Appendix:Luo surnames
List of Luo Surnames:
Luo names follow an order pattern of (1) a Christian given name (these used at least for the past two generations), (2) a personal surname (selected from among over 50 "special" attributes, usually relating to the circumstances of a birth, see below), and (3) a patronymic, the child’s father’s personal surname (a woman assumes her husband’s at marriage). Thus, e.g., Valentine Odhiambo Pengo or Philomena Ogwang Odede.
The commonest Luo “personal surnames” are as follows (O- always indicates a male; A- indicates a female; about 85% of Luo names include one of these). The meaning is indicated, when well known and accepted.
By spelling distortion, “personal surnames” finishing by the “lo” letters can also be find with a double “l” as Akello for Akelo or Omollo for Omolo etc.
- Agina
- Adida
- Obong'o/Abong'o -- Only child
- Ahenda
- Obama
- Obiero/Abiero -- born with the placenta (biero mean placenta)
- Obonyo/[Abonyo] --
- Obura/Abura -- Born during a meeting (bura mean meeting)
- Oburu/Aburu -- Born during a funeral (buru mean ash)
- Obuo/[Abuo] --
- Ochanda/XXXXX -- Difficult birth (Same for male and female)
- Ochieng’/Achieng’ -- Born with the sun shining (Born about Noon & after (12n –2pm)) (chieng' mean sun)
- Ochola/Achola -- Born after the father’s death
- Ochuka/[Achuka] --
- Odede/[Adede] --
- Odero/Adero -- Born during a during a period of abundance (dero mean a granary)
- Odhiambo/Adhiambo -- Born in the afternoon (Born around dusk (3-6pm); Born in the evening; Born after sunset) (odhiambo mean afternoon)
- Odhon’g/Adhon’g -- Very old name; Meaning unknown
- Odek
- Odika/[Adika] --
- Odinga
- Odiwuor/Adiwuor -- Born after dusk (7-10pm)
- Odondi/[Adondi] --
- Odongo/Adongo -- Second born of a twin pair
- Odoyo/Adoyo --
- Oduol/[Aduol] --
- Oero/Aero -- Very old name; Meaning unknown
- Ogola
- Ogol
- Ogolo
- Ogot/[Agot] --
- Ogutu/[Agutu] --
- Oigo/[Aigo] --
- Ojwang'/Ajwang' -- Born after father died
- Ojuok -- Born by the intervention of a spirit (juok mean spirit)
- Okelo/Akelo -- Born after a pair of twins or the third born of triplets
- Okech/Akech -- Born in famine
- Okeyo/Akeyo -- Born at harvest time
- Okinyi or Okinyo/Akinyi -- Born at dawn (Born just after dawn (6am-10am); Male form rare
- Okombo/[Akombo] --
- Okomo/Akomo -- Born in prosperous times
- Okongo/Akongo --
- Okoth/Akoth -- Born during rainy season (koth mean rain)
- Okumu/Akumu -- ‘Mysterious birth’: Conception after a birth, but before resumption of menses (kum mean punition)
- Okungu/[Akungu] --
- Oloo/[Aloo] -- It's the luo name for Adam
- Oludhe/[Aludhe] --
- Oluoch/Aluoch -- Born during a cloudy season
- Omolo/Amolo -- Born around dawn (4-6am)
- Omole
- Omondi/Aondi -- Born around dawn (4-6am)
- Okoka/[Anoka] --
- Ondiek
- Oneko/[Aneko] --
- [Ong’ina]/Ang’ina --
- Ongonga/[Angonga] --
- Onyango/Anyango -- Born in the early morning (Born before Noon (10am-12n))
- Ooko/Aoko -- Born out-of-doors (usually unintentionally!)
- Ooro/Aoro -- Born during dry season (oro mean drought)
- Opiyo/Apiyo -- First born of a twin pair
- Opolo/Apolo -- Very old name; Meaning unknown
- Opondo/Apondo -- born hidden (pregnancy was not visible)
- Osano
- Otieno/Atieno -- Born at night (7- 11pm) (otieno mean night)
- Otiende/[Atiende] --
- Ouma/Auma -- Infant delivered into a prostrate position on the ground
- Owino/Awino -- Born with umbilical cord around neck (Born covered in meconium or caul) (
- Ounda
- Owiti/Awiti -- ‘Thrown out’: Mother disowns infant for difficult birth as an apotropaic gesture
- Owuor or Odwuor/Awuor -- Born between midnight & 2am
- Oyange/Ayange -- Very old name; Meaning unknown
Other Luo surnames, not following the “classic” pattern, include:
- Adede
- Ajek
- Gor -- was the “personal surname” of Gor K'Ogalo a famous Luo chief during the 19th century
- Jalang'o
- Julu
- Kidenda
- Kowa
- Hongo
- Magero
- Majuma
- Muga
- Ndiege
- Nyaoro -- mean drought's daughter
- Raila -- Luhya origin
- Ramogi
- Rao or Rawo -- rawo mean Hippopotamus
- Ogwang
- Ogweyo
- Omire
- Omuga
- Onango
- Oronge
- Oruoch
- Sialo
- Were
- Yienya
