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Names of People in Gambia
Culture & Traditions   Ethnic Groups   Naming Ceremony   Gestures   Greetings 
Gambian names will be unfamiliar at first to European ears - though some Gambians are called John, many more are called by 'African' names such as Lamin (derived from the Arabic Al-Amin) which is the most common Gambian name or Muslim names such as Mohammed.
  Below are listed popular Gambian male and female first names as well as common surnames; nicknames are in parenthesis. Note that spelling variations are common.
Male names
Female names
Surnames
Abdoulaye
Ablanjaye
Adama
Alaji
Alasan
Alieu
Amat
Baboucar
Bai
Bakary
Bala
Banta
Baturu
Boro
Boubacar (Bouba)
Chenor
Cyper
Demba
Ebrima
Ediresa (Edi)
Foday
Gereh
Hassan
Hatabu
Isa
Jabril
Kairaba
Kamara




See also Naming Ceremony




 
Karamo
Kawsu
Kebba
Lamin
Malik
Masane
Mohammed
Momodu (Modu)
Musa
Mustafa
Omar
Ousman
Paoboy
Pateh
Saihou
Sainey
Samba
Seedy
Sheriff
Sirif
Suma
Sutay
Tairu
Tijan
Yankubah
Yaya
Yoro






 
Adama
Aminata (Amie)
Awa
Binta
Channeh
Fatoumata (Fatou)
Haddy
Halima
Ibironke
Isatou
Jeneba (Jay)
Kaddyatou (Kady)
Kenenjaye
Kutu
Loli
Maimuna
Mama
Mampol
Mandiki
Mariama
Marie
Musakuta
Ndey
Nene
Oumil
Pahali
Piretta
Ramatoulaye (Ramou)
Rohey
Saijo
Satang
Sira
Sohna
Tida
Yahar
Yamundow
Yari

Yata




Badjie
Bah
Baldeh
Ceesay
Colley
Danso
Darboe
Fatty
Gaye
Guissé
Hairte
Jaiteh
Jallow
Jammeh
Janneh
Jarju
Jassey
Jawara
Jobateh
Jobe
Kah
Manneh
Marenah
Mboge
Mendy
Njie
Saidykhan
Sanneh
Sanyang
Sarr
Secka
Senghore
Sidibeh
Sohna
Sonko
Suso
Taal
Touray

Islamic influence:
Most Gambian names are either directly from the Koran or they are modified versions of them. For example Lamin is the local for for Al-Amin (a title given to the prophet Mohammed which means "the trustworthy"). In fact most first born males from the Mandinka tribe are named Lamin which can lead to a great deal of confusion when calling out a child's name. So they developed the convention to add their father's name after calling out "Lamin". Other names are Fatou derived from Fatima and Momodou or Modou from Mohammed, Bocar from Aboubacarr, and so on.
 

 
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