Bassey Asuquo
Akwa Ibom names are incredibly important part of our identity. They carry deep personal, cultural, familial, and historical connections.
They also give us a sense of who we are, the communities in which we belong, and our place in the world.
Names in Akwa Ibom State are not mere appendages that are casually given to persons or places, but are carefully crafted and given to children at birth to reflect specific events surrounding their arrival, the family beliefs, profession, traditional titles and positions, religious persuasions and so on.
In recent times, religious persuasions and beliefs have modified choices of names adopted by individuals or families.
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According to findings, our forebears were very careful in the selection of names for their children. These names, at most times, played positive or negative roles in the lives of these children.
With the advent of Christianity and civilization, the present parents have derailed from the path of their parents and forebears by dropping or abandoning local and circumstantial names and picking up Anglicised and Biblical names. Most times bearers of these names take up the English version of their previous local names.
Chief Monday Edemidiong has this to say, “In the olden days, our parents had their reasons for the choice of names for their children the same way the present generation parents do but the names of old were linked to happenings, situations and conditions surrounding the birth of a child.
‘‘These names had influence on a child both positively and negatively because you will see ones age mate being better in position than another even when they grew up together, played together in the sand, attended the same school and stayed in the same class.
Situations like this will sometimes be linked with the name given to the person. In most cases, it may be true but in others, it is usually not true.’’
Mrs Nkese Akai from Ibiono Ibom, also has this to say, “Some people believe that their misfortune in life is caused by the names they were given at birth. This is why people now change their names publicly I. the newspaper to English names or local names that link with Abasi, blessings, and all positive things.
The new generation parents don’t give their children local names because of civilization. Names this time must be linked to God and the Bible. It can be English or local but not the ancient days’ local names.”
Akwa Ibom State consists of different ethnic groups made of villages, communities and local government areas. Their languages are different, alongside people’s names, while names of people in some places are the same. Some of these names are answered by both males and females, while some are specifically for a specific sex.
For instance, such names as Okon, Etim, Effiong are specifically for the males, while Ikwo, Nko or Nkoyo, Affiong, etc are for females.
Unis3x Names
However, such names as Aniekpeno, Bassey, Nyeneime, Aniekan, Ifiok, Edidiong, Ime, Abasifreke, Abasiama, Aniekeme, Nsikak, Aniedi, Aniefiok, Idongesit, Ebebe, Enefiok, Edidiong, Imo, Ofonime, Anietie, Enobong, Nse, Iniobong, Ntiense, Etop, Emem, Ofonmbuk, Nnamnso, Iboro, Inimfon, Ubong, Udeme, Ukeme, Unyime, Utibe, and Uduak, among others, are given to both males and females.
Ibibio
We are familiar with such names as Adautin, Akpabot, Akpaniquot, Akpaekong, Atakpa, Atangunam, Akpan, Akpanam, Akpanessien, Akpainyang, Asangausung, Asanga, Attah, Affiong, Arit, Akpanekpo, Adiakpan, Akpanso, Akpandem, Akaneren, Amanam, Akpanika, Atanguma, Atanganam, Asibong, Asukwo, Asangausung, Awaitam, Awatim, Ebebe, Eberefiak, Ekuh, Edemidiong, Eduongo, Efo, Ekaebe, Eka, Ekim, Ekwo, Essienudom, Etefia, Etofia, Etukesen, Ekwere, Ekponyoh, Ekere, Ekerefia, Eseme, Etim, Etetim, and Ededet.
The rest: Ekanem, Ekanemessang, Ekefre, Ekponoudim, Esetang, Eno, Eduok, Eyo, Ekpo, Ededem, Edet, Ekopimo, Ekim, Esset, Essiet, Essien, Etukudo, Ema, Etiemana, Eka, Etefia, Etofia, Ekwere, Eyibio, Ibiok, Ibuk, Ikiddeh, Ikotiko, Ifot, Ikono, Ikon, Ikutekong, Ikpatt, Ikpoto, Ikpong, Ikpoto, Ikpong, Ikput, Itiaba, Isuaikoh, Idio, Idiong, Iquaibom, Ise, Itim, Inyangeyen, Ikwo, Ikpeme, Iniama, Inuaeyen, Inyangette, Inyang, Inwang, Iwaudo, Mandu, Mbaba, Mkpandiok, Mkpong, Ntia, Nkponam, Nsubop, Ndarake, Nkangude, and Nana.
Others are Nnammonso, Nkan, Nkenang, NseAbasi, Ntiense, Ntukekpo, Nkese, Nkantion, Ntukude, Nyaudo, Oboette, Okpob, Okpongkpong, Okon, Okokon, Obot, Okim, Okponesip, Oton, Owodiong, Ubak, Ubaha, Ubeng, Ubon, Utip, Ukoenang, Udoeduok, Udounweme, Udonwa, Udobio, Udoekong, Udofia, Udoedehe, Utuk, Udobia, Udobio, Udoita, Udoabasi, Udoumana, Udoinyang, Udoudo, Udousoro, Udonta, Udonkang, Udoinyang, Udoukpo, Ukpongudo, Usiere, Usua, Ukime, Umobong, Umoatan, Umoette, Umoidem, Umoren, Umosen, Urua, and Unang, among others. These names are mostly found among the Ibibio ethic group of the state.
Annang
The Annang people bear such names as Afangama, Afangideh, Akarandut, Akpabio, Akpatang, Akpandak, Adabra, Akpanuko, Amadu, Assiek, Afia, Akpaetor, Akpanudo, Akpaowo, Akpanikpong, Akpaidiok, Akang, Asuka, Akpanyah, Aniebiet, Attai, Atuko, Ebetor, Ebewo, Ebong, Ebuk, Ebukiba, Ekam, Ekoriko, Etinyene, Etiebet, Esitikot, Etok, Etokobot, Etokebe, Esenowo, Esinwang, Etemudia, Etokeren, Etokidem, Ekop, Ekaiko, Ekpu, Ekong, Etukesen, Enwenwen, Ekarika, Ekponta, Ekperikpe, Enang, Enamidem, Eteyit, Etokabasi, Essien, Ediene, Ibah, Ibanga, Ido, and Idiong.
The rest: Ibara, Ibok, Ibritam, Idem, Ikpe, Ibokette, Idemikon, Idungafa, Isobara, Inyang, Inyangetor, Inyieng, Inana, Iniodu, Ikot, Ikrok, Ikpaisong, Iwok, Mbeye, Mboho, Mmatim, Mendie, Mfon, Mfoniso, Mfonma, Mkpanang, Ndioho, Nkanta, Ntia, Ntuen, Nsongurua, Nnaetuk, Nneke, Nyaetok, Nyoyoko, Obotiba, Obonukut, Ofongekpe, Ofong, Okodi, Okpongete, Okpokpo, Okongko, Owoh, Okpok, Okure, Okop, Okori, Otongaran, Otong, Otoho, Ubengama, Uboutom, Udobong, Udiong, Udotong, Udoaka, Udoidiok, Udontuk .
Others are Udomessiet, Ufok, Udoutun, Udoette, Udodung, Udoikpong, Udoetor, Udoekpo, Udosen, Udoakpan, Udonne, Udonna, Udom, Udomisor, Udoma, Udoidiong, Udokpong, Udorok, Udombana, Udoumoh, Udioko, Usenide, Uyoh, Ukpong, Ukeme, Uko, Udoeka, Udokang, Udoko, Udoikpa, Udourom, Usoro, Ukandie, Ukem, Ukoinyang, Ukpanah, Umoden, Umoinyang, Umoh, Umahaeyo, Umoinam, Umorok, Unanam, Unang, Udotim, Udomfang, Udoeyo, Uwah, Umanah, Umoekpo, Umourom, and Umouko, among others.
Oro
The Oro people bear such names as Abasieyo, Abianga, Asukwo, Anwana, Antigha, Ampa, Abang, Abia, Afahaene, Afangekung, Afahanam, Akwa, Atte, Andem, Anso, Amba, Akaninyie, Antai, Anwana, Anwanakak, Ansa, Asa, Atakpo, Atainyang, Amin, Ankwai, Anim, Ante, Anyong, Awak, Ebenso, Ebieme, Edunam, Effanga, Nkereuwem, Ekpima, Ekpoudom, Efai, Ekuwem, Enyenihi.
The rest: Asangaenyi, Ebiese, Edim, Emenyi, Eminue, Enyeni, Etangntuk, Etifit, Esuk, Esuh, Ediete, Effiom, Etifit, Esin, Ekpenyong, Edemanwan, Edumoh, Esumoh, Essang, Esak, Enyin, Eyakenyi, Enyieting, Enyetip, Enyongekere, Ewa, Itabana, Imisim, Isangedighi, Isemin, Ita, Imadu, Mkpa, Mkpubre, Ndehedehe, Ndong, Nsoubuo, Nkoyo, Nduonofit, Ntekim, Nsugwara, and Nyong.
Others are Ndong, Ononokpono, Otu, Owokere, Offiong, Okokon, Okpo, Onukak, Okwong, Ofonmbruh, Onofiok, Odokwo, Otioro, Selong, Toyo, Ubenekang, Ubokulo, Ubuo, Udesu, Udombo, Ukut, Umiong, Unanaowo, Uno, Uya, and Uwak, among others.
Candidly, most of the names are equally borne by people of Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Eket, Eastern Obolo/Ibeno stocks and other dialectal groupings in the state.
It is observed that, if not for the existence of bearers of these names in the various locations in the state, these names would have gone extinct, as the present generation parents do not give their children such names, even as some of the bearers have changed their names officially and publicly in newspapers to English names or English versions of their names.
Ekets
Eket people have names such as Abia, Akpanusoh, Akpe, Akpadiaha, Assam, Assamudo, Atabrikang, Edoho, Ekereuwem, Eyiboh, Offort, Nduese, Itauma, Ikoiwak, Edon, Edohoeket, Udia, Edelduok, Usungurua, Esuene, Oyosoro, Isong, Udofe, Udonsak, Umoetuk, Udoakagha, among others.
Names like Ukafia, Okpolupm, Etteh, Tamuno, Iroigak, Uduyok, Ubulom, Ikann, Efet, Ufikairo, Adasi, among others are found among the people of Eastern Obolo and Ibeno respectively.
Surprisingly, though these names were significant then, as it told stories of events and happenings, probably served as memories and remembrance or a way of immortalizing an elderly person who probably had passed on, or was still alive (Usio Enying) when the child was named. Today, such names are extinct the way some of our culture are.
Our names mirror our culture and identity; therefore, names that had long existed should not be allowed to die out, hence the need to revive the names.
