Names in Igbo Folk Religion

Many Igbo traditional names, now mostly used as surnames, have deep spiritual meanings. However, many of these names changed when Christianity spread in the early 1900s. This led to the rise of Chi names. In Igbo belief, Chi means a person’s spirit or destiny, but Christian missionaries took it for the Christian God. Because of this, names like Chioma, which originally meant “good chi” or “lucky,” were changed to mean “God is good.” in the past, names were related more to philosophy, dates, and circumstances at birth.

The written record

Historical context

Àlà Names

Ala, also known as Ani, is the Earth Mother in Igbo spirituality, representing fertility, morality, and the earth. Photo: ChiomaWrites.

Names dedicated to the Earth Mother Àlà / Ànà / Ànị̀ are very numerous, emphasising the importance of Àlà in Igbo society as the chief spiritual force on earth after the high God and derivatives. [Interestingly, most ‘Chi’ in names like Chiedozie, Chinyere, Chiemeka, Chijioke, Chika today can be substituted with Ani / Ana / Ala like Aniedozie, Aninyere, Alaemeka, Anijioke, Anika.]

Ànà /Ànị̀ /Àlà /Àlị̀ /Elị̀ – The Earth Mother (deity)

Ájáànà / Ájáàlà (f) – Ala, the earth mother

Ànàzọ́nwụ́ – Ala protects from death

Ànị̀àgolu – Ala has obtained / provided

Ànị̀ẹ̀mẹ́ká – Ala has ‘done’ beyond our wishes

Ànị̀kà – Ala is greater

Ànị̀gèkwú – Ala will speak [for the meek] / carry out her divine will [in our favor], Ala will vindicate her followers, Ala will embarrass detractors

Ànị̀ékwénáńsí (Ekwensi) – Ala protect from poison / witchcraft / evil

Ànị̀èdózíé – Ala has protected, restored, repaired

Ànị̀ẹ̀mẹ́ná – Ala has done it all / answered our wishes

Ànị̀yẹ̀mézè – Ala bestowed leadership on me

Ànị̀chèbé (Achebe) – Ala guard us

Ànàgọ̀zíé – Ala bless us

Ànị̀gbòọ̀gụ̀ – Ala has prevented a fight [Perhaps by the birth of a child, a fight over a woman’s fertility was avoided.]

Ànị̀wètà / Ànị̀wètàlụ̀ – Ala brought [this child]

Ágwụ – The deity of divination

Amádíọ̀hà – Ágbàrà of justice, lord of lightning

Ányánwụ́ – The deity/power of the sun

Chí – Soul, providence

Chíọ́má – Good chí, lucky

Chímà – Chí knows, a resolute compass of providence (chí).

Chíkà – Chí is great, an infallible compass of providence (chí).

Èjìọ̀fọ́ (Ejiofor) (m) – Righteous, wielder of the staff of divine authority/justice (ọ̀fọ́) [ọ̀fọ́ were usually held by male heads of the family obtained from the naturally fallen branches of a special tree and were used as a staff of authority that could be sworn on.]

Èjìogù (m) – Righteous, swearer to the face of divine justice (ógù) [Somebody who is innocent and swears to ógù (íjí ógù) has divine backing over an accuser and an accuser may be harmed (ị́bà ùrè) if their name is called upon.]

Ígwé – The sky deity or leader

Íkéǹgà (m) – The cult figure of the right hand

Ìwúányánwụ́ – The law of the sun (deity)

Kámálụ́ / Kámánụ́ / Kálụ́ / Kánụ́ – Amadioha, ágbàrà of justice, lord of lightening

Ńdígwé – Heavenly descendants, heavens favoured.

Ǹjọ́kụ / Íféjíọ́kụ – Ágbàrà (deity) of yam, agriculture, and fire [who the new yam festival is partly dedicated to.]

Nwágbàrà / Nwágbàlà – Child (devotee) of an Ágbàrà, under divine grace.

Nwányánwụ́ – Child (devotee) of Ányánwụ́

Nwàlà – Child (devotee) of Àlà

Nwádíbìà – Child of a dibia (diviner)

Nwágwụ – Child (devotee) of Ágwụ

Nwáḿụ́ọ́ – Child of a spirit

Nwáǹjọ́kụ / Nwáíféjíọ́kụ́ – Child (devotee) of Ǹjọ́kụ

Nwígwé – Child (devotee) of Ígwé or descendant of a title holder.

Sources and references

1. Encyclopedia.com. (n.d.). Deities of the Igbo religion .
2. MDPI. (n.d.). Shift in Igbo personal naming patterns .
3. Oriire. (n.d.). Deities in Igboland: From myth to culture .
4. Tumblr – Ukpuru. (2017, January 22). Names in Igbo folk religion .
5. ACJOL. (n.d.). Igbo personal names, meanings, and influence of the Christian religion .

Cite this article

Idenze Ezeme. “Names in Igbo Folk Religion.” Ozikoro, 2025. https://ozikoro.com/names-in-igbo-folk-religion/

Discussion

Sign in to join the discussion

Comments are checked by an editor before they appear. Leave a source or a correction and it is read first.

Sign in Create an account

No comments yet

Nothing has been approved on this record yet. Comments are checked by an editor before they appear, so one written now shows on this page after that check.