Should Nigerian Children Bear Their Father’s or Grandfather’s Surname?

I believe many Nigerians have lost touch with some traditional ways of preserving family lineage through surnames. In some African cultures, a child bears the grandfather’s name as a surname, while later generations take turns honouring earlier ancestors. From this perspective, giving every child only the father’s surname can break that chain and reduce the visibility of grandparents within the family lineage. A parent who wants to pass on their own name can still use it as a given name or add “Junior” where appropriate. However, naming traditions differ widely across Nigerian ethnic groups and families. What matters is understanding the history behind our names and consciously preserving the parts of our heritage that remain meaningful to us.

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