Some Igbo town names have been corrupted, and some have even been changed completely because of colonialsm. Some of the meanings of town names are harder to interpret because of this. Some Igbo towns are spelt like nothing they are pronounced because of the colonisers tongue (Onitsha, Owerri, etc), yet the natives of these towns see no reason to change this. Anyway, to help with the proper pronunciation of Igbo town names, post some of their origins, even if they are not of Igbo origin.

Owerri
'Owerri' is 'Owere'. I'm not sure of this town name, but I think it either means 'free, liberty' or 'outside quarters'.

Ogwashi-Ukwu
The origin of this name is with the Nshi (Nri) people who founded this town. The name has been slightly corrupted. It is actually 'Ogwa Nshi Ukwu', meaning 'the great Nri palace' in Igbo.

Agbor
Agbor is from Agbon which is the Bini name for land.

Enugu
Enugwu means 'hill top' (Enu Ugwu) because of the hills of Ngwo, which the original village of Enugwu was part of.

Aguleri
Aguleri is from the descendant of Eri, Agulu Eri of the Nri-Igbo.

Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt was named after Viscount Lewis Harcourt by Frederick Lugard, the town was renamed from what Lugard noted as 'Iguocha' which is 'Ugwu Ocha', 'white cliffs'. The sad thing is that Harcourt killed himself after it was found that he molested boys. If there was one town needing a name change, it's this one.

Igbuzor
For some reason, Igbuzor is still being spelt Ibusa, making it the most corrupted town name in Igbo land. Igbuzor is 'Igbo bi na uzor', the 'Igbo on the road, or roadside'.

ezeagu:

Some Igbo town names have been corrupted, and some have even been changed completely because of colonialsm. Some of the meanings of town names are harder to interpret because of this. Some Igbo towns are spelt like nothing they are pronounced because of the colonisers tongue (Onitsha, Owerri, etc), yet the natives of these towns see no reason to change this. Anyway, to help with the proper pronunciation of Igbo town names, post some of their origins, even if they are not of Igbo origin.

Owerri
'Owerri' is 'Owere'. I'm not sure of this town name, but I think it either means 'free, liberty' or 'outside quarters'.

Ogwashi-Ukwu

The origin of this name is with the Nshi (Nri) people who founded this town. The name has been slightly corrupted. It is actually 'Ogwa Nshi Ukwu', meaning 'the great Nri palace' in Igbo.

Agbor
Agbor is from Agbon which is the Bini name for land.

Enugu
Enugwu means 'hill top' (Enu Ugwu) because of the hills of Ngwo, which the original village of Enugwu was part of.

Aguleri
Aguleri is from the descendant of Eri, Agulu Eri of the Nri-Igbo.

Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt was named after Viscount Lewis Harcourt by Frederick Lugard, the town was renamed from what Lugard noted as 'Iguocha' which is 'Ugwu Ocha', 'white cliffs'. The sad thing is that Harcourt killed himself after it was found that he molested boys. If there was one town needing a name change, it's this one.

Igbuzor
For some reason, Igbuzor is still being spelt Ibusa, making it the most corrupted town name in Igbo land. Igbuzor is 'Igbo bi na uzor', the 'Igbo on the road, or roadside'.

Owerri : "E were la m oke ruru la m" (I have taken my deserved inheritance). A long story about Ekwema Arugo; their ancestor who made the statement and asked to be called Owere following a dispute with his brother.

ezeagu:

Some Igbo town names have been corrupted, and some have even been changed completely because of colonialsm. Some of the meanings of town names are harder to interpret because of this. Some Igbo towns are spelt like nothing they are pronounced because of the colonisers tongue (Onitsha, Owerri, etc), yet the natives of these towns see no reason to change this. Anyway, to help with the proper pronunciation of Igbo town names, post some of their origins, even if they are not of Igbo origin.

Owerri
'Owerri' is 'Owere'. I'm not sure of this town name, but I think it either means 'free, liberty' or 'outside quarters'.

Ogwashi-Ukwu
The origin of this name is with the Nshi (Nri) people who founded this town. The name has been slightly corrupted. It is actually 'Ogwa Nshi Ukwu', meaning 'the great Nri palace' in Igbo.

Agbor
Agbor is from Agbon which is the Bini name for land.

Enugu
Enugwu means 'hill top' (Enu Ugwu) because of the hills of Ngwo, which the original village of Enugwu was part of.

Aguleri
Aguleri is from the descendant of Eri, Agulu Eri of the Nri-Igbo.

[s]Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt was named after Viscount Lewis Harcourt by Frederick Lugard, the town was renamed from what Lugard noted as 'Iguocha' which is 'Ugwu Ocha', 'white cliffs'. The sad thing is that Harcourt killed himself after it was found that he molested boys. If there was one town needing a name change, it's this one.[/s]

Igbuzor
For some reason, Igbuzor is still being spelt Ibusa, making it the most corrupted town name in Igbo land. Igbuzor is 'Igbo bi na uzor', the 'Igbo on the road, or roadside'.

stop the port harcount madness

it is not an igbo town

ezeagu:

Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt was named after Viscount Lewis Harcourt by Frederick Lugard, the town was renamed from what Lugard noted as 'Iguocha' which is 'Ugwu Ocha', 'white cliffs'. The sad thing is that Harcourt killed himself after it was found that he molested boys. If there was one town needing a name change, it's this one.

Who says 'ugwu ocha'?

ISINWEKE---The final resting place of the head (isi) of Nweke. Isinweke is the capital of Ihitte/Uboma L.G.A (Etiti), Imo state.

ChinenyeN:

Who says 'ugwu ocha'?

That's what a historian noted it as, I don't know if anyone still calls it Ugwu Ocha.

Andre Uweh:

ISINWEKE---The final resting place of the head (isi) of Nweke. Isinweke is the capital of Ihitte/Uboma L.G.A (Etiti), Imo state.

Who is Nweke?

Interesting stuff, this is what I love about this website.

ezeagu:

That's what a historian noted it as, I don't know if anyone still calls it Ugwu Ocha.

Hmm. . . who was the historian, because I don't know of anyone who ever called it 'Ugwu ocha'. If someone is actually suggesting 'Ugwu ocha', then I would think that it may be some relatively recent [re]interpretation/conclusion. Things like that happen all the time. Just like how some Ijo people see Alagbariye (which they don't have a meaning for; or if they do, they aren't saying), and are now only recently calling it Alagbarigha or Alagbagbarigha (meaning 'gun does not miss'). Anyway, I can't say that I really know though, because I never heard of 'Ugwu ocha' until I read it here on NL. Just like how I also never heard of 'Igwe ocha' until I read it here on NL.

What does Iguocha mean?

Agbon-life,world. Not `land` in Edo language.

From what I understand, from what was told/explained to me, igu ocha refers to the reflective/emissive/glistening nature of the area.

Iguocha means "White Hill".It is pronounced as Igwu-Ocha in Ikwerre.Owerri is even corrupted in pronunciation.Whats the meaning and origin of Aba,Item,Abam,Orlu,Oguta,Izombe,Orsu-Obodo,Awo,Mgbidi,Ekulobia?

Abagworo:

Iguocha means "White Hill".It is pronounced as Igwu-Ocha in Ikwerre.

Just raises more questions for me than it answers, but it's whatever.

Abagworo:

Whats the meaning and origin of Aba?

Aba was someone's name. So it's a personal name, or it was. No one names their child names like that, anymore. Old names like that are gone, displaced by all these Chi's. I can only guess the meaning.

ezeagu:

That's what a historian noted it as, I don't know if anyone still calls it Ugwu Ocha.

Who is Nweke?

Nweke was a great healer, rain-maker, trader and farmer in the 19th century Etiti division of modern Imo state.
Shall we talk about our towns as well.

Nkwerre,

the correct spelling is Nkwere,  meaning "i agree" people believe that the name about because of long dispute among the founders which they settled
another town similar in meaning is ikwerre (ikwere) which means "do u agree?" that's the reason why ikwerres have not "agreed"

nwaigbo_mg:

Nkwerre,

the correct spelling is Nkwere,  meaning "i agree" people believe that the name about because of long dispute among the founders which they settled
another town similar in meaning is ikwerre (ikwere) which means "do u agree?" that's the reason why ikwerres have not "agreed"

Seriously . . ?

nwaigbo_mg:

Nkwerre,

the correct spelling is Nkwere, meaning "i agree" people believe that the name about because of long dispute among the founders which they settled
another town similar in meaning is ikwerre (ikwere) which means "do u agree?" that's the reason why ikwerres have not "agreed"

How about Igberre?.

nwaigbo_mg:

another town similar in meaning is ikwerre (ikwere) which means "do u agree?" that's the reason why ikwerres have not "agreed"

Is Ikwere a town?

Umuahia
I'm not sure where this name comes from, but it is a recent name for a recently urbanised town which simply means 'children of the market'.

Onicha [Aw-nih-cha]

Various meanings have been ascribed to the term Onicha: Anị-ọcha, ('the fair [lit. white] land;') Onini-, Ọnịsịlị-ncha, (too headstrong [to be disciplined]), (too disdainful [of others]);17" Ọnịsịlị-ncha, (too headstrong [to be disciplined]), (too disdainful [of others]);17" Ọnyịsịlị-ncha, (too much, too strong [for everyone]).

Traditional humane living among the Igbo, C. C. Ifemesia.

ChinenyeN:

Hmm. . . who was the historian, because I don't know of anyone who ever called it 'Ugwu ocha'. If someone is actually suggesting 'Ugwu ocha', then I would think that it may be some relatively recent [re]interpretation/conclusion. Things like that happen all the time. Just like how some Ijo people see Alagbariye (which they don't have a meaning for; or if they do, they aren't saying), and are now only recently calling it Alagbarigha or Alagbagbarigha (meaning 'gun does not miss'). Anyway, I can't say that I really know though, because I never heard of 'Ugwu ocha' until I read it here on NL. Just like how I also never heard of 'Igwe ocha' until I read it here on NL.

http://books.google.com/books?id=hHTE0UWRdLQC&pg=PA75&dq=port+harcourt+ugwu&hl=en&ei=tk2_TZilAoup8AO2woXeBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CEUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=port%20harcourt%20ugwu&f=false

I didn't get it from here, but Ohafia is said to have called it Ugwu Ocha, although the writer says its the 'hill of the white men'. Abagworo must be correct about Igwu being hill in the Ikwere dialect.

That Ohafia bit seems relatively recent. I wouldn't take it under much consideration. Still, it's got somewhat of a connection with what Abagworo said, and Abagworo has a solid reputation on matters like these. So he's not the kind of person one can just ignore. . . Regardless, this all just raises many more questions for me than it gives answers. I'm going to have to do some serious digging, I guess.

The writer was referring to the early 20th century when Ohafia workers when a song referring to Port Harcourt as 'Ugwu Ocha' was sung. It wasn't from here I got 'ugwu ocha' as I said earlier, but from a source in the 70's.

Oh well, it is what it is. It makes no sense for me to sit here and try to debate it. So, all that's left is to for me to do some digging and get my many questions answered, as many as can be answered I guess, for my own satisfaction, because it's not letting my mind rest. At least now though, I've got some incentive to dig further into Ngwa-Ikwere history/relations; find out exactly how we're related.

I've veered this thread a bit off tangent. People can feel free to get back to town names.

Arochukwu anyone

nwaigbo_mg:

Nkwerre,

the correct spelling is Nkwere,  meaning "i agree" people believe that the name about because of long dispute among the founders which they settled
another town similar in meaning is ikwerre (ikwere) which means "do u agree?" that's the reason why ikwerres have not "agreed"

Sir,Nkwelle Ezunaka wud then be ?

ChinenyeN:

That Ohafia bit seems relatively recent. I wouldn't take it under much consideration. Still, it's got somewhat of a connection with what Abagworo said, and

Abagworo has a solid reputation on matters like these

. So he's not the kind of person one can just ignore. . . Regardless, this all just raises many more questions for me than it gives answers. I'm going to have to do some serious digging, I guess.

Thank you.Inspite of my knowing almost all the Igbo dialects,I have noticed people on this forum doubt my Igboness.Well I speak Ikwerre fluently.

Abagworo:

Thank you.Inspite of my knowing almost all the Igbo dialects,I have noticed people on this forum doubt my Igboness.Well I speak Ikwerre fluently.

Aah, that is just what they know to do. Don't worry about it.

Lol at abagworo and chinenye.The saying birds of the same feather flocks together,never made more sense.
Just like ezeuche,i still doubt the 'igboness' of abagworo,there is no doubt that he is an authority in igbo history but there is some aspect of his personality that shouts non-igbo.

So all "Igbo" should begin emulating the nmogho you call EzeUche, eenunu? Nye aa l'a ghola Eze 'Uche Ghhara Ghhara' NL? So that their "Igboness" can be validated within this convenience label? In that case then, I wouldn't be caught dead. Instead, you can find me with my Ijo kith and kin, since, after all, wamini nga aka Igbo apu l'ikhikhere Naija bhu.

Thought the thread was about "Igbo Town Names". Lets stick to the topic, people. It is educational.

Ajalli (my hometown in Anambra) is a corrupted name which was formerly known as Ujari. It was said that the missionaries / colonialists couldn't actually (or lazily refused to ) pronounce it in its original form of "Ujari". We the natives still call it Ujari.

Enugu, Owerri, and Aguleri are the only people on that list that will agree to be Igbos the rest will only claim to be Igbo when the going is good other than that, they will tell you they're Delta-Igbo, Rivers-Igbo, this-igbo or that-igbo. I wish they can simply take the Igbo out of their names completely.