Greetings to my Hausa people as we prepare to list popular Hausa names for boys!
Barka da Safiya!
Undoubtedly, native names can be very sweet, which is why parents love to give their children names with strong meanings attached to them.
And if there is one thing we are sure of, it is that the Hausa people provide some of the most beautiful native names ever.
A Brief Overview of the Hausa
The people of Hausa form a great majority of the citizens in Northern Nigeria.
Hausa-speaking societies amount to about 70 million, with populations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, Chad, Senegal, the Gambia, and much more.
The Hausa are predominantly Muslims, which is why most of them bear Arabic names.
Top 20 Popular Hausa Names For Boys and Their Meanings
Abubakar
Abū Bakr is an Arabic given name, meaning “Father of a Young Camel”. Abu means ‘Father of’ and Bakr means ‘Young Camel’.
Adamu
First-born males are called Adamu. This name comes from the name ‘Adam’.
SEE: Popular Igbo Names For Boys And Their Meaning
Ali
This very popular Hausa name has Arabic origins. I mean, everyone remembers Prince Ali of Ababwa… what? You don’t? Prince Ali and Jasmine? The genie? Arabian Nights? None ring any bells? Chai!!!
Anyways, this name comes from the Arabic words ‘aliy’, meaning “high” or “exalted”. It is also a translation of the word ‘ala”, which means “rise” or “ascend”.
Did you know also that in the Quran, Ali was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad? He was even the first man to convert to Islam. You don’t know that one too?
Babangida
Okay, if you don’t know Babangida, you might just as well close this webpage and go live in the forest. This popular Hausa name for boys is given to a child who bears the same name with his grandfather in a family.
The name means “House leader” or “master of the household”. So now you see why you can’t blame Babangida for all of his exploits; he was simply adhering to the meaning of his name.
Baki
This popular and very humorous name means “Black in complexion”. Even though it sounds ridiculous, many Hausa boys carry this as a first and last name.
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Bashir
This popular Arabic/Hausa name for boys means ‘one who brings good news or fortune’.
It can also be a surname.
Danladi
This popular and attractive Hausa name for boys is most often used as a surname. It means “a child born on Sunday”.
Definitely more creative than just naming your child “Sunday”.
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Danlami
One popular thing parents love to do is to name their children on the day they are born.
Danlami simply means a male child born on Thursday.
Dauda
Dauda is similar to “David”. And just as David means beloved and favorite, Dauda means the same.
Funny how most of these names almost sound similar.
Gowon
This name is popularly given to a brother of twins. It means “the maker of rain”.
And this is either an oxymoron, or the North needs more Gowons.
Hafiz
This popular Hausa male name means ‘guardian or protector’. Oftentimes, boys with this name go by the full name “AbdulHafiz”.
Hassan
As we have Kehinde and Taiwo in Yoruba, we also have Hassan and Hussain in Hausa. Hassan is the first boy in a set of twins and Hussain is the second.
Jamal
This is another popular Hausa name for boys. It means beauty or grace. And it’s definitely no coincidence that the men who carry this name are attractive.
Madugu
Madugu is for a male child who was born in the process of traveling.
Mahmud
This popular Hausa name for boys means praiseworthy. Parents love this name because it is closely associated with Muhammad.
Musa
Musa is an equivalent name to the Biblical character “Moses”. According to the Bible, “Moses” comes from the Hebrew verb Moshe, which means “to pull out/draw out“
This name Moses was given this name by Pharaoh’s daughter after she rescued him from the Nile. Alternative spelling for this name means Mosa, Moosa, Mousa, Moussa.
Sarki
Sarki is a popular Hausa name which means “a male child who has a King’s name”. Isn’t that a tad confusing?
READ: Who Is the Best Nigerian President from 1960 Till Date?
Usman
I was going to make another reference to Usman dan Fodio, but what are the chances of you knowing that one also? Also spelled as Othman or Uthman, Usman means “wise, most powerful, or intuitive”.
Yakubu
Just as Joseph is the equivalent to Yusuf, Yakubu is to Jacob in the Bible. Moving on.
Yusuf
Yusuf is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew name, Joseph and popularly means God increases” (in power and influence).
Alternatively, the name can also be spelled as Yousef, Yousif, Youssef, Youssif, Yousuf and Yousef.
Popular Hausa Names for Boys: Conclusion
Additionally, there are other popular Hausa male names like Azezz, Kamal, Dandina.
If you’re Hausa and thinking of the best name to give your boys, choose one that speaks best about your family!
Na go de!
