The Archive
Names, meanings, and the culture behind them — every entry we've published.
- Igbo
Meaning and significance of ofor in igbo names
Updated: at 11:09 PMThere is an Igbo saying re-echoed in a song by a popular Igbo highlife group Onye ukwu siri na ya ji Ọfọ, onye nta siri na ya ji Ọfọ. Mana Ọfọ maara onye ji ya...
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Traditional Titles as igbo proper names
Published: at 03:57 PMIn a narrative by the reverend Prof. Chinua Achebe, he opined that because of the natural apprehension to creating an all powerful individual as evinced in the name "Ezebuilo", the process of acquiring traditional titles...
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Onwu: Why 'death' in igbo names
Published: at 12:00 AMOnwu expressed as Ọnwụ in the Igbo orthography and pronounced /Aw-nwu/ means death in the Igbo language. Typically, Ọnwụ as a name could be a shortened form of any of the Onwu inspired names. Onwu names commonly appear as surnames suggesting an older origin of the names...
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WHAT IS A NAME?
Published: at 12:00 AMGeorge Redmonds defines names as “…special words that we use to identify a person, an animal, a place, or a thing, and they all have a meaning. In many cases that meaning will lie concealed in the name’s history; but in others, it will still be transparent.”...
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Ugo in Igbo names - A feather in one's cap
Published: at 12:00 AMIn Igbo names you find animal references like Agụ (leopard), Ịnyịnya (Horse), Enyi, Ugo or plant references like Ji (yam), Ọjị (Iroko). We have previously treated Enyi: The names must be understood in context of the cultural significance of things refered...
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A history of the igbo people and the traditional christmas return
Published: at 12:00 AMPeople of other cultures often ask why Igbos do the seemingly mandatory yearly return to their homeland. It is something that even younger Igbo generations may ask. Some may assume that it is a more recent tradition. The history of Igbo and this tradition might be older than we assume...
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