Gambia, Names of People

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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