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Child Naming In Yoruba Culture - Culture - Nairaland

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Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by Nobody: 12:01pm On Jan 25, 2007
Child naming in Yorubaland

Hey People,

What are the procedures on child-naming in Yoruba culture when the Grand father is not alive?

Thanx
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by English1(f): 11:07am On Jan 26, 2007
Could someone please explain to me the grandfather's role when he is alive as well?
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by 2Legit: 1:33pm On Jan 26, 2007
English1:

Could someone please explain to me the grandfather's role when he is alive as well?

you're not yoruba so it doesn't matter. do your own your own way lipsrsealed
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by English1(f): 3:39pm On Jan 26, 2007
2Legit - did I ask you anything? If you don't know the answer then don't say anything. You are the one who needs to lipsrsealed.

I didn't say I wanted to do it.  I was just interested. Is that ok with you? Or do I have to ask your permission in future before I ask a question?
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by 2Legit: 7:31pm On Jan 26, 2007
The grandfather or whoever is the eldest member of the family tends to name the child.

Go and put your devilish leading question elsewhere
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by English1(f): 9:12am On Jan 27, 2007
How is asking about a baby naming custom a devilish or leading question?  You have some strange ideas.
But thanks for the information. That was all I wanted to know.
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by Seun(m): 9:25am On Jan 27, 2007
@English1: please pay no attention to 2Legit. He's been banned for his unprovoked act of aggression.
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by Nobody: 8:13pm On Jan 30, 2007
hey guys,
no one has answered my questions, its just beefs. WHY NOW?
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by ThiefOfHearts(f): 8:18pm On Jan 30, 2007
wonderful decision, Seun

anyway shouldnt the next elder in line do it? or even the grandmother?
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by sakish(f): 9:30pm On Jan 30, 2007
Is it wrong to name your child yourself?
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by English1(f): 2:29pm On Feb 03, 2007
Sorry Adeniyi, I didn't mean to take over your post  smiley  Can I be a nuisance and ask one more question about the grandfather - which grandfather names the baby? The baby will have 2 grandfathers, is it the mother's father or the father's father who traditionally names the baby?

I was told that the Yoruba custom was that all the older family members will suggest a name, and then the parents choose from those names. This was a Yoruba 'new' grandfather who told me this. Maybe the tradition varies a bit from family to family? Perhaps you could do this if you have no grandfather to name the child?

Or yes, name the child yourself! What happens if someone else gives the child a name you don't like?
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by 2Legit: 1:52pm On Feb 05, 2007
you still dey find wahala?
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by NiteAngel(m): 7:06am On Mar 02, 2007
Make una no fight, iti ogede no ko to'hun ta ya'da si.

As the world becomes a global village culture is having its share of infiltration but below is what the tradition looks like:

The child's paternal grandfathers' home is the venue of the naming especially for the couple's first child. (I strongly believe that this was due to the fact that the couple is youg and may not have enough friends and all that is required to entertain guests.) The paternal grandfather collects names and writes them down beginning with his own followed by that of his wife (often it is assumed that the paternal grandparents made the choice of the name presented by the granddad), the maternal grandparents and other elders in the family (anyone older than the grandparent is considered an elder). Since it is disrespectful to call elders by name a child is usally given the next choice of name if a chosen name is answered to by an elder e.g if an uncle names the child Seun and another uncle goes by Seun, though this name is listed the child is not called by that name. At the end of the day, the parents (if educated) still determine what goes into the birth cerificate, that is why you find some instance where a child is called by a particular name by the mothers family, another by his fathers family and a different name on his birth certificate. Some family members simply stick to the name given.

The long list of names is called out during the ceremony by the paternal grandfather and echoed by everyone present as a way of establishing the names. In recent times paternal grandparents ask the couple what they'd like to name the child and simply add their choice to it. But when it's time to make the presentation, the paternal grandfather presents the names or hands it over to the couple who hand it over to the pastor (for Christians).

Other things happen during naming which includes the use of adun, orogbo, atare, iyo, sugar, ireke, obi, oyin etc, all these are highly symbolic and used to make prophetic proclamations into the life of the child.

Money given during the naming is meant for the woman and in recent times used to open an account for the child. Usually the man and woman should be very well dressed up for the occasion but in recent years its not unusual to find the man in jean while the woman is all done up like the mother of the man.

Any question? No querries.

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Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by English1(f): 3:15pm On Mar 10, 2007
Thank you grin
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by Seun(m): 8:53am On Apr 05, 2007
Moving to 'culture' section.
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by Sabere: 1:50am On Apr 06, 2007
This is the link to our video documentary about the child naming tradition in Yoruba culture:

http://www.abeokuta.org/Isomoloruko.html

Thanks!
Re: Child Naming In Yoruba Culture by AkedeOba(m): 5:45pm On Feb 25, 2008
Please bring this discussion to the new Yorubaland web site at www.yorubaland.org

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