MUST READ FOR EVERY YORUBA!

ORÚKỌ, ORÍIKÌ AND ORÍLẸ̀: THE UNIQUE GENIUS OF THE YORUBAS IN HUMAN NOMENCLATURE



Just recently, I was discussing with an adult Yoruba man and I asked him what is the Orílẹ̀ of his family so that I could tell him where his family originated from. But surprisingly, not only that he did not know his family’s Orílẹ̀ but it would seem he has not even heard the word Orílẹ̀ before. When I asked him what is Oríkì is, it took him about five minutes before he could remember.

This would have been understandable if he had been a man born of a Yoruba father and a Briton or American mother who has never been in Yoruba-land in his life. But this is a man born of two Yoruba parents, and who has lived all his life in Ibadan.
It is this that then prompted me to put down these few words as a matter of urgency so that the heritage of our ancestors would not die out.
If this present trend continues, I wonder if in the next 50 years any Yoruba person would know what an Oríkì is, not to talk of what an Orílẹ̀ is.

Where I grew up, we have a saying which goes as follows:-
Àìríse ní í mú onílù lọ sí Gaa, se Fulani lórúkọ ni, abi o lóríkì which when translated goes as follows:
It is lack that makes a drummer praise-singer to go to Gaa ( a place where Fulanis live), does a Fulani have a name (that can be praised) or an Oríkì (that can be recited).
We also have a saying which goes thus:
Èmi o ni ki Gambari má sun rárà, kó sá ti mà kì’ran àn mi which when translated goes as follows:
I do not forbid a Hausa praise singer to sing praises, so long as he does not sing the praises of my family.

I included these sayings not in order to promote or assert the racial superiority of the Yorubas above other nationalities in Nigeria, but to show forth the fact that the Yorubas are aware that they themselves are the only race in the world which has a name (Orúkọ), an Oríkì ( a cognomen) and an Orílẹ̀ ( a totem).
No other tribe or race in the entire world has this three-fold nomenclature, and it is something that is worth preserving by us as it is one of the things that make us unique and set us apart.

In fact if the Yoruba system of nomenclature had been a tangible object it would have been something that the UNESCO. would have preserved as a World Heritage because it is the only one of its kind in the whole wide world.

Now ask the person next to you, if he is a Yoruba person, "Do you know your name, your Oríkì and your Orílẹ̀". If he knows the three give him ten over ten; if he knows only the first two give him four over ten; but if he knows only his name give him zero.

In ancient times, the Yorubas did not use to bear their father’s name or grandfather’s name as their surname as is the case now.
Each individual was known by their personal name (the Orúkọ) his cognomen (the Oríkì) and his totem (the Orílẹ̀ )
The current system that is now prevalent of an individual being recognised by his name and his surname came into Yorubaland through our adoption of the British System of nomenclature when being registered for school.
Up till now if you meet a pure Yoruba of the “un-educated” type and ask him his name, what he will tell you is his personal name and Oríkì. It is only if you press him for his surname that he would now tell you his father’s name.

Now to our matter; Orúkọ is the personal name of a Yoruba person his Oríkì is his attributive or cognomen, while his Orílẹ̀ is the totem of his family.
For an illustration, under the Yoruba System of nomenclature, the full names for the purpose of identification of the writer of this article will be Ayodele Àjàó Ìjí.

Ayodele being my personal name (Orúkọ), Ajao being my cognomen (Oríkì) and Ìjí being the totem of my family on my father’s side.

The Totem, Orílẹ̀ : there are many Orílẹ̀s in Yorubaland. The Orílẹ̀s denote the original family stock from which an individual descended. It is a means whereby the pedigree of an individual may be traced. From your Orílẹ̀ you can know where your forefathers originated from. For an instance I am from Ibadan; my forefathers in the recent past were from Oyo-Ile; they vacated Oyo-Ile and came to Ibadan when Oyo-Ile was deserted for fear of invasion by the Fulanis. However from our totem Ìjí, I understood (though no one ever told me the story) that we were descended from the Onigbeti, which shows that originally we were from Igbeti. This is because Ìjí is the totem of the Onigbeti.
Other totems in Yorubaland and some known persons from that totem are:

Òpó (post) :- This is the totem of a noble Oyo family. This shows that people having this totem are originally from Oyo-Ile. A popular family belonging to this family is the family of the Emir of Ilorin family. Though they are Fulani on their father (Alimi)’s side; the family adopted the totem of their mother, a Yoruba-woman who though being Alimi’s second wife produced the first two sons of Alimi, and her lineage had been producing the Emirs of Ilorin to the exclusion of the sons of the Fulani wife who was the first wife ever since.

Ìjí:- This is the Totem of the Onígbẹti. People having this Totem are originally from Igbẹti, the totem being that of the Onigbeti. A popular family bearing this totem is the family of Adegoke Adelabu (Penkelemesi) of Oke-Oluokun Area, Ibadan.

Ẹ̀lọ́:- This is the totem of the Ẹlẹ́rìn. People bearing this totem are originally from Ẹ̀rìn-Ilé, it being the Totem of the Ẹlẹ́rìn. The families of the Ẹlẹ́rìn of Ẹ̀rìn-Ilé in Kwara State and the Ẹlẹ́rìn of Erin-Osun in Osun State are some of the families bearing this totem.

Àró:- This is the Totem of the Aare Latoosa family of Ibadan who was the last Aareona Kakanfo of Yorubaland to fight a war. The last two Aareona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, namely Akintola of Ogbomosho and Abiola of Abeokuta were merely ceremonial as they were appointed after the war-era in Yorubaland, even though they also managed one way or the other to die in battle as is customary for anyone bearing that title.

Ọ̀gọ̀:- This is the Totem of some Ijesha families. People bearing this totem are originally from Ijeshaland. Prince Sunday Adegeye (King Sunny Ade) is one popular person I know bearing this totem, so originally his family must have come from Ijeshaland, even though he now claims Ondo as his place of origin.

Ògún:- This is the Totem of the family of the Bashorun of Oyo-Ile; however Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu whose mother was of the Bashorun of Oyo family adopted the totem of his mother (the Bashoruns of Oyo being then in the ascendant during the reign of Bashorun Gaa) and since then this totem has also been the totem of all descendants of all Alaafins of Oyo from Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu downward. The ruling families of Oyo who are now exclusively of Alaafin Atiba lineage and the families of the Bashoruns of Oyo are some of the families bearing this totem. So anyone bearing this totem is either from Alaafin of Oyo or Bashorun of Oyo families.

Erin:- This is anciently the totem of the old lines of Alaafins before Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu. All the families bearing this totem descended from the old lines of Alafins of Oyo before Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu. So anyone bearing this totem is from the old lines of Alaafin of Oyo.

Okin:- This is the totem of the Olofa of Ofa and the Oloro of Oro both now in Kwara State. The royal families of Olofa and Oloro are the popular families bearing this totem. Anyone bearing this totem descended from either of these two families.

Ade:- This is the totem of the Onikoyi. Anyone bearing this totem is originally from Ikoyi, one of the principal towns in the Ekun Osi Province of old Oyo. The status of the family is now greatly reduced and the family carries on their existence in a town of that name in Osun State. Anyone bearing the totem is originally from Ikoyi of the Ekun Osi Province of old Oyo and I believe though I am not sure that the Onikoyi family of Lagos is a scion of this noble family.

Ẹ̀rí:- This is the totem of the Oloyan. Anyone bearing this totem is originally from Oyan in Osun State. The royal family of Oloyan are the popular people bearing this totem.
Other totems are

Ìkọ́:- the Totem of the Olokunesin family of Oyo. It is the official duty of the title-bearer of this family to hold the reins of the horse of the Alaafin whenever he wants to mount or dismount from his horse and it used also to be his priviledge to die with a dead Alaafin, to go with him to the great beyond to continue to hold his horse for him. However this practice died out when after the death of Alaafin Ladigbolu 1, the Colonial Government prevented the then Olokunesin from being compelled to die with the dead Alaafin, Ladigbolu, even though the then Olokunesin was still made to die mysteriously. Anyone bearing this totem is from the family of Olokunesin of Oyo.

Baba Rev. Samuel Johnson (Àyìnlá-Ògún) the then CMS Pastor of Oyo in his book History of the Yorubas (first published in 1897) also identified other totems as being Edu, Ojo, Agbo, Ekan, and Oge. I don’t know anything about these totems and so I will not be able to expatiate on them.

I know it is not everyone that is intrested in things like this, but for those who like me, have an obsessive interest in knowing the origin and true meaning of things and the lores of Yoruba land, I commend this post.

By: Daniel Ayodele Adeniran Àjàó-Iji

Wow. Can you give some details about the ondo people?

Op, Lakaye re oni poora

Wow. Nice to know. Mine is -
Adepeju Ajoke Iji.
porud to be Omo Yoruba.

I love this, very informative.

My Oruko is Aminu, Oriki is Akanbi, Orile is Erin.

I am Abiodun Akanmu iji omo oloye, eni a bi loye loye npa, oye kii PA ara Igbeti aso olowo nlanla ni won fi n bora nile baba to bi won lomo.

.

This is one of the best right-up on Nairaland in recent times.

A typical Yoruba man/woman that knows his/her oriki can never have inferiority complex. Such a soul will always be an achiever. My grandmother do use the Oriki/orile to wake us up when I was a child. The day I understood the meaning of these Orikis/Orile, both for my hometown, my family and my house/compound, was the very day I knew the true son of who I am, the day of self realization and full acceptance. Oriki has a way of nurturing my confidence as I did come to realization about my ancestors' expeditions, achievements.

Those Oriki have ways of bringing out the confidence in me. I am even trying to educate my children, even on foreign soil, so they will know who their ancestors were and what they'd achieved in the past so that no one, I mean no one will ever look down on them. The Orile, Oriki, helps nurture my confidence even while living abroad.

I read this a million times. This literally made my day. I am impressed.

@ ayodeleadeniran,

I stumbled on this thread and find it very instructive and riddled with befitting information. Thus, I appreciate this unique idea of yours that uphold Yoruba's identity, which we all taken with levity.



God bless you.
Cheers.

MayorofLagos:
I love this, very informative.

My Oruko is Aminu, Oriki is Akanbi, Orile is Erin.

Sir, does this mean your are a descendant of a royalty from Oyo prior Alafin Adegoolu?

ayodeleadeniran:


MUST READ FOR EVERY YORUBA!

ORÚKỌ, ORÍIKÌ AND ORÍLẸ̀: THE UNIQUE GENIUS OF THE YORUBAS IN HUMAN NOMENCLATURE



Just recently, I was discussing with an adult Yoruba man and I asked him what is the Orílẹ̀ of his family so that I could tell him where his family originated from. But surprisingly, not only that he did not know his family’s Orílẹ̀ but it would seem he has not even heard the word Orílẹ̀ before. When I asked him what is Oríkì is, it took him about five minutes before he could remember.

This would have been understandable if he had been a man born of a Yoruba father and a Briton or American mother who has never been in Yoruba-land in his life. But this is a man born of two Yoruba parents, and who has lived all his life in Ibadan.
It is this that then prompted me to put down these few words as a matter of urgency so that the heritage of our ancestors would not die out.
If this present trend continues, I wonder if in the next 50 years any Yoruba person would know what an Oríkì is, not to talk of what an Orílẹ̀ is.

Where I grew up, we have a saying which goes as follows:-
Àìríse ní í mú onílù lọ sí Gaa, se Fulani lórúkọ ni, abi o lóríkì which when translated goes as follows:
It is lack that makes a drummer praise-singer to go to Gaa ( a place where Fulanis live), does a Fulani have a name (that can be praised) or an Oríkì (that can be recited).
We also have a saying which goes thus:
Èmi o ni ki Gambari má sun rárà, kó sá ti mà kì’ran àn mi which when translated goes as follows:
I do not forbid a Hausa praise singer to sing praises, so long as he does not sing the praises of my family.

I included these sayings not in order to promote or assert the racial superiority of the Yorubas above other nationalities in Nigeria, but to show forth the fact that the Yorubas are aware that they themselves are the only race in the world which has a name (Orúkọ), an Oríkì ( a cognomen) and an Orílẹ̀ ( a totem).
No other tribe or race in the entire world has this three-fold nomenclature, and it is something that is worth preserving by us as it is one of the things that make us unique and set us apart.

In fact if the Yoruba system of nomenclature had been a tangible object it would have been something that the UNESCO. would have preserved as a World Heritage because it is the only one of its kind in the whole wide world.

Now ask the person next to you, if he is a Yoruba person, "Do you know your name, your Oríkì and your Orílẹ̀". If he knows the three give him ten over ten; if he knows only the first two give him four over ten; but if he knows only his name give him zero.

In ancient times, the Yorubas did not use to bear their father’s name or grandfather’s name as their surname as is the case now.
Each individual was known by their personal name (the Orúkọ) his cognomen (the Oríkì) and his totem (the Orílẹ̀ )
The current system that is now prevalent of an individual being recognised by his name and his surname came into Yorubaland through our adoption of the British System of nomenclature when being registered for school.
Up till now if you meet a pure Yoruba of the “un-educated” type and ask him his name, what he will tell you is his personal name and Oríkì. It is only if you press him for his surname that he would now tell you his father’s name.

Now to our matter; Orúkọ is the personal name of a Yoruba person his Oríkì is his attributive or cognomen, while his Orílẹ̀ is the totem of his family.
For an illustration, under the Yoruba System of nomenclature, the full names for the purpose of identification of the writer of this article will be Ayodele Àjàó Ìjí.

Ayodele being my personal name (Orúkọ), Ajao being my cognomen (Oríkì) and Ìjí being the totem of my family on my father’s side.

The Totem, Orílẹ̀ : there are many Orílẹ̀s in Yorubaland. The Orílẹ̀s denote the original family stock from which an individual descended. It is a means whereby the pedigree of an individual may be traced. From your Orílẹ̀ you can know where your forefathers originated from. For an instance I am from Ibadan; my forefathers in the recent past were from Oyo-Ile; they vacated Oyo-Ile and came to Ibadan when Oyo-Ile was deserted for fear of invasion by the Fulanis. However from our totem Ìjí, I understood (though no one ever told me the story) that we were descended from the Onigbeti, which shows that originally we were from Igbeti. This is because Ìjí is the totem of the Onigbeti.
Other totems in Yorubaland and some known persons from that totem are:

Òpó (post) :- This is the totem of a noble Oyo family. This shows that people having this totem are originally from Oyo-Ile. A popular family belonging to this family is the family of the Emir of Ilorin family. Though they are Fulani on their father (Alimi)’s side; the family adopted the totem of their mother, a Yoruba-woman who though being Alimi’s second wife produced the first two sons of Alimi, and her lineage had been producing the Emirs of Ilorin to the exclusion of the sons of the Fulani wife who was the first wife ever since.

Ìjí:- This is the Totem of the Onígbẹti. People having this Totem are originally from Igbẹti, the totem being that of the Onigbeti. A popular family bearing this totem is the family of Adegoke Adelabu (Penkelemesi) of Oke-Oluokun Area, Ibadan.

Ẹ̀lọ́:- This is the totem of the Ẹlẹ́rìn. People bearing this totem are originally from Ẹ̀rìn-Ilé, it being the Totem of the Ẹlẹ́rìn. The families of the Ẹlẹ́rìn of Ẹ̀rìn-Ilé in Kwara State and the Ẹlẹ́rìn of Erin-Osun in Osun State are some of the families bearing this totem.

Àró:- This is the Totem of the Aare Latoosa family of Ibadan who was the last Aareona Kakanfo of Yorubaland to fight a war. The last two Aareona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, namely Akintola of Ogbomosho and Abiola of Abeokuta were merely ceremonial as they were appointed after the war-era in Yorubaland, even though they also managed one way or the other to die in battle as is customary for anyone bearing that title.

Ọ̀gọ̀:- This is the Totem of some Ijesha families. People bearing this totem are originally from Ijeshaland. Prince Sunday Adegeye (King Sunny Ade) is one popular person I know bearing this totem, so originally his family must have come from Ijeshaland, even though he now claims Ondo as his place of origin.

Ògún:- This is the Totem of the family of the Bashorun of Oyo-Ile; however Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu whose mother was of the Bashorun of Oyo family adopted the totem of his mother (the Bashoruns of Oyo being then in the ascendant during the reign of Bashorun Gaa) and since then this totem has also been the totem of all descendants of all Alaafins of Oyo from Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu downward. The ruling families of Oyo who are now exclusively of Alaafin Atiba lineage and the families of the Bashoruns of Oyo are some of the families bearing this totem. So anyone bearing this totem is either from Alaafin of Oyo or Bashorun of Oyo families.

Erin:- This is anciently the totem of the old lines of Alaafins before Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu. All the families bearing this totem descended from the old lines of Alafins of Oyo before Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu. So anyone bearing this totem is from the old lines of Alaafin of Oyo.

Okin:- This is the totem of the Olofa of Ofa and the Oloro of Oro both now in Kwara State. The royal families of Olofa and Oloro are the popular families bearing this totem. Anyone bearing this totem descended from either of these two families.

Ade:- This is the totem of the Onikoyi. Anyone bearing this totem is originally from Ikoyi, one of the principal towns in the Ekun Osi Province of old Oyo. The status of the family is now greatly reduced and the family carries on their existence in a town of that name in Osun State. Anyone bearing the totem is originally from Ikoyi of the Ekun Osi Province of old Oyo and I believe though I am not sure that the Onikoyi family of Lagos is a scion of this noble family.

Ẹ̀rí:- This is the totem of the Oloyan. Anyone bearing this totem is originally from Oyan in Osun State. The royal family of Oloyan are the popular people bearing this totem.
Other totems are

Ìkọ́:- the Totem of the Olokunesin family of Oyo. It is the official duty of the title-bearer of this family to hold the reins of the horse of the Alaafin whenever he wants to mount or dismount from his horse and it used also to be his priviledge to die with a dead Alaafin, to go with him to the great beyond to continue to hold his horse for him. However this practice died out when after the death of Alaafin Ladigbolu 1, the Colonial Government prevented the then Olokunesin from being compelled to die with the dead Alaafin, Ladigbolu, even though the then Olokunesin was still made to die mysteriously. Anyone bearing this totem is from the family of Olokunesin of Oyo.

Baba Rev. Samuel Johnson (Àyìnlá-Ògún) the then CMS Pastor of Oyo in his book History of the Yorubas (first published in 1897) also identified other totems as being Edu, Ojo, Agbo, Ekan, and Oge. I don’t know anything about these totems and so I will not be able to expatiate on them.

I know it is not everyone that is intrested in things like this, but for those who like me, have an obsessive interest in knowing the origin and true meaning of things and the lores of Yoruba land, I commend this post.

By: Daniel Ayodele Adeniran Àjàó-Iji

Nice article but the emir of ilorin is gambari going by the name and not Fulani at all

This article is one one of the best articles I have read lately. Apart from the fact that it helps clarify the difference between oriki and orile (I always took both as the same) it gives me that rare avenue to know my own source. Now I know why grand mother when praising me will say Amoo Okin, omo olofa mojo...


Please help me with the praises of the Okins (Okin olofa in particular).

untamedd:
I know this post is old but I love it. I've always been curious about my origin, who my ancestors were and what they did. I'm Yoruba and I love my culture even though I don't know so much about it. I always try to learn though, I mean it's 5:28 am in Lagos, Nigeria and I'm on Google for the culture. I follow the hashtag #yoruba on Instagram and it's mostly Brazilians posting about Yoruba deities, they practice Yoruba as a religion.

I am from Igbeti, my oriki is Ajoke and my orile is Iyan (Famine). I'm not sure why it isn't Iji (Lol). I grew up as a very curious child, I always wanted to know everything, our culture fascinates me and I'm constantly trying to get in the know ( even though I don't think I know so much still).
I disturbed my father till he taught me my oriki orile (panegyric compendium)
and I even translated it to English. This oriki orile made me know the names of some of my forefathers and I also heard my Great grandfather was an ifa priest.

Here is my Oriki orile (as far as I can remember)

Ajoke Iyan
Omo iyan o paja keni ma lelubo nle
Biaku aji besin
Egun o gbemi, N o relu abisi
Ibi omi won ju oti lo
Omo arinu gboye, Omo arira efon
Abi won lekun o dun won
Abi won sola, won ro la yan, won ro la yan
Salu Kalo, Salu gbegun sawo...

My father didn't teach me the rest then, he said they were vulgar words. Pardon my Yoruba spellings, I'll do a translation.

Ajoke Iyan
- Regardless of Famine in the markets, the house is fully stocked with elubo( yam flour-food)
- Biaku wakes up to find a horse(in his courtyard)- Biaku is one of my forefathers, he was a great warrior- so feared that people did not want to go to war with him and in order to appease him, they leave a horse in his courtyard overnight �
- I'm not doing very well in Egun, I will go back to my motherland (Igbeti)
- Where wine is cheaper than water
- ( I can't translate this line verbatim but it's some sort of praise)
- They are born as Tigers, others are pained
- They are born in wealth, they take pride in wealth, they take pride in wealth.
- Salu Kalo (maybe Salu went) Salu lived in Egun as a Native doctor (Awo). Salu is also one of my forefathers.

My grandfather was a Christian.

I'm not sure the point of this update but it feels good. I'm Ajoke Iyan of agbo-ile Seriki, Igbeti. The last time I was in Igbeti was the year 2002, I was 10 years old.

This is great, you can never suffer from inferiority complex, for you know who you are...

This is where the generation of our fathers have failed woefully. They were brainwashed and never bothered to pass those panegyrics down to the children and hence many are suffering from inferiority complex both home and abroad cause they lost touch with who they are....

I need to know more about the aro orile.

Pls I need oriki for aresa from ilobu in OSUN state.

ibrahimed:
Pls I need oriki for aresa from ilobu in OSUN state.

You can always travel down to Ilobu. Psy a visit to the palace and I'm positive you will get someone that will give you more detailed and correct panegyric.

Whatever you ll get her on NL could be a diluted one.

This is interesting. My family is obsessed with naming in a particular pattern and I see an Orile that matches one of my ancestors. For instance if we want to name a child, we must name them Erin-folami or use the orile as a pretext. This makes sense now. I don’t know my orile but I know my ancestral family. The women in my family are named with the Orile of the maternal arm from my father’s ancestors. While the men are named with another pretext which I now suspect is an Orile. But that one is not mentioned here.

I must ask the elderly people in my family next time.

These Orile also sound like royal family sigils. Correct? This is quite an interesting thread and I enjoyed it. Yoruba truly have a unique culture. All European and Asian royal families also have a sigil

2mch:
These Orile also sound like royal family sigils. Correct? This is quite an interesting thread and I enjoyed it. Yoruba truly have a unique culture. All European and Asian royal families also have a sigil

Although it contains for royals but in Yoruba it generally is for pioneers - kings, priests, warriors, courtiers, hunters, sculptors, smiths, and so on...

I dont think we update them anymore but someone like Awolowo would have been immortalized either as a saint or a deity if he lived and accomplished back when Orikis and Oriles were updated.

OP, UN keeps both tangible and intangible preservations. IFA is preserved under intangible knowledge. This could be too if pushed by scholars in that field of history and literature.

ayodeleadeniran:


MUST READ FOR EVERY YORUBA!

ORÚKỌ, ORÍIKÌ AND ORÍLẸ̀: THE UNIQUE GENIUS OF THE YORUBAS IN HUMAN NOMENCLATURE



Just recently, I was discussing with an adult Yoruba man and I asked him what is the Orílẹ̀ of his family so that I could tell him where his family originated from. But surprisingly, not only that he did not know his family’s Orílẹ̀ but it would seem he has not even heard the word Orílẹ̀ before. When I asked him what is Oríkì is, it took him about five minutes before he could remember.

This would have been understandable if he had been a man born of a Yoruba father and a Briton or American mother who has never been in Yoruba-land in his life. But this is a man born of two Yoruba parents, and who has lived all his life in Ibadan.
It is this that then prompted me to put down these few words as a matter of urgency so that the heritage of our ancestors would not die out.
If this present trend continues, I wonder if in the next 50 years any Yoruba person would know what an Oríkì is, not to talk of what an Orílẹ̀ is.

Where I grew up, we have a saying which goes as follows:-
Àìríse ní í mú onílù lọ sí Gaa, se Fulani lórúkọ ni, abi o lóríkì which when translated goes as follows:
It is lack that makes a drummer praise-singer to go to Gaa ( a place where Fulanis live), does a Fulani have a name (that can be praised) or an Oríkì (that can be recited).
We also have a saying which goes thus:
Èmi o ni ki Gambari má sun rárà, kó sá ti mà kì’ran àn mi which when translated goes as follows:
I do not forbid a Hausa praise singer to sing praises, so long as he does not sing the praises of my family.

I included these sayings not in order to promote or assert the racial superiority of the Yorubas above other nationalities in Nigeria, but to show forth the fact that the Yorubas are aware that they themselves are the only race in the world which has a name (Orúkọ), an Oríkì ( a cognomen) and an Orílẹ̀ ( a totem).
No other tribe or race in the entire world has this three-fold nomenclature, and it is something that is worth preserving by us as it is one of the things that make us unique and set us apart.

In fact if the Yoruba system of nomenclature had been a tangible object it would have been something that the UNESCO. would have preserved as a World Heritage because it is the only one of its kind in the whole wide world.

Now ask the person next to you, if he is a Yoruba person, "Do you know your name, your Oríkì and your Orílẹ̀". If he knows the three give him ten over ten; if he knows only the first two give him four over ten; but if he knows only his name give him zero.

In ancient times, the Yorubas did not use to bear their father’s name or grandfather’s name as their surname as is the case now.
Each individual was known by their personal name (the Orúkọ) his cognomen (the Oríkì) and his totem (the Orílẹ̀ )
The current system that is now prevalent of an individual being recognised by his name and his surname came into Yorubaland through our adoption of the British System of nomenclature when being registered for school.
Up till now if you meet a pure Yoruba of the “un-educated” type and ask him his name, what he will tell you is his personal name and Oríkì. It is only if you press him for his surname that he would now tell you his father’s name.

Now to our matter; Orúkọ is the personal name of a Yoruba person his Oríkì is his attributive or cognomen, while his Orílẹ̀ is the totem of his family.
For an illustration, under the Yoruba System of nomenclature, the full names for the purpose of identification of the writer of this article will be Ayodele Àjàó Ìjí.

Ayodele being my personal name (Orúkọ), Ajao being my cognomen (Oríkì) and Ìjí being the totem of my family on my father’s side.

The Totem, Orílẹ̀ : there are many Orílẹ̀s in Yorubaland. The Orílẹ̀s denote the original family stock from which an individual descended. It is a means whereby the pedigree of an individual may be traced. From your Orílẹ̀ you can know where your forefathers originated from. For an instance I am from Ibadan; my forefathers in the recent past were from Oyo-Ile; they vacated Oyo-Ile and came to Ibadan when Oyo-Ile was deserted for fear of invasion by the Fulanis. However from our totem Ìjí, I understood (though no one ever told me the story) that we were descended from the Onigbeti, which shows that originally we were from Igbeti. This is because Ìjí is the totem of the Onigbeti.
Other totems in Yorubaland and some known persons from that totem are:

Òpó (post) :- This is the totem of a noble Oyo family. This shows that people having this totem are originally from Oyo-Ile. A popular family belonging to this family is the family of the Emir of Ilorin family. Though they are Fulani on their father (Alimi)’s side; the family adopted the totem of their mother, a Yoruba-woman who though being Alimi’s second wife produced the first two sons of Alimi, and her lineage had been producing the Emirs of Ilorin to the exclusion of the sons of the Fulani wife who was the first wife ever since.

Ìjí:- This is the Totem of the Onígbẹti. People having this Totem are originally from Igbẹti, the totem being that of the Onigbeti. A popular family bearing this totem is the family of Adegoke Adelabu (Penkelemesi) of Oke-Oluokun Area, Ibadan.

Ẹ̀lọ́:- This is the totem of the Ẹlẹ́rìn. People bearing this totem are originally from Ẹ̀rìn-Ilé, it being the Totem of the Ẹlẹ́rìn. The families of the Ẹlẹ́rìn of Ẹ̀rìn-Ilé in Kwara State and the Ẹlẹ́rìn of Erin-Osun in Osun State are some of the families bearing this totem.

Àró:- This is the Totem of the Aare Latoosa family of Ibadan who was the last Aareona Kakanfo of Yorubaland to fight a war. The last two Aareona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, namely Akintola of Ogbomosho and Abiola of Abeokuta were merely ceremonial as they were appointed after the war-era in Yorubaland, even though they also managed one way or the other to die in battle as is customary for anyone bearing that title.

Ọ̀gọ̀:- This is the Totem of some Ijesha families. People bearing this totem are originally from Ijeshaland. Prince Sunday Adegeye (King Sunny Ade) is one popular person I know bearing this totem, so originally his family must have come from Ijeshaland, even though he now claims Ondo as his place of origin.

Ògún:- This is the Totem of the family of the Bashorun of Oyo-Ile; however Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu whose mother was of the Bashorun of Oyo family adopted the totem of his mother (the Bashoruns of Oyo being then in the ascendant during the reign of Bashorun Gaa) and since then this totem has also been the totem of all descendants of all Alaafins of Oyo from Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu downward. The ruling families of Oyo who are now exclusively of Alaafin Atiba lineage and the families of the Bashoruns of Oyo are some of the families bearing this totem. So anyone bearing this totem is either from Alaafin of Oyo or Bashorun of Oyo families.

Erin:- This is anciently the totem of the old lines of Alaafins before Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu. All the families bearing this totem descended from the old lines of Alafins of Oyo before Alaafin Abiodun Adegoolu. So anyone bearing this totem is from the old lines of Alaafin of Oyo.

Okin:- This is the totem of the Olofa of Ofa and the Oloro of Oro both now in Kwara State. The royal families of Olofa and Oloro are the popular families bearing this totem. Anyone bearing this totem descended from either of these two families.

Ade:- This is the totem of the Onikoyi. Anyone bearing this totem is originally from Ikoyi, one of the principal towns in the Ekun Osi Province of old Oyo. The status of the family is now greatly reduced and the family carries on their existence in a town of that name in Osun State. Anyone bearing the totem is originally from Ikoyi of the Ekun Osi Province of old Oyo and I believe though I am not sure that the Onikoyi family of Lagos is a scion of this noble family.

Ẹ̀rí:- This is the totem of the Oloyan. Anyone bearing this totem is originally from Oyan in Osun State. The royal family of Oloyan are the popular people bearing this totem.
Other totems are

Ìkọ́:- the Totem of the Olokunesin family of Oyo. It is the official duty of the title-bearer of this family to hold the reins of the horse of the Alaafin whenever he wants to mount or dismount from his horse and it used also to be his priviledge to die with a dead Alaafin, to go with him to the great beyond to continue to hold his horse for him. However this practice died out when after the death of Alaafin Ladigbolu 1, the Colonial Government prevented the then Olokunesin from being compelled to die with the dead Alaafin, Ladigbolu, even though the then Olokunesin was still made to die mysteriously. Anyone bearing this totem is from the family of Olokunesin of Oyo.

Baba Rev. Samuel Johnson (Àyìnlá-Ògún) the then CMS Pastor of Oyo in his book History of the Yorubas (first published in 1897) also identified other totems as being Edu, Ojo, Agbo, Ekan, and Oge. I don’t know anything about these totems and so I will not be able to expatiate on them.

I know it is not everyone that is intrested in things like this, but for those who like me, have an obsessive interest in knowing the origin and true meaning of things and the lores of Yoruba land, I commend this post.

By: Daniel Ayodele Adeniran Àjàó-Iji

God bless you always!

Very informative.

MayorofLagos:
I love this, very informative.

My Oruko is Aminu, Oriki is Akanbi, Orile is Erin.

Mayor, you are funny o.
Which one be Aminu? Aminu ko, lamina ni! Aminu na Yoruba name?

abinsco25:
I am Abiodun Akanmu iji omo oloye, eni a bi loye loye npa, oye kii PA ara Igbeti aso olowo nlanla ni won fi n bora nile baba to bi won lomo.

This Oriki says a lot and can be interpreted to give a sense of different dimensions.

Iji - storm
Oye - Trade wind (Harmattan)
Igbeti - shielded from trade wind
Aso Nla - An exporter of rich fabrics

This is a lineage known for fierceness, they are immune from the malevolent trade wind. Wealthy and famous.

This is interesting.

However, it appears not all Yoruba groups use Orile or should I say call it Orile.

Where I’m from, we use father’s name, oriki agbo ile, oruko agbo ile & ogbon.

untamedd:
I know this post is old but I love it. I've always been curious about my origin, who my ancestors were and what they did. I'm Yoruba and I love my culture even though I don't know so much about it. I always try to learn though, I mean it's 5:28 am in Lagos, Nigeria and I'm on Google for the culture. I follow the hashtag #yoruba on Instagram and it's mostly Brazilians posting about Yoruba deities, they practice Yoruba as a religion.

I am from Igbeti, my oriki is Ajoke and my orile is Iyan (Famine). I'm not sure why it isn't Iji (Lol). I grew up as a very curious child, I always wanted to know everything, our culture fascinates me and I'm constantly trying to get in the know ( even though I don't think I know so much still).
I disturbed my father till he taught me my oriki orile (panegyric compendium)
and I even translated it to English. This oriki orile made me know the names of some of my forefathers and I also heard my Great grandfather was an ifa priest.

Here is my Oriki orile (as far as I can remember)

Ajoke Iyan
Omo iyan o paja keni ma lelubo nle
Biaku aji besin
Egun o gbemi, N o relu abisi
Ibi omi won ju oti lo
Omo arinu gboye, Omo arira efon
Abi won lekun o dun won
Abi won sola, won ro la yan, won ro la yan
Salu Kalo, Salu gbegun sawo...

My father didn't teach me the rest then, he said they were vulgar words. Pardon my Yoruba spellings, I'll do a translation.

Ajoke Iyan
- Regardless of Famine in the markets, the house is fully stocked with elubo( yam flour-food)
- Biaku wakes up to find a horse(in his courtyard)- Biaku is one of my forefathers, he was a great warrior- so feared that people did not want to go to war with him and in order to appease him, they leave a horse in his courtyard overnight �
- I'm not doing very well in Egun, I will go back to my motherland (Igbeti)
- Where wine is cheaper than water
- ( I can't translate this line verbatim but it's some sort of praise)
- They are born as Tigers, others are pained
- They are born in wealth, they take pride in wealth, they take pride in wealth.
- Salu Kalo (maybe Salu went) Salu lived in Egun as a Native doctor (Awo). Salu is also one of my forefathers.

My grandfather was a Christian.

I'm not sure the point of this update but it feels good. I'm Ajoke Iyan of agbo-ile Seriki, Igbeti. The last time I was in Igbeti was the year 2002, I was 10 years old.

Very good. Very impressive!

Interesting!!!

I am Arike-Iko.

I am Aderemi Atanda Ìkó

Thanks. Just seeing this.
Now I understand the meaning of orile. I thought it was part of the oriki. It's good to have a deep understanding of our roots.

One wonder why people (Yoruba) are beginning to accept and love Oiriki/Orile now. It used to be a different case a few decades ago? Hence the reason most have lost parts, if not all of their panegyrics?

Nice write up. Yes this is the kind of write up we want on nairaland, maybe Yoruba will remember their heritage and librate themselves from the crazy foolanis.

My own oriki is Iji. Iji