Western African names include those from Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. See also about African names.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
IrorezifNigerian A feminine Nigerian name. The meaning is loosely translated to "good thoughts". This name could also be a diminutive of the Nigerian name Orezi, meaning "precious".
IyabodefYoruba Yoruba for " mother has returned". When a the first girl child is born after the death of a grandmother, the child is given this name. Iya is the root word,which means mother. Such as Iyaba, wich means Grandmother.
JesuborifYoruba Meaning "Jesus is the winner" or "Jesus overcomes" in Yoruba
Jesumbom & fYoruba It is a Yoruba name,a tribe in South-Western Nigeria which mean "JESUS IS COMING BACK" and in Hebrew Maranatha. It can be beared by both sexes reminding the hearer(s) of the second coming of the Lord Jesus who left this world over two thousand(2000) years ago...
Jilañulof & mJola Means "we have come back" in Jola.
Jilmaf & mDagbani Means "honour, respect" in Dagbani.
Jimof & mYoruba Means "awake child" in Yoruba, derived from jí meaning "wake up; arise" and ọmọ meaning "child". It is also used as diminutive of longer names such as Ajírọ́mọgbé.
Jumokif & mAfrican, Yoruba, Nigerian Jumoki which in Nigerian means "everyone loves the baby". There is a dog on youtube named Moki, which is short for Jumoki.
KagwalafKassena Means "woman who behaves like a slave raider" in Kasem.
Kaitom & fIgbo Means "let us glorify God" in Igbo.
KaitochifIgbo The name originates from the Igbo tribe in the Eastern part of Nigeria, West Africa. It means "let us praise God"; referring to the Christian God.
KallamumHausa Means "word (of God)" in Hausa. This name is closely tied with the name Musa.
KalumIgbo (Rare) Kalu is a shortened name of, or derived from; Kamalu or Kamanu, the deity of thunder. Kamalu is an important deity in the traditional belief system of the people of many subethnic Igbo people (an ethnic group of southeastern Nigeria)... [more]
KambondoomDagbani This is one of the death prevention names among the Dagbamba. When a woman gave birth up to three to four times and each time she give birth the children die. To prevent this names like this is given to a child to prevent it from dying.
Ketugaym & fJola Means "Die till you get tired of it" in Jola. This name is given to an infant who is believed to be a spirit child who has been coming and going between life and death.
KinyafEnglish (Rare), Western African (?) May be a variant of Kenya or a name of Ghanaian origin (uncertain as to which language the name belongs to) in which the meaning is unknown.
KoffimBaoulé Derived from Baoulé fue "Saturday", referring to the day of the week on which the child was born and hence to be understood as "born on Saturday".
Kofoworolam & fYoruba Means "He/She did not buy this wealth with money" in Yoruba, derived from kò meaning "(he/she) didn't", fi meaning "use", owó meaning "money", rà meaning "buy" and ọlá meaning "wealth".
Kokumom & fYoruba Means "he will not die anymore" in Yoruba, typically given to an Abiku child. Abiku are spirits that are believed to enter a pregnant woman and move in a constant cycle of birth, death, and rebirth... [more]
KolamYoruba Means "gathers wealth" in Yoruba, derived from kó meaning "gather" and ọlá meaning "wealth". It is also used as diminutive of Kolawole, Kolade and Kolapo.
KolademYoruba Means "brings lots of wealth" in Yoruba, derived from kó meaning "gather" combined with ọlá meaning "honour, wealth, success, notability" and dé meaning "arrive, return".
KolapomYoruba Means "gather wealth together" in Yoruba.
KolawolemYoruba Means "he brings nobility, wealth, honour, into the house" in Yoruba.
KonanmBaoulé Derived from Baoulé mlan "Wednesday", referring to the day of the week on which the child was born and hence to be understood as "born on Wednesday".
KouadiomBaoulé Derived from Baoulé jɔlɛ "Tuesday", referring to the day of the week on which the child was born and hence to be understood as "born on Tuesday".
KouakoumBaoulé Derived from Baoulé we "Thursday", referring to the day of the week on which the child was born and hence to be understood as "born on Thursday".
KouamémBaoulé Derived from Baoulé mɔnnɛn "Sunday", referring to the day of the week on which the child was born and hence to be understood as "born on Sunday".
KouassimBaoulé Derived from Baoulé kisie "Monday", referring to the day of the week on which the child was born and hence to be understood as "born on Monday".
KpadiamIjaw Meaning unknown. It was the name of an Ijaw king.
MaaouyamWestern African A known bearer is Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (1941-), a Mauritanian military officer who served as the president of Mauritania from 1984-2005.
Mabayojem & fYoruba Means "do not destroy joy" in Yoruba.
MalidomamWestern African According to the Burkinabé writer Malidoma Patrice Somé (1956-2021), his name means "he who befriends the enemy" or "friend of the stranger" in the Dagaare language.
Mansam & fManding, Akan Title for "king" or "ruler", now also used as a name. Can also mean "third daughter" in Twi, which is in the Akan language family.
MansurahfHausa Means "supporter, victorious" in Hausa.
MantaumHausa From the Hausa mântā meaning "forget".
ManthiamWestern African Manthia Diawara (born December 19, 1953) is a Malian writer, filmmaker, scholar, cultural theorist, and art historian. Meaning unknown.
MaÿroumfamSonghai, Western African Meaning unknown. It was the name of an Askia dynasty member of the Dendi Kingdom straddling what are now Benin and Niger.
Megafum & fIgbo Means "do for all to see" in Igbo.
MeissafWestern African, Astronomy Variant of Maïssa; from Arabic maḥīṣ meaning "shining, glittering". This is also the traditional name of Lambda Orionis, a star in the Orion constellation.