self_improvement First names
Beninese first names that carry a wish: patience, courage, hope, peace
In Benin, a first name can be a prayer addressed to the child: that they be patient, brave, keep hope, bring peace. Here are 19 names that carry a wish, grouped by the quality they wish for.
Patience, courage, hope
| First name | Meaning | Origin · circumstance |
|---|---|---|
| Sourou | patience | Fon · so that he always stays patient |
| Dotou | courage | Fon · so that he is strong, valiant and brave |
| Sonangnon | the future will be better | Fon · so that he keeps hope whatever the difficulties |
| Enangnon | things will change | Fon · so that he never loses hope in hard times |
Where these meanings come from
They are taken from the appendix “Meaning of endogenous Beninese first names” of Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0 license), which we rephrase and group here. When this appendix and another reference contradict each other, we don’t publish the name.
Peace at home
| First name | Meaning | Origin · circumstance |
|---|---|---|
| Fifamè | Peacemaker | Fon · a birth that brings peace and reconciliation to the family |
| Houéfa | peace at home | Fon · often given to the eldest daughter; it is a prayer that peace may reign at home forever |
| Houégnon | peace in the house | Fon · the parents hope the birth will bring peace to a family often in conflict |
| Ahouéfa | Peace in the house | Mina · the parents hope the birth will bring peace to the house |
Kindness, simplicity, family
| First name | Meaning | Origin · circumstance |
|---|---|---|
| Gbètognon | man is a good being | Fon · in tribute to a great gesture by a friend or relative, to honor human kindness |
| Hinnougnon | family is important | Fon · in tribute to the family’s support, often during pregnancy |
| Ayé-kotchikpa | life is simple | Yoruba · a wish to be humble and simple in life |
| Akouwègnon | money is good | Fon · a birth made possible by gifts of money despite financial hardship |
Joy, love, grace and wealth
| First name | Meaning | Origin · circumstance |
|---|---|---|
| Ayo | joy | Yoruba · a birth that brings joy to the family |
| Ifé | love | Yoruba · a child to whom the parents bring their love |
| Adjibola | waking up in happiness | Yoruba · a birth seen as the event that will bring happiness to the family |
| Olamidé | my happiness has arrived | Yoruba · a birth seen as the event that will bring happiness to the family |
| Omantayo | the child is a treasure | Yoruba · a birth seen as a treasure above all others |
| Donan | grace | Goun · a birth seen as divine grace |
| Kpèdétin | praise | Goun · the parents want to make it a praise to God |
A wish to carry for life
Understanding a name means understanding what the family wished for the child. See also names that speak of God and Beninese boy names.
Behind every first name, there is a whole language.
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