Famous Names

Yorùbá names always have deep meanings, often telling a story of the circumstances surrounding the child’s birth or the family in which the child is born.

Here are some examples of Yorùbá names and their meanings:

Here are some famous people with Yoruba names. Read the information and then try the quiz to see if you can match the name to the fame.

Ṣadé Adú
Lead vocalist of the Grammy Award-winning group, Sade. This songwriter, composer and record producer is noted for her soulful smoky contralto voice.

David Òyélọ́wọ̀
Best known for playing agent Danny Hunter in the British TV drama series ‘Spooks’ (known in North America as MI-5)

Abíọ́dún Òyépìtàn
Has won several medals (gold, silver, bronze) in Athletics Championships all over the world for individual races and as part of the British Relay team

Adéwálé Akínnùóyè-Agbájé
Played ‘Nykwane Wombosi’ in ‘The Bourne Identity’ and popularly known as ‘Mr. Eko’ on ABC’s survivor drama ‘Lost’  

Fẹ́mi Ọ̀kẹ́
Weather anchor for CNN International’s World Weather Service. At 14 years old, she was a junior reporter for the UK’s first talk radio station LBC

Adé Adépìtàn
A familiar face on BBC Television, the efforts of this wheelchair basketball ace are known to have been crucial to Great Britain’s Bronze won at the Athens Paralympic Games in 2004

Ẹniọlá Àlùkò
Aged just 14, she scored on her Birmingham team debut. A member of the England squad at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup and currently plays for Chelsea Ladies

Wọlé Ṣóyínká
Nobel Laureate, winning the coveted Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986. He is considered Africa’s most distinguished playwright

Try this quiz