Hausa people live mainly in the northern part of Nigeria, and most of them are Muslims. Here, you’ll find some Hausa names and what they mean.
Hausa people are the biggest group of people in Africa. The Hausa language is the second most spoken language after Arabic among Afroasiatic languages.
There are Hausa-speaking people in many places in West Africa. More than 70 million Hausa people live in countries like Nigeria, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Togo, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Ghana, Senegal, the Gambia, and Gabon.
While many people think the north of Nigeria is only Hausa, that’s not true. There are also some smaller groups of people and different religions there that are not Hausa.
Now, let’s look at some Hausa names and what they mean:
- Adamu – Adam
- Ali – excellent or noble
- Aminu – reliable and trustworthy person.
- Amir – A ruler, prince or commander
- Aisha – to live in prosperity.
- Amina – safe protected and secure.
- Asmau – loftier or eminent personality
- Atikah – of a pure heart
- Asabe – child born on Saturday.
- Balaraba – female child born on Wednesday
- Balarabe – male child born on Wednesday
- Bashir – someone who brings good news.
- Bilal – a companion of the prophet.
- Danasabe – child born on Saturday
- Danjuma – male child born on Friday
- Danladi – male child born on Sunday
- Danlami – male child born on Thursday
- Faidah – advantage
- Faiqah – someone who surpasses excellence
- Fatimah – daughter of the prophet
- Faizu – victorious
- Faruq – the distinguisher of truth from falsehood
- Faisal – decisive
- Fuad – heart
- Gambo – a child after twins
- Hassan – first boy in a set of twins
- Hassana – twin girl
- Hussain – second boy in a set of twins
- Hussaina – twin girl
- Habibah – beloved
- Hafsah – wife of the prophet
- Halimah – gentle heart
- Hamidah – appreciative
- Habib – beloved
- Hadi – calm person
- Hafiz a guardian or protector
- Hamzah – lion
- Imam – leader
- Isa – Jesus
- Ismaila – Ishmael
- Jummai – female child born on Friday
- Jamilah: a beautiful, elegant and graceful person.
- Jalil – exalted
- Jamal – beauty and grace
- Jibril – archangel
- Kaka – grandmother
- Khamees – female child born on Thursday
- Khamisa – female child born on Thursday
- Khadijah – wife of prophet Muhammad
- Kubra – a senior person or someone with higher authority.
- Kamil – complete or perfect
- Khalifah – a successor
- Ladi – female child born on Sunday
- Lami – female child born on Thursday
- Lantana – female child born on Monday
- Laraba – female child born on Wednesday
- Larai – female child born on Wednesday.
- Latifah – kind and gentle heart
- Lubabah – the innermost essence
- Musa – Moses
- Mansurah – supporter
- Maryam – mother of Jesus
- Maimuna – blessing
- Mahmud – praised
- Mansur – aided
- Mushin – benevolent
- Mustafa – chosen
- Nabilah – nobility
- Nafisah – precious, rare gem
- Naimah – enjoying blessing of God
- Rabiah – fourth
- Rahmah – kind and compassionate
- Ruqayyah – name of the prophet daughter
- Rahid – righteous
- Safiyah – pure and serene heart
- Sakinah –peace of mind
- Salimah – a jovial companion
- Shukriyah – thanksgivings
- Sumayyah – a proper name
- Salim – safe
- Talatu – female child born on Tuesday
- Tahir – pure
- Umar – lifetime
- Usman – companion
- Yakubu – Jacob
- Yohanna – john
- Yusuf – Joseph
- Zahrah – flower
- Zakiyyah – pure
- Zainab – name of prophet daughter
- Zaytum – olive
- Zubaydah – radiant
Hausa Female Names and Meaning
- A’ISHA living, prosperous
- AMINAH safe, secure, protected
- ASMA’U loftier, more eminent
- ATIKAH clear, pure
- FA’IDAH benefit, advantage
- FA’IQAH surpassing, excellent
- FA’IZAH victorious
- HABIBAH beloved
- HALIMAH gentle, clement
- HAMIDAH appreciative
- IMAN faith, belief
- JAMILAH beautiful, elegant, graceful
- KUBRA great, senior
- LATIFAH kind, gentle, refined
- LUBABAH the innermost essence
- MANSURAH s upporter, victorious
- MAIMUNA fortunate, blessed
- NABILAH noble, magnanimous
- NAFISAH precious, delicate, gem
- NA’IMAH enjoying the bounty of God
- RABI’AH fourth
- RAHMAH kind, compassionate
- RASHIDAH rightly-guided
- SAFIYAH pure, serene
- SAKINAH tranquility, peace of mind
- SALIMAH safe, sound, healthy
- SAMIRAH jovial companion
- SHUKRIYAH Thanksgiving, of thanks
- SUMAYYAH proper name
- ZAHRAH flower, blossom, splendor
- ZAKIYYAH pure, chaste
- ZAYTUN olive
- ZUBAYDAH cream of the crop, radiant
Hausa Male Names and Meaning
- Adamu – Adam
- Ali – excellent or noble
- Aminu – reliable and trustworthy person.
- Amir – A ruler, prince or commander
- Balarabe – male child born on Wednesday
- Bashir – someone who brings good news.
- Bilal – a companion of the prophet.
- Danasabe – child born on Saturday
- Danjuma – male child born on Friday
- Danladi – male child born on Sunday
- Danlami – male child born on Thursday
- Faruq – the distinguisher of truth from falsehood
- Faisal – decisive
- Fuad – heart
- Gambo – a child after twins
- Hassan – first boy in a set of twins
- Hussain – second boy in a set of twins
- Habib – beloved
- Hadi – calm person
- Hafiz a guardian or protector
- Hamzah – lion
- Imam – leader
- Isa – Jesus
- Ismaila – Ishmael
- Jalil – exalted
- Jamal – beauty and grace
- Jibril – archangel
- Tahir – pure
- Umar – lifetime
- Usman – companion
- Yakubu – Jacob
- Yohanna – john
- Yusuf – Jose
Some Facts About the Hausas
- Location: The Hausa people are primarily located in the northern part of Nigeria and the southern part of Niger, but they also live in other parts of West Africa.
- Population: With a population of over 70 million, the Hausa people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa.
- Language: Hausa is their native language, which is spoken by a vast number of people in Africa. It’s the second most common language in the Afroasiatic family of languages, after Arabic.
- Religion: The majority of the Hausa people practice Islam. The spread of Islam in the Hausa region is largely attributed to the efforts of an 11th-century Islamic scholar named Sheikh Usman dan Fodio.
- Culture and Traditions: Hausa culture is rich and diverse. They are well known for their traditional music, dance, and visual art. They have a traditional wrestling sport known as ‘Kokawa’ and their cuisine, with dishes like Jollof rice, Tuwo Shinkafa, and Suya, is widely enjoyed.
- Economy: Many Hausa people are involved in agriculture and trading. Kano, one of the major Hausa cities, has been an important trade and economic center for centuries.
- Clothing: Traditional Hausa attire is very distinctive. Men often wear flowing gowns known as ‘Babban Riga’ and a hat called ‘Hula’, while women wear a wrap-around robe known as ‘Abaya’ and a headscarf called ‘Amira’.
- Architecture: Hausa architecture is renowned, especially for their decorative and colorful homes made from mud and known as ‘Zaure’ or ‘Shirye’.
Remember, though these facts offer a broad overview of the Hausa people, cultures are rich and complex, and individuals within a culture can have varying beliefs, practices, and traditions.