Tribes

By tribe of origin

Nigeria is home to hundreds of ethnic groups. Pick a geopolitical zone on the map to see the tribes we cover there, then dive into the names.

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12 tribes

Tonal names from southwestern Nigeria. Often praise-names or theophorics built on Olú-, Adé-, or Òní-.

Southeastern Nigeria. Many start with Chi- (God) or honour ancestors and family: Eze-, Nna-, Ada-.

Northern Nigeria and across the Sahel. A large share are Arabic-origin via centuries of trade.

From the historic Benin Kingdom in southern Nigeria.

Cross River coastal naming traditions.

Akwa Ibom and Cross River. Theophoric and virtue-led names; closely related to Efik.

Peoples of the Niger Delta.

Benue Valley, north-central Nigeria.

Lake Chad basin, north-eastern Nigeria. Long-standing trade and Islamic-scholarship naming traditions.

Akwa Ibom state. Sister language to Ibibio with its own naming voice.

Coastal Akwa Ibom. Compact, riverine naming traditions among the Oron people.

People of the Jaba area in southern Kaduna, also called Ham.