Ibrahima

Syllable breakdown

Name meaning and origin

Origin

Wolof (Senegal / The Gambia)

Meaning

the West African form of Ibrahim — the Arabic name of Abraham, the patriarch of Islam who is considered the first Muslim and the father of the monotheistic tradition; in the Quran, Ibrahim is celebrated as the friend of God (khalilullah), the destroyer of idols, and the builder of the Kaaba at Mecca with his son Ismail; Ibrahim is among the most revered figures in Islamic tradition, and bearing his name is considered a form of blessing; the -a suffix added in the West African form Ibrahima — giving it four rather than three syllables — is characteristic of Wolof and Mandinka phonological patterns that add final vowels to Arabic names ending in consonants, creating a distinctively West African sonic identity; Ibrahima is one of the most common masculine names across Senegal, The Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau and is used across Wolof, Mandinka, Fula, and Soninke communities

Gender

male

Also spelled

Ibrahim, Braima