Obama (surname)

Obama

Origin
Language(s)	Fang and Luo, Japanese
Meaning	Limping (Luo) Little beach (Japanese)
Region of origin	African Great Lakes, Middle Africa, Japan

Obama is a surname. It most commonly refers to Barack Obama (born 1961), the 44th President of the United States.

Origins

• Obama is a common Fang surname in western Central Africa.
• Obama is a common Luo surname. It means "to lean", "to bend",^{[1] [dead link‍]}"bent over", or "limping".^[2]
• Obama, also translated as Ohama or Kohama, (小浜 or 小濱) is a Japanese surname literally meaning "little beach" or "little island". It was the surname of a samurai clan.^[3]

Notable people with this surname

• Barack Obama (born 1961), 44th president of the United States
  • Family of Barack Obama, an extended family of American and Kenyan heritage, including:
    • Michelle Obama (born 1964), wife of Barack Obama, and Vice President for Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Hospitals
    • Barack Obama Sr. (1936–1982), Kenyan economist and father to Barack Obama
    • Sarah Onyango Obama (1922–2021), also known as Sarah Ogwei, Kenyan educator and philanthropist, the third wife of Barack Obama's paternal grandfather
    • Auma Obama (born 1960), paternal half-sister of Barack Obama
    • Malik Obama (born 1958), paternal half-brother of Barack Obama
• Florent Obama (born 1991), a Cameroonian footballer
• Francisco Pascual Obama Asue, Equatoguinean prime minister 2016–23
• Jōkō Obama (小浜浄鉱, 1886–1948), a Japanese bureaucrat and politician
• Natsuki Obama (小濱なつき, born 1984), a Japanese fashion model and actor
• Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfubea (born 1961), Equatoguinean prime minister 2006–08
• Youssef Obama (born 1994), an Egyptian footballer

See also

• Obama (disambiguation)
• Ohama (disambiguation)
• Kohama (disambiguation)

References

1. "What do the words "Barack" and "Obama" literally mean?". Dictionary.com. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
2. Bearak, Max (2021-12-01). "The fascinating tribal tradition that gave Obama his last name". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
3. Jennings, Ken (2014-11-24). "Why Does a Japanese Town Share a Name With a U.S. President?". Condé Nast Traveler. Retrieved 2023-05-17.