African surnames or surnames have deeper meanings than many realize. For this reason you hardly see an African man with a western name as his surname. Names are extremely important on the continent, and as a result, some cultures even have naming ceremonies where families officially name their children in the presence of other people.
Africans attach great importance to their culture and roots or where they came from. In the diaspora of the United States, Britain, France, or elsewhere, a typical African has always returned to his roots. People from the African continent hold on to their culture and tradition. The importance of culture and tradition when choosing a surname in Africa cannot be overstated.
Cultural and religious diversity are striking elements of the African continent. This is seen in a variety of languages of different ethnic groups. You can tell a person’s ethnic group or country by the language they speak. Another way to identify nationality or cultural background is by a person’s last name.
If you delve deeply into various African surnames, you will find that these names are rich in culture and often have a unique meaning that reflects either religious, cultural or sexual affiliation. The origin of these names can be traced from the first tribes on the planet to today’s modern societies. Not only do these names have cultural significance, but they are also blessed by a head of family or by traditional rulers.
African surnames are also expressions that are written and pronounced in the native language for easier understanding. Understanding in the sense that these expressions either tell or represent a proverb, proverb, or story.
African names as a means of cultural identification
As mentioned earlier, a person’s last name in Africa says a lot about their culture and family background. A family’s history can be easily traced from a specific surname. In a country like Nigeria, family members can be easily identified, traced and analyzed if they have a good knowledge of culture and history. A surname like “Balogun” in western Nigeria shows the resilience, determination and strength of the warlords in the olden days. In this case, anyone bearing the surname is identified as a descendant of a warlord.
A more explicit explanation for this is that family names are also the result of people’s actions, characters and achievements. Sometimes they even start out as nicknames given to people for specific reasons, which is then passed down a lineage.
African surnames as a result of family values
Family values are a very important aspect of African society. Values can come in the form of a family way of life, which can be derived from the history of that family. In some cases, relatives or households may want to uphold, maintain, and respect these values and norms. Having lived together, they want above all to uphold these values, which are sometimes written in their surnames. hence the continued use of the surname. This is why some Africans value their surname highly and frown on mispronouncing the names by others who may not fully know the origins.
With Africa being the second largest continent on the planet with a massive population of over 1 billion people, you can expect to find many interesting African surnames. These do not represent any specific country but are carefully chosen as the most common surnames. However, these are just a few surnames in Africa. There are millions of surnames across the continent that tell stories about a tribe, family, family and much more.
Unique list of African surnames
(1) Azikiwe
(2) Chahine
(3) bello
(4) Cisse
(5) Akintola
(6) Okotie-Eboh
(7) Nzeogwu
(8) Onwuatuegwu
(9) Okafor
(10) Content
(11) Okeke
(12) Content
(13) Okaye
(14) Diallo
(15) Obasanjo
(16) Babangida
(17) Buhari
(18) Dimka
(19) tours
(20) Diya
(21) Odili
(22) Ibori
(23) Igbinedione
(24) Alamieyeseigha
(25) Yar’Adua
(26) Asari Dokubo
(27) Jalloh
(28) Anikulapo-Kuti
(29) Iwu
(30) Anenih
(31) Mensah
(32) Biobaku
(33) Tinibu
(34) Sesay
(35) Akinyemi
(36) Akiloye
(37) Adeyemi
(38) Adesida
(39) Omehia
(40) Sekibo
(41) Amaechi
(42) bankole
(43) Nnamani
(44) Turay
(45) Okadigbo
(46) Yeboah
(47) Ojukwu
(48) Danjuma
(49) Effiong
(50) Akpabio
Common African Surnames
(51) Attah
(52) Chukwumereije
(53) Fofana
(54) Iweala
(55) Osei
(56) Ezekwesili
(57) Keita
(58) Soyinka
(59) Solarin
(60) Gbadamosi
(61) Olanrewayu
(62) Magoro
(63) Madaki
(64) Jan
(65) Oyinlola
(66) Oyenusi
(67) Sow
(68) Onwudiwe
(70) Jakande
(71) Healthy
(72) Igwe
(73) Sylla
(74) Obi
(75) Gueye
(76) Uba
(77) Kalu
(78) Orji
(79) Ohakim
(80) Egwu
(81) Adesina
(82) Traore
(83) Falana
84. Fagbure
(85) Yeah yeah
(86) Okilo
(87) Okiro
(88) Balogun
(89) Alakia
(90) Akenzua
(91) Akerele
(92) Ademola
(93) Onobanjo
(94) Aguda
(95) Okpara
(96) Mbanefo
(97) Kone
(98) Boro
(99) Ekwensi
(100) Sal
(101) Sarr