brother had a baby. Well, not my brother
exactly. His wife was the one who had the baby.
Either way, I have a new nephew. My nephew’s
arrival made me think about his naming ceremony.
Naming ceremonies are a big deal in Yoruba land.
Yoruba naming ceremonies are generally the same
but at the same time, different groups and families
have their own traditions. In addition, over time,
some of these traditions have changed and others
completely abandoned.
I got most of the description of a Yoruba naming
ceremony from my mother. The child-naming
ceremony is held when the baby is 8 days old. The
ceremony is carried out in the home of the paternal
grandfather of the baby. My mother says that in our
family, the baby’s mother is not allowed to eat salt,
sugar or pepper from the time she gives birth until
the baby’s naming ceremony. It makes for a very
boring diet but it also means that mothers who have
eclampsia, high-blood pressure and pregnancy-
related ailments like that sometimes notice a
reduction in the symptoms
On the morning of the naming ceremony, a special
stew packed with iru (locust beans), dried fish and
pieces of dried, smoked bush rat is made. This is
what the baby’s mother is allowed to eat and
signifies the end of the special diet she was put on.
Early that morning, the baby is stripped naked then
the iru/ dried fish/ dried rat stew is applied to the
baby’s joints and a tiny bit to the tip of its tongue. Of
course, a baby who has been feeding on breast milk
is usually not impressed by this new taste and lets
everyone know by screaming down the place.
The person who carries out the ceremony varies
from family to family. At my brothers’ and I’s
naming ceremonies, my paternal grandmother
played this role but in the case of my nephew, his
paternal grandfather (i.e. my father) led the
ceremony. He led the prayers and selected the
hymns (from a Yoruba Anglican hymn book) that
were sung.
By the way, though my mother went through this
whole drama of not eating salt, sugar or pepper then
having to eat a bush rat and dried fish on the eighth
day after giving birth, she didn’t ask my sisters-in-
law to do the same. So, that’s an example of family
tradition that has been dropped.
Honey, sugar, salt, palm oil and adun are usually
placed in bowls in the room where the ceremony
takes place. After the service or as part of the
service, the baby’s mother and the ‘master of the
ceremony’ tastes a bit of the honey, sugar, salt,
palm oil and adun. Each signifies the hope that the
baby’s life will be sweet. They also take a sip of
schnapps. Apparently, the Egbas (a Yoruba tribe of
which I am one) don’t believe that a ceremony is
complete unless schnapps is present.
Anyone who wants to name the baby puts money
into a bowl and then says the name they wish to
give the baby. My mother says that in years past,
coins were put into a bowl of water before the baby
was named but since coins aren’t really used
anymore in Nigeria and notes are, that tradition was
dropped too. Someone is assigned to record the
names the baby is given. Although the actual
ceremony is attended by family and close friends
only, a baby can still end up being given tens of
names. That’s just Yoruba culture.
At the end of the ceremony, my grandmother would
sing the following song:
A wa o s’oro ile wa o
Esin kan o pe
O ye
Esin kan o pe
K’a ma o s’oro
A wa o s’oro ile wa o.
Which loosely means that no religion says people
shouldn’t carry out their family traditions. That of
course is up to debate

I love the concept of naming in Yoruba especially with Twins. I also love that the Yoruba's name have very relevant meanings and are well thought out. Ask a Yoruba man about his name , and he will tell you a story.

Yoruba culture is Amazing.

If only we could all just get along.