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Obama Last Name Meaning

Thanks to recent elections and the emergence of President-Elect Barack Obama, there's a lot of interest in the meaning and origin of the Obama last name. It's an interesting history, and one that we think others will find of interest as well.

Barack Obama's father (Barack Hussein Obama, Sr.) was born in Kenya, within a tribal group called the Luo (also called Jaluo and Joluo). As a result, the origination of the Obama name has it's roots in Luo culture and customs.

Although the origin of Barack Obama's name no longer follows the customs of present day naming conventions in Kenya, the simple truth is that the Obama name is now absorbed into the naming customs and conventions of the West.

The reality is that, even today, most Kenyans and other Africans do not pass down a last name from generation to generation. The Luo naming convention (from which the Obama name is derived) uses a naming convention by which a child's name is created from threee names, a Christian first name, followed by the Given Luo name, followed by the father's Luo-based first name.

For the family history of President Elect Barack Obama, the Obama name originated with his Great Grandfather, whose first name was Obama. When Barack's Grandfather was born, the Obama name was passed down via the custom outlined above and he assumed the name of "Onyango wuod Obama", which in the Luo language translates to "Onyango son of Obama".

When Barack's Grandfather changed his religion from Christianity to Muslim, he also changed his first name to "Hussein" and then became known as "Hussein Onyango Obama." So in short we have the following names passed down:

Barack Obama's Relative Their Name
Great Grandfather Obama
Grandfather Onyango wuod Obama
Grandfather (after change of religion) Hussein Onyango Obama
Father Barack Hussein Obama Sr.

As for where the name Obama originated, Luos generally name their children based on someone else's name OR an event that took place around the time of birth.

There seem to be many possibilities, for example we've heard that Obama described in the Luo language as 'one who goes against the grain' or 'the unconventional one'. We've also heard it defined as 'to be slightly bent' or 'to be twisted'. But the true origin may not actually be available. Afterall, we are talking at least four generations ago when it was first introduced within Barack Obama's family heritage.

Obama Family Facts

Discover some interesting historical facts about the Obama family:

Preserve Your Obama Family History

Creating a family history is a great way to preserve the history of your family for generations to come. Get started by following these three simple steps:

    1. Create a Family Tree

    The most popular methods to create family trees are:

    • Create Online. Probably the easiest way to get started. The advantage with an online family tree is that you can invite other family members to help fill in missing details. The largest online family tree site is OneGreatFamily.com. Another great online provider is Ancestry.com.
    • Create with Software. If you're concerned about online privacy issues with the first option, then the next best option for easily creating your family tree is to use a family tree software. The most popular family tree software over the past decade is Family Tree Maker.
    • Create with Downloadable Forms. If you're working with a limited budget, the best option would be to download a free family tree template. This template would be used to write-in all of the family names and and dates that you know.

    2. Fill In Gaps from Additional Sources

    When you're done filling in all of the information that you know about your family, you'll likely find that you are missing some information. Proven methods to find out more about your family history are:

    3. Publish Your Obama Family History

    When your family history is complete, be sure to preserve it in a archive quality format that can be passed down from generation to generation.

    The best way to preserve your family history for future generations is to publish it as an archival quality, hard-covered publication with acid free materials. One of the best online book creation tools for family histories is available through Ancestry.com.

    Create Your Obama Family History Book

Most importantly, have fun creating your Obama family history and thank you for visiting us today! Come back soon...