Nigerian Last Names
Nigerian last names are a map of the country. A Yoruba surname can tell you about royal ancestors or a chieftaincy title, an Igbo surname may record the market day an ancestor was born, and a Hausa family name is often simply a grandfather’s first name. This guide explains 100+ Nigerian last names with their meanings and the group they come from.
Because many Nigerian surnames started life as given names, you’ll recognize plenty of them from our Nigerian boy names list. For the bigger picture, visit the Nigerian names hub or compare with African last names from other countries.
Most common Nigerian last names
Muslim names dominate the top of Nigeria’s surname counts because many northern families use a father’s or grandfather’s first name as the family name. These are among the surnames you’ll meet most often across the country.
| Surname | Meaning | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammed | Praised; the name of the Prophet | Hausa / Fulani (Arabic origin) |
| Abubakar | Name of the first caliph | Hausa / Fulani (Arabic origin) |
| Ibrahim | Abraham, “father of many” | Hausa / Fulani (Arabic origin) |
| Musa | Moses | Hausa (Arabic origin) |
| Bello | Helper; also a famous Sokoto dynasty name | Hausa / Fulani |
| Adamu | Adam, “earth, man” | Hausa (Arabic origin) |
| Okafor | Male born on Afọ market day | Igbo |
| Okeke | Male born on Eke market day | Igbo |
| Eze | King | Igbo |
| Adeyemi | The crown suits me | Yoruba |
Yoruba last names
Yoruba surnames often reveal a family’s history. Ade- points to royal lineage, Ogun- to a family that honored Ogun (the deity of iron), Fa-/Ifa- to Ifá divination, and Oye- to a chieftaincy title. Many families switched Ogun- or Fa- prefixes to Olu- (God) after converting to Christianity or Islam.
| Surname | Meaning | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Adebayo | The crown meets joy | Yoruba |
| Ogunleye | Ogun has honor | Yoruba |
| Ogunbiyi | Ogun gave birth to this one | Yoruba |
| Adeleke | The crown triumphs | Yoruba |
| Afolabi | Born into wealth | Yoruba |
| Olawale | Wealth has come home | Yoruba |
| Ogundipe | Ogun has become consolation | Yoruba |
| Oyewole | The title has come into the house | Yoruba |
| Akande | The brave one has come | Yoruba |
| Fashola | Ifá creates wealth | Yoruba |
| Adeniyi | The crown has honor | Yoruba |
| Ayodeji | Joy has doubled | Yoruba |
| Babalola | Father is wealth | Yoruba |
| Olanrewaju | Wealth is moving forward | Yoruba |
| Adeniran | The crown has a lineage | Yoruba |
| Akinola | Bravery and wealth | Yoruba |
| Oladipo | Wealth has multiplied | Yoruba |
| Oyelaran | The title passes down the lineage | Yoruba |
| Ogunbanjo | Ogun fights with me | Yoruba |
| Balogun | War general (a Yoruba military title) | Yoruba |
| Ojo | Boy born with the umbilical cord around his neck | Yoruba |
| Ajayi | Child born face down | Yoruba |
| Adewale | The crown has come home | Yoruba |
| Oyinlola | Honey of wealth | Yoruba |
| Ogunsanya | Ogun has repaid me | Yoruba |
| Adesanya | The crown repays me | Yoruba |
| Olatunji | Wealth has awoken again | Yoruba |
| Adekunle | The crown fills the house | Yoruba |
| Ogunlana | Ogun opens the way | Yoruba |
| Oyelowo | The title is honorable | Yoruba |
| Akintola | Bravery is worth wealth | Yoruba |
| Alabi | Traditionally, a child born after several of the opposite sex | Yoruba |
Igbo last names
Igbo surnames are often former first names. A big group comes from the four-day Igbo market week (Eke, Orie, Afọ, Nkwọ): Oka-/Oko- marks a male and Nwa- a child born on that day, so Okonkwo is “male born on Nkwọ.”
| Surname | Meaning | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Okonkwo | Male born on Nkwọ market day | Igbo |
| Okoro | Male born on Orie market day | Igbo |
| Okorie | Male born on Orie market day | Igbo |
| Okoye | Male born on Oye (Orie) market day | Igbo |
| Nwankwo | Child born on Nkwọ market day | Igbo |
| Nwafor | Child born on Afọ market day | Igbo |
| Nweke | Child born on Eke market day | Igbo |
| Nwoye | Child born on Oye (Orie) market day | Igbo |
| Nwachukwu | Child of God | Igbo |
| Obi | Heart; also the family homestead | Igbo |
| Chukwu | God | Igbo |
| Onyeka | Who is greater (than God)? | Igbo |
| Uzor | Road, way | Igbo |
| Onuoha | Voice of the people | Igbo |
| Anyanwu | The sun | Igbo |
| Ekwueme | One who says and does | Igbo |
| Ezeani | King of the land | Igbo |
| Ugwu | Hill; honor | Igbo |
| Agu | Leopard | Igbo |
| Chukwuma | God knows | Igbo |
| Okpara | First son | Igbo |
| Iwu | Law | Igbo |
| Achebe | From a phrase meaning “may (God) protect” | Igbo |
| Obiora | Heart of the people | Igbo |
| Nnamdi | My father is alive | Igbo |
| Ibekwe | Kinsmen agree | Igbo |
| Ogbonna | Namesake of the father | Igbo |
| Onwuka | Death is supreme | Igbo |
Hausa and Fulani last names
Formal surnames came late to northern Nigeria. Most families use a patronym, a father’s given name, which is why you see the same names as first names and last names. For their meanings in Arabic, see Arabic last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Sani | From Arabic Thani, “the second” | Hausa |
| Danjuma | Boy born on a Friday | Hausa |
| Yusuf | Joseph, “God increases” | Hausa / Fulani |
| Umar | Long-lived, flourishing | Hausa / Fulani |
| Aliyu | Hausa form of Ali, “exalted” | Hausa / Fulani |
| Garba | Strong, big | Hausa |
| Lawal | From Arabic al-Awwal, “the first” | Hausa |
| Usman | Hausa form of Uthman, the third caliph | Hausa / Fulani |
| Bala | Traditional Hausa name | Hausa |
| Suleiman | Solomon, “peace” | Hausa |
| Abdullahi | Servant of God | Hausa / Fulani |
| Tijani | From the Tijaniyya Sufi order | Hausa |
| Danladi | Boy born on a Sunday | Hausa |
| Yakubu | Jacob | Hausa |
| Dikko | Traditional Katsina family name | Hausa / Fulani |
Last names from Edo, Delta and the south-south
The Niger Delta and Cross River regions have dozens of languages. In Edo names Osa means God; many Efik and Ibibio surnames were originally given names.
| Surname | Meaning | Group |
|---|---|---|
| Osagie | Commonly “God agreed” | Edo |
| Omoregie | Commonly “child of the king” | Edo |
| Osayande | God owns the world | Edo |
| Aigbe | Traditional Edo name | Edo |
| Iyamu | Traditional Edo name | Edo |
| Oghene | God | Urhobo |
| Ovie | King | Urhobo |
| Efe | Wealth | Urhobo |
| Bassey | From Abasi, “God” | Efik |
| Effiong | Traditional Efik given name | Efik |
| Etim | Traditional Efik given name | Efik |
| Edet | Traditional Efik-Ibibio given name | Efik-Ibibio |
| Okon | Traditional Efik-Ibibio given name | Efik-Ibibio |
| Asuquo | Traditional Efik given name | Efik |
| Akpan | First son | Ibibio |
| Udoh | Traditional Ibibio given name | Ibibio |
How to research a Nigerian surname
- Identify the language first. Prefixes like Ade-, Olu- and Ogun- are Yoruba; Nwa-, Oka- and Chi- are Igbo. That tells you which dictionary and elders to ask.
- Ask about the family’s original name. Many families changed prefixes after religious conversion (Ogunbiyi to Olubiyi, for example), so older records may use a different form.
- Remember that surnames can be recent. In the north especially, a family name may go back only one or two generations, to a father’s or grandfather’s first name.
- Check the hometown. Nigerians often identify strongly with an ancestral town, which can matter as much as the surname in tracing family history.
- Compare with other lists. Our last names section and most common last names show how naming patterns differ around the world.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common last name in Nigeria?
Muslim patronymic surnames such as Mohammed, Abubakar, Ibrahim and Musa are the most frequent nationally, while Okafor, Okeke and Eze are among the most common Igbo surnames and Adeyemi and Adebayo among Yoruba ones.
What does Okonkwo mean?
Okonkwo is Igbo for “a male born on Nkwọ day,” one of the four days of the traditional Igbo market week. It’s also the hero’s name in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
How can you tell if a Nigerian surname is Yoruba or Igbo?
Yoruba surnames often start with Ade-, Ola-, Olu-, Ogun-, Oye- or Akin-. Igbo surnames often contain Chukwu/Chi (God), Nwa- (child), Oka-/Oko- (male) or Eze (king).
Why do so many Nigerian last names mean God?
Religion is central to Nigerian life. Names like Nwachukwu (child of God), Bassey (from Abasi, God) and Oghene carry a family’s faith across generations.