lastnamegenerators

Nigerian Last Names

These Nigerian last names come from Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Edo, Efik, Ijaw, Tiv and other communities, listed A to Z with meanings, from familiar names like Adeyemi and Okafor to regional ones such as Obaseki, Bassey and Horsfall.

232 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

  • Abdullahi

    Servant of God (Hausa)

  • Abimbola

    Born into wealth (Yoruba)

  • Abiodun

    Born during a festival (Yoruba)

  • Abubakar

    Father of Bakr; after the first caliph (Hausa-Fulani)

  • Adamu

    Adam (Hausa)

  • Adebayo

    The crown meets joy (Yoruba)

  • Adebowale

    The crown has returned home (Yoruba)

  • Adedeji

    The crown becomes two (Yoruba)

  • Adegoke

    The crown ascends to the height (Yoruba)

  • Adejumo

    Royalty gathers together (Yoruba)

  • Adekunle

    The crown fills the house (Yoruba)

  • Adeleke

    The crown prevails (Yoruba)

  • Adeleye

    The crown has dignity (Yoruba)

  • Ademola

    The crown joined with wealth (Yoruba)

  • Adeniran

    The crown continues the lineage (Yoruba)

  • Adeniyi

    The crown has honor (Yoruba)

  • Adeola

    Crown of wealth (Yoruba)

  • Adeoye

    Crown of titles; royalty with honor (Yoruba)

  • Adesanya

    The crown repays my suffering (Yoruba)

  • Adesina

    The crown opens the way (Yoruba)

  • Adetokunbo

    The crown came from across the sea (Yoruba)

  • Adewale

    The crown has come home (Yoruba)

  • Adewumi

    The crown pleases me (Yoruba)

  • Adeyemi

    The crown befits me (Yoruba)

  • Adeyinka

    The crown surrounds me (Yoruba)

  • Afolabi

    Born into wealth and honor (Yoruba)

  • Afolayan

    Walks proudly with wealth (Yoruba)

  • Agu

    Leopard (Igbo)

  • Ahmadu

    Ahmad; most praiseworthy (Hausa-Fulani)

  • Ajayi

    Child born face down (Yoruba)

  • Akande

    The brave one has come (Yoruba)

  • Akinade

    Valor of the crown (Yoruba)

  • Akinola

    Valor of wealth (Yoruba)

  • Akinsanya

    The brave one avenges (Yoruba)

  • Akintola

    Valor is worthy of wealth (Yoruba)

  • Akinwale

    The brave one has come home (Yoruba)

  • Akinyemi

    Valor befits me (Yoruba)

  • Akpan

    First son (Ibibio)

  • Akume

    Tiv family name of Benue State

  • Alagoa

    Nembe Ijaw family name

  • Aliyu

    Ali; exalted (Hausa)

  • Amachree

    Kalabari Ijaw royal house (Amakiri)

  • Amadi

    Freeborn man; nobleman (Igbo)

  • Aminu

    Trustworthy; faithful (Hausa)

  • Anyanwu

    The sun (Igbo)

  • Aondoakaa

    From Aondo, God (Tiv)

  • Archibong

    Efik royal house name of Calabar

  • Ardo

    Fulani clan leader; herd chief

  • Asuquo

    Efik traditional name

  • Audu

    Servant; Hausa form of Abdu

  • Ayinde

    The praised one has come (Yoruba)

  • Ayodele

    Joy has come home (Yoruba)

  • Ayoola

    Joy of wealth (Yoruba)

B

  • Baba

    Father; elder (Hausa)

  • Babajide

    Father has risen again (Yoruba)

  • Babalola

    Father is wealth (Yoruba)

  • Babatunde

    Father has returned (Yoruba)

  • Balogun

    War chief; Yoruba military title

  • Bamidele

    Follow me home (Yoruba)

  • Bassey

    Efik name, possibly from Abasi, God

  • Bawa

    Servant; devotee (Hausa)

  • Bello

    Fulani name, associated with Sultan Muhammad Bello of Sokoto (Hausa-Fulani)

  • Briggs

    Kalabari Ijaw trading-house name, from English

  • Buhari

    From al-Bukhari, the hadith scholar (Hausa-Fulani)

C

  • Chibueze

    God is king (Igbo)

  • Chidi

    God exists (Igbo)

  • Chidozie

    God has fixed it (Igbo)

  • Chiemeka

    God has done great things (Igbo)

  • Chikwe

    If God agrees (Igbo)

  • Chinwe

    God owns; belongs to God (Igbo)

  • Chukwu

    God; the great spirit (Igbo)

  • Chukwudi

    God exists; God is present (Igbo)

  • Chukwuebuka

    God is great (Igbo)

  • Chukwuemeka

    God has done great things (Igbo)

  • Chukwuka

    God is greater (Igbo)

  • Chukwuma

    God knows (Igbo)

  • Ciroma

    Crown prince title (Hausa and Kanuri)

  • Clark

    Ijaw family name of English origin

D

  • Dada

    Child born with naturally curly or locked hair (Yoruba)

  • Danfodio

    Son of the learned one (Fulfulde fodiyo)

  • Danjuma

    Son born on Friday (Hausa)

  • Danladi

    Son born on Sunday (Hausa)

  • Dappa

    Ijaw family name of the Niger Delta

  • Dauda

    David (Hausa)

  • Dogara

    Rely on God (Hausa)

  • Duke

    Efik trading-house name of Calabar, from English

  • Durojaiye

    Wait and enjoy life (Yoruba)

E

  • Ebere

    Mercy (Igbo)

  • Edet

    Efik and Ibibio traditional day name

  • Effiong

    Efik and Ibibio traditional name

  • Eke

    Python; also Eke market day (Igbo)

  • Ekpenyong

    Efik name linked to the Ekpe society

  • Ekpo

    Ancestral spirit; masquerade society (Ibibio)

  • Ekwueme

    One who says and does (Igbo)

  • Emeka

    Great deeds (Igbo)

  • Essien

    Ibibio family name

  • Etim

    Efik and Ibibio traditional day name

  • Eweka

    Name of early Benin kings (Edo)

  • Eyo

    Efik trading-house name (Eyo Honesty)

  • Eze

    King (Igbo)

  • Ezeani

    King of the land (Igbo)

  • Ezenwa

    Possibly king of children (Igbo)

F

  • Fadahunsi

    Ifa answered me (Yoruba)

  • Fagbemi

    Ifa supports me (Yoruba)

  • Fakunle

    Ifa fills the house (Yoruba)

  • Falana

    Ifa opens the way (Yoruba)

  • Fashola

    Ifa creates wealth (Yoruba)

  • Fawole

    Ifa enters the house (Yoruba)

  • Fayemi

    Ifa befits me (Yoruba)

G

  • Galadima

    Senior Hausa court title; heir apparent

  • Gambo

    Child born after twins (Hausa)

  • Garba

    Hausa given name used as surname

H

  • Haruna

    Aaron (Hausa)

  • Henshaw

    Efik trading-house name of Calabar, from English

  • Horsfall

    Kalabari Ijaw trading-house name, from English

I

  • Ibrahim

    Abraham (Hausa)

  • Idowu

    Child born after twins (Yoruba)

  • Idris

    Enoch; studious one (Hausa)

  • Ifeanyi

    Nothing is impossible with God (Igbo)

  • Igbinedion

    Edo (Benin) family name

  • Ige

    Child born feet first (Yoruba)

  • Igwe

    Heaven; sky; traditional ruler (Igbo)

  • Ike

    Strength; power (Igbo)

  • Ikenna

    Strength of the father (Igbo)

  • Ilori

    Child conceived before menses resumed; special treasure (Yoruba)

  • Inyang

    River (Efik)

  • Iroegbu

    Enmity does not kill (Igbo)

  • Isa

    Jesus (Hausa)

  • Ita

    Efik and Ibibio traditional name

J

  • Jalo

    Fulani clan name (Jallo)

  • Jibrin

    Gabriel (Hausa)

K

  • Kehinde

    Second twin; the one who came last (Yoruba)

L

  • Lamido

    Ruler; emir (Fulfulde)

  • Lawal

    From Arabic al-Awwal, the first (Yoruba and Hausa)

M

  • Madaki

    Senior Hausa court title; commander

  • Makinde

    The brave one has arrived (Yoruba)

  • Mamman

    Hausa form of Muhammad

  • Mba

    Nation; community (Igbo)

  • Modu

    Kanuri form of Muhammad

  • Muhammad

    Praised one; after the Prophet (Hausa-Fulani)

  • Musa

    Moses (Hausa)

  • Mustapha

    The chosen one (Hausa and Kanuri)

N

  • Ndukwe

    If life agrees; may life permit (Igbo)

  • Nnamdi

    My father lives (Igbo)

  • Nwabueze

    A child is a king (Igbo)

  • Nwachukwu

    Child of God (Igbo)

  • Nwadike

    Child of a brave man (Igbo)

  • Nwafor

    Child born on Afor market day (Igbo)

  • Nwankwo

    Child born on Nkwo market day (Igbo)

  • Nweke

    Child born on Eke market day (Igbo)

  • Nwosu

    Possibly child dedicated to a deity (Igbo)

  • Nwoye

    Child born on Oye market day (Igbo)

O

  • Obasanjo

    The king repays me (Yoruba)

  • Obaseki

    Edo (Benin) family name; begins with Oba, king

  • Obi

    Heart; ancestral homestead (Igbo)

  • Obioma

    Good heart; kind-hearted (Igbo)

  • Obiora

    Heart of the people (Igbo)

  • Ogbeide

    Edo (Benin) family name

  • Ogbonna

    Father's namesake; image of the father (Igbo)

  • Oghene

    God (Urhobo and Isoko)

  • Ogunbiyi

    Ogun gave birth to this one (Yoruba)

  • Ogunde

    Ogun has come (Yoruba)

  • Ogundele

    Ogun arrives home (Yoruba)

  • Ogundipe

    Ogun consoles; Ogun comforts (Yoruba)

  • Ogunlana

    Ogun opens the way (Yoruba)

  • Ogunleye

    Ogun has dignity; Ogun is honored (Yoruba)

  • Ogunsanya

    Ogun repays my suffering (Yoruba)

  • Ogunyemi

    Ogun befits me (Yoruba)

  • Ojo

    Boy born with the cord around his neck (Yoruba)

  • Okafor

    Male born on Afor market day (Igbo)

  • Oke

    Child born in the caul (Yoruba)

  • Okeke

    Male born on Eke market day (Igbo)

  • Okon

    Efik and Ibibio traditional day name

  • Okonkwo

    Male born on Nkwo market day (Igbo)

  • Okorie

    Male born on Orie market day (Igbo)

  • Okoro

    Young man; boy (Igbo)

  • Okoye

    Male born on Oye (Orie) market day (Igbo)

  • Okpara

    First son (Igbo)

  • Oladapo

    Wealth merges together (Yoruba)

  • Oladele

    Wealth arrives home (Yoruba)

  • Oladipo

    Wealth increases (Yoruba)

  • Olaleye

    Wealth has dignity (Yoruba)

  • Olaniyan

    Wealth is something to be proud of (Yoruba)

  • Olaniyi

    Wealth has honor (Yoruba)

  • Olatunji

    Wealth reawakens; honor is renewed (Yoruba)

  • Olawale

    Wealth has come home (Yoruba)

  • Olayemi

    Wealth befits me (Yoruba)

  • Olufemi

    God loves me (Yoruba)

  • Olumide

    My lord has come (Yoruba)

  • Olusegun

    God has conquered (Yoruba)

  • Oluwaseun

    We thank God (Yoruba)

  • Oluwole

    God has entered the house (Yoruba)

  • Omoregie

    Possibly 'the child is royal' (Edo)

  • Onuoha

    Voice of the people (Igbo)

  • Onwuka

    Death is greater (Igbo)

  • Onyeama

    Who knows? (Igbo)

  • Onyeka

    Who is greater than God? (Igbo)

  • Onyekachi

    Who is greater than God? (Igbo)

  • Opara

    First son (Igbo variant)

  • Ortom

    Tiv family name of Benue State

  • Osaghae

    From Osa, God (Edo)

  • Osagie

    Possibly 'God has willed it' (Edo)

  • Ovie

    King (Urhobo)

  • Oyedele

    Title arrives home (Yoruba)

  • Oyeleke

    Title prevails (Yoruba)

  • Oyewole

    Title enters the house (Yoruba)

  • Oyeyemi

    Title befits me (Yoruba)

  • Oyinlola

    Honey of wealth; sweetness of honor (Yoruba)

S

  • Salami

    Peace; from Arabic salam (Yoruba Muslim)

  • Sani

    Second-born; from Arabic thani (Hausa)

  • Sarki

    King; emir (Hausa)

  • Shehu

    Sheikh; after Shehu Usman dan Fodio

  • Shettima

    Kanuri royal court title

  • Sowande

    Possibly Sango came looking for me (Yoruba)

  • Suleiman

    Solomon (Hausa)

  • Suswam

    Tiv family name of Benue State

T

  • Taiwo

    First twin; taste the world (Yoruba)

  • Tamuno

    God (Kalabari Ijaw)

  • Tanko

    Boy born after several girls (Hausa)

  • Tarka

    Tiv family name of central Nigeria

  • Tinubu

    Yoruba family name, borne by the 19th-century Lagos merchant Madam Tinubu

U

  • Uche

    Will; mind; wisdom (Igbo)

  • Uchenna

    Will of the Father, God (Igbo)

  • Udoh

    Ibibio family name

  • Ugwu

    Hill; honor; dignity (Igbo)

  • Ukaegbu

    Talk does not kill (Igbo)

  • Umar

    Long-lived; after the second caliph (Hausa)

  • Usman

    Uthman; after the third caliph and Usman dan Fodio

W

  • Waziri

    Vizier; chief minister (Hausa)

Y

  • Yahaya

    John; he lives (Hausa)

  • Yakubu

    Jacob (Hausa)

  • Yusuf

    Joseph (Hausa)

Generate random nigerian surnames

Filter by first letter, length and rarity, add a first name to preview the full name, then copy or save your favorites.

Results (6)

  • Chinwe

    God owns; belongs to God (Igbo)

  • Akinade

    Valor of the crown (Yoruba)

  • Yusuf

    Joseph (Hausa)

  • Sowande

    Possibly Sango came looking for me (Yoruba)

  • Idowu

    Child born after twins (Yoruba)

  • Akinola

    Valor of wealth (Yoruba)

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    Prefixes that unlock Yoruba and Igbo names

    Yoruba names are built from meaningful parts, and a few prefixes cover much of the list. Ade means crown or royalty, so Adeyemi is the crown befits me and Adebayo the crown meets joy. Ogun is the orisa of iron, as in Ogunleye and Ogundele. Ola means wealth or honour, Akin valour, Oye a chieftaincy title and Olu or Oluwa God or lord, as in Olufemi, God loves me. Reading the prefix tells you the family's original emphasis.

    Igbo names in the list work in a similar way. Chukwu means God, so Chukwuemeka is God has done great things and Chukwudi God exists. Nwa means child, Eze king and Obi heart or homestead. Okafor, Okeke, Okonkwo and Okoye point to the four market days of the Igbo week, Afor, Eke, Nkwo and Orie, and mark a boy born on that day. Nwafor and Nweke follow the same logic for a child born on Afor or Eke.

    Names from the north, the Delta and Middle Belt

    Hausa and Fulani names in the north are mostly Islamic given names used as family names, such as Abubakar, Bello, Ibrahim, Musa, Usman and Yusuf. Others come from traditional titles: Sarki means king or ruler, Galadima and Waziri are senior court offices, and Madaki is a title for a leading official. Kanuri names from Borno, like Shettima and Modu, add another northern layer to the list, alongside Fulani names such as Ardo and Jalo.

    The south and the Middle Belt bring many more languages. Edo names often start with Osa, meaning God, as in Osagie and Osaghae, while Efik and Ibibio families carry names like Bassey, Effiong, Akpan and Ekpo. In the Niger Delta, some Ijaw and Kalabari trading houses took English names long ago, which is why Briggs and Horsfall are Nigerian, alongside house names like Amachree. Tiv names such as Tarka and Akume, and Urhobo names like Ovie, round out the picture.

    Widespread Nigerian last names and search tips

    Names you will meet again and again include Adeyemi, Adebayo, Ogunleye and Babatunde among the Yoruba, Okafor, Okeke, Eze and Nwosu among the Igbo, and Bello, Abubakar, Musa and Ibrahim in the north. Many Nigerians also carry English or Christian surnames from missionary schools and colonial records. A few older English names, such as Duke and Henshaw in Calabar, have been Nigerian for generations and appear in the list too.

    The search box checks both names and meanings, so typing crown, God or king pulls together names from different languages that share an idea. Typing a prefix such as ade, ogun or chukwu shows a whole family of related names at once. Spellings vary in real life, as with Adewumi and Adewunmi, so try a shorter fragment if you cannot find a name. The letter bar is handy for the long A and O sections.

    Frequently asked questions

    What are the most common Nigerian last names?

    There is no single national ranking that everyone agrees on, but names like Adeyemi, Bello, Okafor, Ibrahim, Musa, Abubakar, Adebayo, Eze and Okeke are very widespread. Which names feel most common depends heavily on the region, since the north, southwest and southeast each have different naming traditions.

    What does Ade mean in Nigerian last names?

    Ade is Yoruba for crown and points to royalty or nobility, often in a family linked to a ruling lineage. It begins many names in the list, such as Adeyemi, the crown befits me, and Adewale, the crown has come home. Families without royal ties sometimes use it too.

    Why do some Nigerian names describe the day of birth?

    Igbo tradition counts a four-day market week, Eke, Orie, Afor and Nkwo, and many names record the day a child was born. Okafor is a boy born on Afor, Okeke on Eke, Okonkwo on Nkwo and Okoye on Orie. They began as given names and over time became family names.

    Are Briggs and Horsfall really Nigerian names?

    Yes. In the Niger Delta, some Ijaw and Kalabari trading families took English names during centuries of Atlantic trade, and those names became family names. Briggs and Horsfall are now firmly Nigerian and belong to families in Rivers State and nearby areas.

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