16 Fula (Pulaar) names with their meaning, gender and the birth circumstance they recall, taken from academic work and dictionaries. Each meaning is the one given by the source: none is guessed.

1

Birth order and twins

Aysaatu girlname of the second daughter
Sammbo boyname of the second son
Asan boytraditional name for a twin boy
Useeni boytraditional name for the second twin boy
Aawa girltraditional name for a twin girl (Eve)
Aadama unisextraditional twin name (Adam), for a boy or a girl
Nduunngu unisex“rainy season”: nickname for a child born then
Juulde unisexname of a religious festival, used as a nickname
Birgi unisex“manure”: protective nickname after several siblings died
2

Other names and their meanings

Fatimata girlname of the first-born daughter (Fula form of Fatima)
Aminata girlname of the third daughter
Yero boyname of the third son
Hammadi boyvariant of Hamma (from Muhammad)
Maamuudu boyFula form of Muhammad
Kadijaatu girlFula form of Khadija
Tubaabu unisex“White”: nickname for a very light-skinned child

Test yourself

1. What does “Fatimata” mean?

2. What does “Yero” mean?

3. What does “Aawa” mean?

4. What does “Tubaabu” mean?

Where do these words come from?
Sources: www.persee.fr. Do you speak this language and spot a mistake? Write to us.