadly "one who holds strength".
EkeneUnisexFrom Igbo ekene, "greeting, thanks, gratitude".
EkenedilichukwuUnisexFrom Igbo ekene, "thanks, gratitude", di, "belongs to, is with", and Chukwu, "God": "thanks belongs to God".
EkwuemeBoyFrom Igbo ekwu, "speaks, says", and eme, "does": "one who does what he says".
EmekaBoyFrom Igbo eme, "do", and ka, "to a great degree": "he has done well", usually as a clipped form of a longer name such…
EnyinnayaBoyFrom Igbo enyi, "friend", nna, "father", and ya, "his": "his father's friend".
FumnanyaUnisexFrom Igbo hụ (heard as fụ in some speech), "see", m, "me", and anya, "eye": read together as a request, "love me".
IfeanyiBoyFrom Igbo ife, "thing", and anyị, "we, us": read together as "nothing is beyond us", an assurance that no difficulty is…
IfeanyichukwuBoyFrom Igbo ife, "thing", anyị, "we, us", and Chukwu, "God": "nothing is beyond what God can do for us".
IfeomaGirlFrom Igbo ife, "thing", and ọma, "good, beautiful": "a good thing".
IfunanyaGirlFrom Igbo hụ (heard as fụ in some speech), "see", and anya, "eye": the ordinary Igbo word for love, given directly as a…
IjeomaGirlFrom Igbo ije, "journey, walk", and ọma, "good": "a good journey".
IkechukwuBoyFrom Igbo ike, "power" or "strength", and Chukwu, "God": together, "God's power."
IkennaBoyFrom Igbo ike, "power" or "strength", and nna, "father": together, "a father's strength."
KelechiUnisexFrom Igbo kelee, "give thanks", and Chi, one's personal god: together, "thank God."
NdidiUnisexFrom the Igbo word ndidi, "patience" or "endurance."
NdubuisiBoyFrom Igbo ndu, "life", bu, "is", and isi, "first" or "foremost": together, "life comes first."
NgoziGirlFrom the Igbo noun ngozi, "blessing", from the verb gọzi, "to bless."
NkechiGirlFrom Igbo nke, "that which belongs to", and Chi, one's personal god: together, roughly "God's own."
NkechinyereGirlFrom Igbo nke, "that which", Chi, one's personal god, and nyere, "gave": together, "what God gave."
NkemdilimGirlIgbo for "what is mine remains mine": a declaration that a child's rightful place cannot be taken from her.
NkiruGirlIgbo for "what lies ahead": the everyday clipped form of Nkiruka, used on its own as well.
NkirukaGirlIgbo for "what is still to come will surpass this": an expression of confidence in a brighter future for the child.
NnamdiBoyIgbo for "my father lives on": given to a son seen as carrying forward a late relative, often his grandfather.
NnekaGirlIgbo for "mother is supreme": a tribute to the standing motherhood holds in Igbo family life.
NnennaGirlIgbo for "father's mother": a daughter's name that honours her paternal grandmother.
NnenneGirlIgbo for "mother's mother": a daughter's name that honours her maternal grandmother.
NonsoBoyIgbo for "near me": the everyday short form of Chinonso, "God is near me".
NwachukwuBoyFrom Igbo nwa, "child", and Chukwu, the Supreme God: a child entrusted to the family by God.
NwannekaGirlFrom Igbo nwanne, "a sibling", and ka, "to surpass": a sibling matters more than riches.
ObiUnisexIgbo for "heart", also used for the mind or the will.
ObinnaBoyFrom Igbo obi, "heart", and nna, "father": the father's heart.
OgechiGirlFrom Igbo oge, "time", and chi, a person's guiding spirit or god: God's own time.
OgechukwuGirlFrom Igbo oge, "time", and Chukwu, the Supreme God: God's own time.
OgechukwukammaGirlFrom Igbo oge, "time", Chukwu, "God", and ka mma, "is better": God's timing is the better one.
OgochukwuUnisexFrom Igbo ogo, "favour, grace", and Chukwu, the Supreme God: God's favour.
OkaforBoyA traditional Igbo day name for a boy born on Afọ, one of four days in the old Igbo market week.
OkechukwuBoyFrom Igbo oke "share, portion" and Chukwu "God": a son counted as a portion or gift from God.
OkekeBoyA traditional Igbo day name for a boy born on Eke, one of four days in the old Igbo market week.
OkonkwoBoyA traditional Igbo day name for a boy born on Nkwọ, one of four days in the old Igbo market week.
OkorieBoyA traditional Igbo day name for a boy born on Orie, one of four days in the old Igbo market week.
OkoroBoyFrom Igbo okoro, "young man": a name for a boy, not tied to any particular birth day.
OluchiGirlFrom Igbo olu "work, deed" and chi "personal spirit, guardian destiny": the work of one's chi.
OnyebuchiBoyFrom Igbo onye "who", bụ "is" and Chukwu "God" (contracted to -buchi): a rhetorical name meaning that no one compares…
OnyekaUnisexElliptical Igbo form of Onyekachi, built from onye "who" and ka "surpass, exceed": short for asking who could be…
OnyekachiUnisexFrom Igbo onye "who", ka "surpass" and chi "personal god": a rhetorical question, "who is greater than God?", implying…
OnyekachukwuUnisexFrom Igbo onye "who", ka "surpass" and Chukwu "the great God": another way of asking who could be greater than God.
OnyinyeGirlIgbo for "gift": something given, from the verb inye, "to give".
OnyinyechiGirlIgbo for "gift from God": onyinye "gift" combined with chi "God, personal god".
OsitaBoyShort Igbo form of Ositadimma, "it begins today to be good", carried on its own as a boy's name.
OsitadimmaBoyIgbo sentence name meaning "it begins today to be good": a declaration of hope that fortunes are turning for the better.
TochukwuUnisexIgbo for "praise God": to "praise, give thanks" combined with Chukwu, "the supreme God".
UcheUnisexThe Igbo word for thought, sense, wisdom or personal opinion, used directly as a name.
UchennaUnisexFrom Igbo uche, "thought or wisdom," and nna, "father": the wisdom of one's father.
Ugo (Igbo)UnisexAn Igbo word meaning "eagle", used as a given name and as a short form or element in longer names like Ugochukwu.
UgochiGirlFrom Igbo ugo, "eagle," and chi, a person's guiding spirit: often rendered in English as "eagle of God."
UgochukwuBoyFrom Igbo ugo, "eagle," and Chukwu, the supreme God: "eagle of the Supreme God."
UjuGirlThe Igbo word for fullness, abundance or plenty, used as a girl's name.
UzochiUnisexFrom Igbo uzo, "road or way," and chi, a person's guiding spirit: the way of one's chi.
UzomaUnisexFrom Igbo uzo, "road or way," and oma, "good": good road, or good way.