You’ll hear a lot of names in Nigeria. I mean, Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups with a wide range of languages. While some names are very common, in different parts of the country, some other names are less popular, thus harder to pronounce.
As a survival technique, many Nigerians with unpopular names modify their names to fit to society’s standards to avoid mispronunciation, and even bullying.
Here are some hilarious Nigerian names and their full meanings.
1. Pat
I’d never heard about this one until I saw this tweet. Forget the nickname, how can you name your child Sympathy? I mean, yes, it’s a great virtue, but what happened to “Love” or “Peace”? Why Sympathy? If my name was Sympathy, I’d probably go round calling myself “Pat” too.
2. Ben
The real name here is “Benevolence”. Let that sink in, Benevolence. Imagine dating someone named Ben and you don’t know his full name is Benevolence until you’re signing your wedding papers. Everything will change.
3. Connie
I shit you not, I have met a Nigerian named Connie. When I asked for her real name, she said, “Consolation.” I want you to take a few moments to think about it. Consolation.
4. Ovy
Ovy sounds nice. But did you know that it’s not every Nigerian you meet bearing Ovy that’s shortening Ovie? Sometimes, the real full name is Overcomer. Ask around.
5. Jamie
Maybe there’s only one Nigerian like this, but I’m happy to have met them. Jamie is a really nice name. But if I told you that the person’s full name was Jemiyotan, would you believe me?
6. Ginika
This one is a bit popular but it still kills me to this day. It’s also really creative because Ginika is such a catchy name. But her real name? Oginikachi.
7. Rotam
I don’t know how to go about this one so I’ll just say it straight: Rotam is short for Chukwurotam.
8. May
I’ve met two Nigerians named May, as in the month of May. They were both born in May and that’s how they got the name. Nice, right? But have you met an Oluwamayowa who also calls themselves May?
9. TG
When you hear the full meaning of TG, you just have to ask questions like, “Why do people think it’s okay to name their child Thank God?”
10. Naga
If your name is Naga, you’re the coolest kid on the block until everyone finds out that it really Osasenaga.
11. Faithful
Faithful doesn’t sound like a nickname, right? Well, not until you realise that the person’s full, government registered first name is Evidence of God’s Faithfulness.
Notable mentions:
- Tio- Tioluwanimi
- Tom- Oluwatomiwa
- Kay- Oluwakayode
- Deja- Adejare
- Ted- Anointed
- Meek- Ayomikun
