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Ken Bugul

Wolof · First name · unisex · birth circumstance

"No one wants (him/her)" — a protective name historically given to a child born after earlier siblings died, meant to make the child seem unwanted to the spirits believed to take infants. Chosen as a pen name by the Senegalese novelist Mariètou Mbaye Biléoma for exactly this traditional meaning.

Source: Wolof protective-naming tradition, cross-referenced across Wikipedia (Ken Bugul) and babymeanings.com's Senegalese-names guide

Other Wolof first names

Wolof for "trustworthy" or "faithful", one of the most common women's given names across Senegal and the wider Wolof-speaking region.

The Wolof form of "Eve"/"Hawa", which symbolizes life, femininity, and motherhood, as it does across several West African cultures that share this Abrahamic-tradition name.

Wolof for "man".

An honorific meaning "mother" — used as a respectful term or name-prefix for women.

An honorific title for a woman of religious standing or a notable family — roughly "lady, madame". Naturalised into Wolof and wider Senegalese social life as its own title.

More birth circumstance names, from other cultures

From aba ("has come") + bio ("again"): "has come again." Given to a child born after an older sibling died, understood as that child returned.

Nyamekye · Akan

From Nyame ("God") + kyɛ ("to give, a gift"): "gift from God." Given to a child born after a long wait or prolonged childlessness.

Badara · Fulani

Traditionally given for being born under a full moon; associated with brightness and auspiciousness.

Given to a child whose mother died.

Given to a child whose father died before the naming ceremony. The name is explained as "did not meet the father to receive joy".

A child born immediately after twins.

Namasiku · Lozi

Lozi for "born at night".

Ntukai · Maasai

Given to a child born during the rainy season.

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