Go to igbobuofu[dot]com/threads/western-blacks-with-igbo-names.121/

[size=18pt]Nnenna Freelon[/size]

She's an American musician with no direct ties to Nigeria who was born with the name Nnenna.

[size=18pt]Jhene Efuru Aiko[/size]

Jhene Aiko is a musician from America and was given 'Efuru' as a middle name (which she uses on her official twitter handle) from Flora Nwapa's novel.

[size=18pt]Ne-Yo 'Chimere'[/size]

This one is a bit questionable because it hasn't been confirmed, and it seems even Ne-Yo doesn't know the origin citing Chinese (even thous no Chinese name Chimere exists). Ne-Yo is an American singer/song writer.

Igbos are now claiming Chinese and Japanese. We are watching....

[size=18pt]Kojo Nnamdi[/size]

A radio presenter who adopted the Ashanti day name Kojo meaning monday and the Igbo name Nnamdi as a family name.

FisifunKododada:
Igbos are now claiming Chinese and Japanese. We are watching....

This is a hater free proof zone...

https://twitter.com/jheneaiko/status/621794918902693888

[size=18pt]George N'Namdi[/size]

George N'Namdi is an art collector. Him and his wife decided to change their family name to N'Namdi (popular name, perhaps because of Nnamdi Azikiwe, a pan-African icon and once a member of an American Greek sorority).



He's the owner of the N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Arts.

His Son Jumaane N'Namdi apparently also owns a gallery, or co-owns his fathers.

Ok

bronzegoddess:
Ok

Cool...

---

Speaking of Kanye, some have even linked his name to Igbo, but no confirmation.

ezeagu:


Cool...

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Speaking of Kanye, some have even linked his name to Igbo, but no confirmation.

Kamyechukwuoyinye...kanye for short.


Kamyekene ...kanye for short.

Nnenna Freelon was born Chinyere Nnenna Pierce. I don't get it. How did she end up with two Igbo names?

Speaking of Chinyere, there is a Surinamese athlete named Chinyere Pigot. She doesn't appear to have recent Igbo roots either.

[size=18pt]Ekwueme Michael Thewell[/size]

Jamaican writer and activist, I think he was given Ekwueme by Chinua Achebe.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MDWqJKrEpc

[size=18pt]Oku Nagba Ozala Onuora[/size]

Jamaican dub poet, he changed his name from 'Orlando Wong' along with his wife Adugo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdsbongExuo

[size=18pt]Ibo Simon[/size]

A musician from Martinique.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qHlYGpcIzk

Radoillo:
Nnenna Freelon was born Chinyere Nnenna Pierce. I don't get it. How did she end up with two Igbo names?

Speaking of Chinyere, there is a Surinamese athlete named Chinyere Pigot. She doesn't appear to have recent Igbo roots either.

It's strange because Igbo culture isn't generally one of the more marketed cultures, but many people have changed their names even their family names. Maybe family ancestry, who knows.

Quite an interesting thread!

Ezeagu, please keep it coming. What more names do you have on your list?

ezeagu:


It's strange because Igbo culture isn't generally one of the more marketed cultures, but many people have changed their names even their family names. Maybe family ancestry, who knows.

In addition, Igbo culture may not have survived that much in the caribbean despite the numbers that were taken there, however Igbo way of life, thinking and behaviour can often be seen in areas where they were in huge numbers. For example, Haiti and Jamaica. I've come across of Haitians and I see so many striking characteristics of Igbos in them. Their ways of life are similar and they all have an undying love for Nollywood movies, which portray mostly Igbo culture. My work colleague is Haitian and she behaves just like a typical Owerri girl such that one day I told her that if she were to visit Nigeria she would blend in perfectly well amongst the people. Haiti till today still has several elements of Ibo legacies in their country. Place names, buildings and areas are named after 'Ibo'. Many of them attribute their independence from France as a majorly Ibo feat because the Ibos were known to be defiant to authority.

I stumbled across this article about Igbo slaves in Martinique containing surviving roll-call of all Ibo slaves shipped from Bonny, with names spelt using French standards which the author tried as possible to spell them using standard Igbo orthography.

http://works.bepress.com/chukwuma_azuonye/96/

bronzegoddess:


Kamyechukwuoyinye...kanye for short.


Kamyekene ...kanye for short.

I remember watching a music video of his sometime in 2006, I don't remember which, and I saw his name spelt out in full thus: kanyechike (in Igbo would mean, 'let's give God all power'). I was shocked to say the least. Till today, I have tried to find that video or recollect which music video it is, but cannot. However, Kanye West has remained silent on this.

ezeagu:
[size=18pt]Ibo Simon[/size]

A musician from Martinique.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qHlYGpcIzk

In America, just like modern day Igbos today still bear 'Igbo' as last name or a derivative of it such as Igboamaeze etc., a few african american families were known to still bear 'ebo' as last name till today. Many of these families have changed their surnames to reflect more 'English' last names like their counterparts, a few have still retained their 'Ebo' last name.

Rev. Sister Antona Ebo, is an African American Roman Catholic reverend sister and, perhaps, an african american who still bears an 'Ebo' last name, is known to have actively participated in the human rights march in the 1965.

bigfrancis21:


I remember watching a music video of his sometime in 2006, I don't remember which, and I saw his name spelt out in full thus: kanyechike (in Igbo would mean, 'let's give God all power'). I was shocked to say the least. Till today, I have tried to find that video or recollect which music video it is, but cannot. However, Kanye West has remained silent on this

really? That's interesting. Brb, lemme ask kim k for her husband's name

bronzegoddess:
really? That's interesting. Brb, lemme ask kim k for her husband's name

You know Kim Kardashian?

bigfrancis21:
I stumbled across this article about Igbo slaves in Martinique containing surviving roll-call of all Ibo slaves shipped from Bonny, with names spelt using French standards which the author tried as possible to spell them using standard Igbo orthography.

http://works.bepress.com/chukwuma_azuonye/96/

According to that...

[size=18pt]Aimé 'Eme' Césaire[/size]



Poet and politician from Martinique and part of the Negritude movement, apparently he said he's of Igbo descent through slaver so maybe this isn't relevant here, but his first name Aimé (Aim is pronounced 'Em' in French) is from the Igbo name Eme.

[size=18pt]Michael 'Ibo' Cooper[/size]



Reggae musician, was teased for looking like the skinny children in Biafran adverts and adopted 'Ibo'.

[size=18pt]Onitsha[/size]



There's a singer named Onitsha. I don't know if it has anything to do with Onitsha Mmili though, lol.

bigfrancis21:


I remember watching a music video of his sometime in 2006, I don't remember which, and I saw his name spelt out in full thus: kanyechike (in Igbo would mean, 'let's give God all power'). I was shocked to say the least. Till today, I have tried to find that video or recollect which music video it is, but cannot. However, Kanye West has remained silent on this.

Are you sure it wasn't Chike the film director?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStgrpNFafw

There's a football player, Chike Sullivan from Trinidad and Tobago. I'm not sure how he got the name Chike.

ezeagu:


Are you sure it wasn't Chike the film director?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStgrpNFafw

I know Kanye and Chike often collaborate together and it could possibly be that both names were joined together by mistake in that music video. To see Chike in Kanyechike, I was quite shocked to say the least.

Some African Americans who do not have a recent igbo ancestry adopt igbo names because of their contacts and friendship with Igbo people. I've seen quite a few of them reach out to me on facebook to teach them about the Igbo culture and Nigeria in general. Some of the name just feel it within them that they have igbo ancestry and just pick igbo names right away. I've given 2 of them igbo names which they loved but haven't started using them formally. It a way of reconnecting back to the Motherland even if they never visit Africa in their life time.

Ihuomadinihu:
Some African Americans who do not have a recent igbo ancestry adopt igbo names because of their contacts and friendship with Igbo people. I've seen quite a few of them reach out to me on facebook to teach them about the Igbo culture and Nigeria in general. Some of the name just feel it within them that they have igbo ancestry and just pick igbo names right away. I've given 2 of them igbo names which they loved but haven't started using them formally. It a way of reconnecting back to the Motherland even if they never visit Africa in their life time.

My dad did his bachelors and masters here in the US back in the 80s before leaving for Nigeria right after. He dated an African American while he was here and guess what? This lady adopted our family last name after he left, had a daughter and gave her our family last name and her daughter now had a son who she gave our family last name! Now, there is a whole different branch of our family last name existing in the United States!

And just like you said, this lady's daughter always felt she had Ibo roots even though she wasn't sure and when Nigerians asked her if her last name was Ibo or Yoruba, she said she always responded 'Ibo' even before confirming it with me on Facebook. She plans to visit Nigeria someday.

Igbos should reach out to Blacks in the US and Caribbean bkos 90% of Igbo slaves were taken there.