Where does Barack Obama's name come from?

Answer 1

Obama was the given name of the senator's great-grandfather. Like most African cultures, the Luo of Kenya did not have hereditary surnames until the British (or other European colonizers) required them. Most of them chose the names of their fathers as their surnames. Obama was chosen as his surname by the senator's grandfather. Most Luo names were given at birth by mothers or grandmothers and referred to circumstances connected with the birth, or to things going on in the life of the mother near the time of birth. Obama is based on the Luo verb that means "to be slightly bent" or "to be twisted". Though no one knows for sure why his great-grandfather was given the name, experts on Luo language and culture think the most likely possibilites are that the baby either had a leg or arm that looked a little bent just after he was born, or that he was born in the breech position.

Answer 2

Well, his first name "Barack" was the name his father chose for him. Even though, Barack's father left him at an early age, he never took his mothers last name which is "Dunham". He decided to take his fathers last name, Obama.

Answer 3

President Obama was named after his father Barack Obama, Sr. Obama is a common name in Kenya where his father was from.

"Senator Obama's surname is not uncommon among the Luo tribe, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Kenya. They speak the Dhoulou language."

See the related link for an article by user Hua on about.com.

Answer 4

Barack Obama's name is a family name from his Kenyan father.

• Barack is an Arabic word for 'blessed'
• Hussein means good or handsome in Arabic
• Obama is a common surname in the Luo tribe

Answer 5

The name "Barack" is the Arabic version of the word "blessed." It comes from the same linguistic family as the Hebrew name Baruch and the Swahili name Baraka. All of these names are common to certain parts of Africa and the Middle East. As for the name Obama, it has no particular meaning in any language. President Obama's father came from Kenya to study in the USA, and the word "Obama" seems to be a clan name for a group of people from a certain region of Kenya.

Answer 6

I am not entirely sure what you are asking: are you asking about the origin of his name, or the origin of his family or the origin of his career? For any of these, I refer you to a good link about the President's life.

Answer 7

It comes from the Muslim word barakat, meaning blessings.

Answer 8

His first name is Arabic for "Blessed".

Answer 9

Honolulu, Hawaii.