Children are generally named according to the times of birth and occassions.
The order of assigning names is generally as follows:-
‘O’ to boys; ‘A’ to girls and other seasons as listed below:
• Children born in the morning before noon: Onyango, Anyango (male, female)
• Born at dawn or early morning: Omondi, Amondi, Okinyi, Akinyi
• Born when the sun is at full strength: Ochieng, Achieng
• Born in the evening: Odhiambo, Adhiambo
• Born at midnight: Oduor, Awuor
• Born when misty and foggy: Oluoch, Aluoch
• Born in the verandah: Ogola, Agola
• Born behind the home or house (outside the homestead): Ogutu, Agutu
• Born outside the home: Ooko, Aoko, Owoko, Awoko
• Born on the wayside: Oyoo, Ayoo
• Born at the foot of an aloe vera: Okaka, Akaka
• Born at the foot of a cactus tree: Obondo, Abondo Born under a tree: Oyath, Ayath
• Born at weeding season: Odoyo, Adoyo
• Born at sowing season: Oludo, Aludo, Achuoyo
• Born at the season of planting: Ochwoyo, Achwoyo
• Conceived but born after the death of the father: Ojwang’, Ajwang’
• Born as an only child: Obong’o, Abong’o
• Born after the Tero Mon, post levirate ceremony: Ochola, Achola
• Born first of twins: Opiyo, Apiyo
• Born second of twins: Odongo, Adongo
• Born as a single baby after birth of twins: Okelo, Akelo
• Born after a dead child: Oloo, Aloo
• Born facing down: Ouma, Auma
• Born when umbilical cord tangles around the neck: Owino, Awino
• Born after a miscarriage: Olal, Alal also Opondo, Apondi
• Born as great luck: Hawi, Gweth (has no gender denotation)
• Conceived not menstrually expected: Akumu, Okumu
• Born and ‘collected’ as planned by someone: Oyugi, Ayugi
• Born in muddy environment, Literally of mud: Ochuodho, Achuodho
• Owiti, Awiti: child born after demise of first two and is placed outside home for
one to pick and bring home, “wito” in Luo means throw away, it is symbolic
(a) Naming according to occassion
• Born when wild animals were sighted: e.g., Elephant (Oliech), Leopard (Ondiek),
Hyena (Otoyo), Snake (Olweru, Othuol), Raven (Agak), and bird (Awinyo) and
many more
• Born during grief/funeral: Okumu, Akumu.
• A child at birth whose legs come out first and not the head: Odhoch, Adhoch,
Otiende
• A child whose mother became sickly throughout the pregnancy: Achando
(b) Naming according to seasons
• Weather or season for example: Drought – Ooro, Aoro
• Born during harvest: Okeyo, Akeyo.
• Rainy season – Okoth, Akoth
• Cold season – Ong’ich, Ang’ich, Okoyo, Akoyo
• Days of the week: Ngesa, Ngeso (Saturday), Juma, Odira (Sunday),
(c) Naming according to heroes and heroines
• There are also other ways and order of naming according to heroes and heroines.
SEGMENTATION OF FAMILY UNITS AMONG THE LUO CLANS
When a man called Otieno marries a lady called Akinyi, their offsprings are called
joka Otieno. They are also referred to as Joka miyo, children of Akinyi.
- Jokawuoro – This refers to children of a common father or groups of offsprings
who share common paternal uncles. - Jokamiyo – Refers to those with a common mother (in single or polygamous
relationship). Their mothers are wives to jokawuoro. - Jokadayo – Dayo means grandmother. Jokadayo means those who share the
lineage of a grandmother. These are men and women who share a common
grandmother both from paternal and maternal side. - Jokakwaro – These are people who share a common grandfather from paternal
sides. - Dho-ot – Dhoot means, door in Luo. In this case the dho-ot refers to those who
share and trace mythical descent from a common ancestor. Usually from five to
ten generations. They are members of a clan. - Oganda – This refers to all Luo clans who descended from Ramogi. They have
also intermarried, hence connected by affinity and consanguinity