Burkina Faso Name Generator
Burkinabe full names from every region
Generate full names from Burkina Faso: Mossi surnames like Ouédraogo, Sawadogo and Kaboré, Gurunsi, Bobo, Dagara, Lobi and Gourmantché family names, and Moore, Muslim and French given names, as in Wendkuuni Savadogo or Marguerite Somé.
About Burkina Faso names
Burkina Faso names put a given name in front of a family name, and the family name often tells you which part of the country a family comes from. On the central plateau the Mossi names lead: Ouédraogo, which means stallion in Moore and is the most common surname in the country, then Sawadogo, Kaboré, Compaoré, Zongo, Ilboudo and Nikiéma. Bationo, Bado, Bazié and Nébié are Gurunsi. Lompo, Thiombiano and Lankoandé are Gourmantché names from the east, Sanou and Millogo are Bobo, Somé, Somda and Dabiré are Dagara, Kambou and Palé are Lobi, and Diallo, Barry and Dicko are Fulani.
Most given names are the Muslim and French ones in daily use, in their Burkinabe spellings: Issouf, Boukaré, Ablassé, Lassané and Rasmané for men, Alizèta, Zénabo, Rakiéta and Salamata for women, next to Désiré, Pélagie or Noélie. Moore names are still given as well. Many begin with Wend, for Wendé, God, as in Wendkuuni, God's gift. Others name the day of birth, such as Arzouma for a Friday and Sibiri for a Saturday, and Raogo and Poko are an old pair for a boy and a girl.
The 500 names are spread over nine groups by region and style. Some carry both a Moore name and a baptismal name, which is common on Burkinabe papers. Spellings follow French, with accents.
How to choose Burkina Faso names
- Let the surname set the region. Sanou belongs to Bobo-Dioulasso, Lompo and Thiombiano to the east around Fada N'Gourma, Kambou and Palé to the Lobi country around Gaoua, and Dicko to the Sahel around Dori.
- The given name hints at the family's faith, but do not overdo it. Cousins in one Mossi family can be called Issouf and Jean, and both kinds of name sit beside every surname in the list.
- For a formal document, use a Moore name and a baptismal name together, as in Wendyam Landry Sinaré. In conversation people go by one of the two.
- Keep the French spelling. Ouédraogo can lose its accent on a form that cannot print it, and Sawadogo and Savadogo are two spellings of one name, so pick one per family.
- Common names repeat, so search a full name before you publish it. Any pairing here may belong to a living person by chance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common surname in Burkina Faso?
Ouédraogo. The word means stallion in Moore, the language of the Mossi, and tradition traces it to Ouédraogo, the son of the princess Yennenga and founder of the Mossi kingdoms. Sawadogo, Kaboré, Compaoré and Zongo are other Mossi surnames you meet everywhere.
What do Moore names that begin with Wend mean?
Wend is short for Wendé, the Moore word for God, so these names are short statements of faith or thanks. Wendkuuni means God's gift. The list has many more of the kind, among them Wendyam Zoromé, Wendpanga Zagré and Tégawendé Koama, and they are given to boys and girls alike.
Why do so many Burkina Faso names use Muslim or French first names?
Most Burkinabe are Muslim, a large minority is Christian, and French is the language of school and paperwork. Arabic names took on local forms, so Youssouf became Issouf, Aboubacar became Boukaré and Zaynab became Zénabo. That is why a name such as Boukaré Savadogo or Pélagie Ouédraogo is more typical today than a fully traditional one.
Can you tell someone's ethnic group from a Burkinabe surname?
Often, but not always. Ilboudo or Tapsoba points to a Mossi family and Somda or Méda to a Dagara one, while Traoré, Ouattara and Coulibaly are shared by several peoples of the west and by neighbors in Mali and Côte d'Ivoire. Cities are mixed and families marry across groups, so treat the surname as a hint about origins and nothing more.
Related generators
West African Name Generator
Authentic names from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Mali and beyond
Malian Name Generator
Full names from Bamako to Timbuktu
Ghanaian Name Generator
Real Akan, Ga, Ewe and Northern Ghanaian names
Senegalese Name Generator
Authentic Wolof, Pulaar, Serer and Diola names
African Name Generator
Authentic names from every region of Africa
African Last Name Generator
Real surnames from every region of Africa
Nigerian Name Generator
Authentic Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and other Nigerian names
Fulani Name Generator
Fula full names from Senegal to Cameroon
More like this
Esperanto Name Generator
Given names in their Esperanto forms
Kenning Name Generator
Poetic two-part names in the old skaldic manner
Quaker Name Generator
Plain names from two centuries of Friends
Ossetian Name Generator
Nart saga names and Ossetian family names
Kashmiri Name Generator
Pandit and Muslim names with real Valley krams
Guinean Name Generator
Full names from Conakry to Kankan and N'Zérékoré
All 500 Burkina Faso names
A: 62 names
- Abdou Bado
- Abdou Tarpaga
- Abdoul Aziz Zongo
- Abdoul Karim Guira
- Abdoul Razak Semdé
- Abdoul Salam Dabilgou
- Abdoulaye Napon
- Abdoulaye Yaogo
- Abel Koné
- Abibata Guébré
- Ablassé Apiou
- Ablassé Kiemdé
- Aboubacar Tapsoba
- Adama Sirima
- Adama Tiaho
- Adama Zabsonré
- Adjara Dabré
- Adjara Nikiéma
- Adjaratou Adouabou
- Adjaratou Ilboudo
- Adrien Gnoumou
- Agnès Zombré
- Aguiratou Kouraogo
- Aïcha Tondé
- Aimé Bourgou
- Aïssata Diallo
- Aïssatou Sidibé
- Aïssatou Yaméogo
- Alain Tandamba
- Alassane Bikienga
- Albert Boro
A, continued
- Albertine Ouali
- Alexis Dao
- Alfred Yé
- Alimata Zougmoré
- Aliou Bandé
- Alizèta Dianda
- Alizèta Néya
- Alphonse Nadinga
- Amadou Apiou
- Ambroise Tandamba
- Aminata Maïga
- Aminata Néya
- Aminata Tapsoba
- Anne Onadja
- Anselme Kiswendsida Tassembédo
- Anselme Konaté
- Anselme Sou
- Antoinette Onadja
- Aristide Oboulbiga
- Arouna Compaoré
- Arzouma Derra
- Assèta Bamogo
- Assèta Nacro
- Assita Kiénou
- Augustin Kaboré
- Augustin Somda
- Augustine Lompo
- Awa Ouiya
- Awal Zoungrana
- Azèta Kagambéga
- Aziz Ouangraoua
B: 32 names
- Bakary Barro
- Balkissa Guigma
- Balkissa Yonli
- Barkissa Idani
- Barkwendé Ambroise Zida
- Barkwendé Henri Kinda
- Barkwendé Kouanda
- Barthélemy Zerbo
- Basile Lamien
- Bassirou Ouattara
- Béatrice Yaméogo
- Bénéwendé Aline Bikienga
- Bénéwendé Sawadogo
- Benoît Oubda
- Bernard Sana
- Bibata Boussim
- Bibata Conombo
- Bila Kouda
- Bintou Kanzié
- Blaise Gansonré
- Boubacar Nikiéma
- Boubacar Tall
- Boukaré Savadogo
- Boukaré Zango
- Boureima Cissé
- Boureima Garané
- Brahima Tamini
- Brice Noufé
- Brice Sessouma
- Brice Wendkuuni Tiemtoré
- Brigitte Kaboré
- Brigitte Somé
C: 10 names
- Casimir Tou
- Cédric Dah
- Célestin Zidouemba
- Céline Sanon
- Chantal Nassa
- Christophe Poda
- Claudine Kpoda
- Claudine Sawadogo
- Colette Moyenga
- Cyrille Yonli
D: 14 names
- Daouda Rouamba
- Daouda Sanou
- Denise Nitiéma
- Denise Somé
- Désiré Bougouma
- Dieudonné Poda
- Dieudonné Sakandé
- Djénéba Bambara
- Djénéba Fayama
- Djénéba Zoromé
- Donatien Lompo
- Dramane Millogo
- Dramane Sourabié
- Drissa Dakuyo
E: 20 names
- Edith Guébré
- Édouard Nébié
- Édouard Tapsoba
- Edwige Madiega
- Élie Combary
- Élisabeth Badini
- Élise Minoungou
- Émilienne Tao
- Emma Traoré
- Emmanuel Kiendrébéogo
- Emmanuel Somda
- Éric Porgo
- Éric Somda
- Estelle Kiemdé
- Étienne Ouédraogo
- Eugène Bassolé
- Eugène Dianda
- Eugénie Bénao
- Eugénie Méda
- Eugénie Tapsoba
F: 25 names
- Fanta Karama
- Fanta Sessouma
- Fati Guiguemdé
- Fatimata Lengané
- Fatimata Zongo
- Fatoumata Ly
- Fatoumata Ouédraogo
- Fatoumata Yaro
- Félicienne Coulibaly
- Félicité Nama
- Félicité Nana
- Félix Soulama
- Ferdinand Ki
- Ferdinand Relwendé Konkobo
- Fidèle Dabré
- Firmin Ouandaogo
- Flora Guiro
- Flora Sib
- Florence Méda
- Florence Sawadogo
- Fousséni Zon
- Franck Konaté
- François Ouangraoua
- Fulgence Guitanga
- Fulgence Wendlassida Zombré
G: 16 names
- Gabriel Koanda
- Gaston Coulidiati
- Gaston Wendpanga Ouiya
- Geneviève Ouiya
- Geneviève Poda
- Geneviève Zampaligré
- Georges Diasso
- Georges Kam
- Georges Tapsoba
- Georgette Yerbanga
- Germaine Bassolé
- Gertrude Drabo
- Ghislain Kohoun
- Gisèle Nassouri
- Guesswendé Félicienne Kologo
- Guesswendé Ouili
H: 26 names
- Habi Kaboré
- Habibou Ganamé
- Hadjaratou Sondé
- Halidou Tassembédo
- Halidou Thiombiano
- Hama Sondé
- Hamadé Sorgho
- Hamado Porgo
- Hamadoun Cissé
- Hamidou Boussim
- Hamidou Zangré
- Haoua Bambara
- Haoua Pitroipa
- Harouna Kafando
- Hassane Kindo
- Hawa Maïga
- Hermann Bakouan
- Hermann Soubeiga
- Hervé Nignan
- Hervé Sanfo
- Hippolyte Bayili
- Hippolyte Derra
- Honoré Savadogo
- Honorine Bénéwendé Kombasséré
- Hortense Badolo
- Hortense Ouédraogo
I: 15 names
- Ibrahim Kombasséré
- Ibrahim Yoda
- Idrissa Soubeiga
- Inès Bonzi
- Inès Palé
- Ini Kambiré
- Inoussa Kouanda
- Irène Ramdé
- Isidore Wendpouiré Tao
- Ismaël Sawadogo
- Issa Nombré
- Issa Sana
- Issaka Baguian
- Issouf Bancé
- Issouf Pafadnam
J: 16 names
- Jacqueline Zouré
- Jacques Compaoré
- Jean Kpoda
- Jean Tarpaga
- Jérôme Diasso
- Jérôme Dipama
- Jonas Kaboré
- Joséphine Bassono
- Judith Paligwendé Gansonré
- Julien Bassono
- Juliette Bazié
- Juliette Kagambéga
- Juliette Méda
- Justin Bakouan
- Justin Nikiéma
- Justine Kabré
K: 12 names
- Kadidia Guiro
- Kadidia Koanda
- Kadidiatou Dicko
- Kadidiatou Zidouemba
- Kalifa Bicaba
- Karim Oubda
- Karim Zon
- Kiswendsida Fabrice Soré
- Kiswendsida Gertrude Koanda
- Kiswendsida Oubda
- Korotimi Coulibaly
- Kouka Yanogo
L: 24 names
- Lamine Soma
- Lamine Toé
- Lamoussa Kaboré
- Landry Paré
- Larba Zaré
- Larissa Koussoubé
- Lassané Bationo
- Lassané Tao
- Laure Dayamba
- Laure Guesswendé Kanazoé
- Léa Youl
- Léonce Compaoré
- Léontine Bamogo
- Léontine Kam
- Léontine Yoda
- Lionel Dao
- Lionel Noufé
- Louis Dabiré
- Louis Guengané
- Louise Tiendrébéogo
- Luc Nébié
- Luc Tassembédo
- Lucie Balima
- Lucien Wendémi Bamogo
M: 46 names
- Madi Nacoulma
- Madou Zerbo
- Mahamadi Ouédraogo
- Maïmouna Guitanga
- Maïmouna Zaré
- Maïmounata Koudougou
- Maïmounata Nassouri
- Mamadou Zallé
- Mamou Sanou
- Mamounata Simporé
- Marcel Bazémo
- Marcel Hien
- Marcel Kologo
- Marceline Congo
- Marguerite Somé
- Marguerite Zampaligré
- Mariam Héma
- Marie Conombo
- Marie Dabiré
- Marie-Claire Gnoumou
- Marie-Claire Guesswendé Pafadnam
- Marie-Madeleine Millogo
- Marie-Thérèse Barro
- Mariétou Kouda
- Marius Diarra
- Martine Guigma
- Mathieu Baguian
- Mathieu Zouré
- Maurice Ouermi
- Maurice Yago
- Michel Hien
- Minata Hébié
- Minata Koné
- Minata Sédogo
- Mireille Bicaba
- Mireille Kambou
- Mireille Tégawendé Nikiéma
- Moctar Zongo
- Modeste Compaoré
- Moumouni Gansonré
- Mouniratou Konkobo
- Mounirou Nitiéma
- Moussa Bamouni
- Moussa Sangaré
- Moussa Tiemtoré
- Moustapha Badini
N: 15 names
- Nadège Coulidiati
- Nafissatou Compaoré
- Noaga Belem
- Noélie Traoré
- Nomwendé Alice Koama
- Nomwendé Nestor Zoundi
- Nomwendé Zabsonré
- Nopoko Sana
- Noraogo Guébré
- Noraogo Ouédraogo
- Norbert Wendémi Yaogo
- Noufou Sandwidi
- Noufou Yarga
- Nouhoun Sinaré
- Nouhoun Yarga
O: 13 names
- Odette Bazié
- Odette Zaré
- Odile Zongo
- Ollo Sou
- Oumar Drabo
- Oumarou Barry
- Oumarou Boly
- Oumarou Nabaloum
- Oumou Barry
- Ousmane Darga
- Ousmane Dicko
- Ousmane Yaméogo
- Ousséni Nana
P: 19 names
- Paligwendé Antoinette Oubda
- Paligwendé Léa Kiemdé
- Paligwendé Nassa
- Parfait Sanogo
- Pascal Kéré
- Pascal Sawadogo
- Pascaline Ouédraogo
- Patrice Koudougou
- Patrice Ziba
- Pauline Nombré
- Pauline Pitroipa
- Pélagie Ouédraogo
- Pierre Dabiré
- Pingdwendé Casimir Tarpaga
- Pingdwendé Semdé
- Pingdwendé Thierry Nacoulma
- Poko Konfé
- Prisca Da
- Prisca Tiaho
R: 31 names
- Rabiatou Bayili
- Rabiatou Zida
- Rachel Tindano
- Rachid Sebgo
- Rachidatou Zagré
- Raïssa Tamini
- Rakiéta Natama
- Rakiéta Sawadogo
- Rakiswendé Colette Yougbaré
- Rakiswendé Ghislain Tondé
- Rakiswendé Rouamba
- Raogo Balima
- Raogo Kanazoé
- Raphaël Zida
- Rasmané Yaméogo
- Rasmata Tindano
- Relwendé Aimé Guigma
- Relwendé Kagambéga
- Rémi Ouédraogo
- René Nabaloum
- Rihanata Zigani
- Roger Garané
- Rokia Séré
- Rosalie Sandwidi
- Rose Kansolé
- Rose Zongo
- Rose-Marie Séré
- Rosine Kafando
- Rosine Tarnagda
- Roukiatou Ouermi
- Roukiatou Zigani
S: 36 names
- Safiatou Balima
- Saïbou Yerbanga
- Saïdou Bayala
- Saïdou Zombré
- Sakinatou Nikiéma
- Salamata Ilboudo
- Salia Dembélé
- Salif Bagagnan
- Salimata Siribié
- Samira Dipama
- Sanata Dakuyo
- Sanata Sawadogo
- Sandrine Tankoano
- Sayouba Compaoré
- Séni Congo
- Seydou Ilboudo
- Siaka Sombié
- Sibdou Toguyeni
- Sibiri Bouda
- Sibiri Gansonré
- Sidbéwendé Abel Ouangraoua
- Sidbéwendé Noélie Congo
- Sidbéwendé Rachel Kouanda
- Sidbéwendé Zangré
- Sidiki Sanon
- Sié Da
- Sita Sagnon
- Sita Yé
- Solange Zongo
- Souleymane Bayala
- Souleymane Kaboré
- Soumaïla Koama
- Stéphane Kiénou
- Sylvain Diabri
- Sylvain Kouda
- Sylvie Tondé
T: 28 names
- Tahirou Soré
- Talato Baguian
- Talato Naré
- Tani Oboulbiga
- Tani Ouoba
- Tasséré Ouali
- Tasséré Tapsoba
- Tégawendé Dabilgou
- Tégawendé Koama
- Téné Kindo
- Téné Simporé
- Tenga Tassembédo
- Tenga Zougmoré
- Théophile Mano
- Thérèse Hien
- Thérèse Zougmoré
- Thierry Youl
- Thomas Zangré
- Tibo Compaoré
- Tibo Guira
- Tiémoko Bonzi
- Timbnoma Ouédraogo
- Timbnoma Tiendrébéogo
- Tinga Badini
- Tinga Tiemtoré
- Tipoko Ouédraogo
- Tipoko Zallé
- Tiraogo Sinaré
V: 4 names
- Valentin Relwendé Sebgo
- Véronique Zoundi
- Victorine Kombasséré
- Viviane Thiombiano
W: 17 names
- Wendémi Sandwidi
- Wendémi Yaogo
- Wendkuuni Albertine Sana
- Wendkuuni Jean-Claude Kientéga
- Wendkuuni Savadogo
- Wendlassida Congo
- Wendlassida Jean-Paul Naré
- Wendpanga Basile Ouandaogo
- Wendpanga Kafando
- Wendpanga Sandrine Kouda
- Wendpanga Zagré
- Wendpouiré Aristide Sandwidi
- Wendpouiré Yaméogo
- Wendyam Anatole Kafando
- Wendyam Landry Sinaré
- Wendyam Zoromé
- Wilfried Boro
X: 1 name
- Xavier Namoano
Y: 13 names
- Yacouba Yaro
- Yacouba Zoundi
- Yamba Sorgho
- Yasmine Tougma
- Yaya Kaboré
- Yempabou Lankoandé
- Yempabou Tankoano
- Yéri Kambou
- Youssouf Bougouma
- Yves Moyenga
- Yves Sorgho
- Yvette Yaméogo
- Yvonne Ilboudo