Find out how popular the first name Tokunbo has been for the last 13 years (from 1981 to 1993) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Tokunbo by gender

Based on the last 13 years of data, Tokunbo is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 67% of people named Tokunbo being male.

For the most recent data in 1993, there were 5 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Tokunbo.

The history of the first name Tokunbo

Tokunbo is a gender-neutral Yoruba name from West Africa, particularly Nigeria. The name is derived from the Yoruba words "toku" meaning "wealth" and "nbo" meaning "this". Thus, Tokunbo can be interpreted as "this wealth" or "this affluence".

The Yoruba people are an ethnic group native to southwestern Nigeria and southern Benin. Their language, Yoruba, is a tonal language spoken by over 30 million people. The Yoruba culture has a rich history dating back to the 11th century, and their naming traditions often reflect values, hopes, and circumstances surrounding a child's birth.

While the name Tokunbo has been in use among the Yoruba people for centuries, one of the earliest recorded references can be found in the Ifa literary corpus, a collection of Yoruba oral traditions and divination verses. These texts, which date back to the 16th century or earlier, mention individuals bearing the name Tokunbo.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Tokunbo. One of the earliest was Tokunbo Idowu Phillipson Awolowo (1905-1992), a Nigerian nationalist and statesman who played a prominent role in the country's independence movement. He served as the first Premier of the Western Region of Nigeria from 1954 to 1959.

Another notable Tokunbo was Tokunbo Ajayi (1917-2009), a Nigerian feminist and educator who was a pioneer in the field of women's education in Nigeria. She established the Iwoye Secondary School for Girls in 1958, which was one of the first secondary schools for girls in the country.

In the realm of sports, Tokunbo Amusan (born 1994) is a Nigerian track and field athlete who specializes in the 100 meters hurdles. She is the current world record holder in the event, setting the record at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

In the arts, Tokunbo Akinro (born 1965) is a Nigerian sculptor and installation artist known for her works that explore themes of identity, memory, and the African diaspora. Her works have been exhibited internationally, including at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C.

Lastly, Tokunbo Ogunfunmi (born 1952) is a Nigerian-American engineer and academic who has made significant contributions to the field of signal processing. He is currently a professor at the University of Houston and has authored several books on digital signal processing.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Tokunbo, reflecting its long-standing use and significance within the Yoruba culture and beyond.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Tokunbo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tokunbo, please contact us.

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