Igbo names

Okoro is a very common Igbo surname that means “a man,” equivalent to Mann as used in English-speaking countries. It is a shortened form of òkorobị̀à and typical among Southern Igbos. Likewise, this is where the Igbo “day names” come from: Okeke/Okereke (a man born on Eke); Okoli/Okorie/Okoye (a man born on Olie/Orie/Oye); Okafor/Okorafor (a man born on Afọ); Okonkwo/Okoronkwo (a man born on Nkwọ). Like Okoro, these are no longer used as given names but have become highly common surnames. The Anioma subgroups use the variants Okoh and Umukoro.

Okpara is a name of Nigerian origin. Among the Igbo people, its subgroups, and the Ikwerre people, it was traditionally given to the firstborn son, becoming a patronymic surname during the colonial era. Anambra peoples use the variant “Okpala,” while the Afikpo, Aro, Bende, and Ngwa people use “Okwara.” The spelling Opara is common in Owerri, though its pronunciation is identical to Okpara.