Yoruba people
West African ethnic group with ancient urban empires and global diaspora.
The Yoruba people (YORR-uub-ə; Yoruba: Ìran Yorùbá, Ọmọ Odùduwà, Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire) are a West African ethnic group spread across parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo—an area known as Yorubaland. Across Africa, they number over 50 million, with more than a million living elsewhere, including among the African diaspora in Brazil, Cuba, and the Caribbean. Most Yoruba reside in Nigeria, where they account for 20.7% of the population, according to Ethnologue, placing them among Africa’s largest ethnic groups. The majority speak Yoruba, a Niger–Congo language with the highest count of native (L1) speakers.
The earliest known written mention of the name "Yoruba" appears in a 1614 manuscript titled *Mi'rāj al-Ṣu'ūd*, by the Berber jurist Ahmed Baba. The original is kept at the Ahmed Baba Institute in Timbuktu, with a digital copy at the World Digital Library. This essay lists the Yoruba alongside nine other groups in West Africa, as translated by John Hunwick and Fatima Harrak: "whoever now comes to you from among the group called Mossi, or Gurma, or Bussa, or Borgu, or Dagomba, or Kotokoli, or Yoruba, or Tombo, or Bobo, or K.rmu – all of these are unbelievers..." This suggests the name was already in common use by the 1500s. Various outsiders have guessed at its origin—such as Caliph Muhammed Bello of Sokoto linking it to Ya'rub, T.J. Bowen to Goru Ba, or a Mande term for the Niger River—but these lack support in Yoruba traditions. English ethnologist Richard F. Burton, in his 1863 work *Abeokuta and the Camaroons Mountains*, reported an 1861 account claiming the name derives from *Ori Obba*, meaning "The Head King."
While "Yoruba" is the best-known ethnonym for people tracing common origin to Ife, historical synonyms include Nago/Anago, Lucumi/Olukumi, and Aku/Oku. Across West Africa, exonyms include Alata in southern Ghana, Eyagi in Nupe (which gave rise to Ayagi in Hausa and Iyaji in Igala). The Yoruba also call themselves *Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire*—"The People who ask 'Good morning, did you wake up well?'"—referring to their greeting customs, which involve situation-specific laudations. Another epithet is *Ọmọ Oòduà*, "The Children of Oduduwa," after their semi-legendary king.
The Yoruba emerged largely in place from earlier Mesolithic Volta-Niger populations by the 1st millennium BCE. By the 5th century BCE, a powerful city-state existed at Ile-Ife, one of the e
- Population
- Over 50 million in Africa, over 1 million outside
- Language
- Yoruba (Niger–Congo, largest number of L1 speakers)
- Region
- Nigeria, Benin, Togo (Yorubaland)
- Known for
- Urban civilization, Ife Empire, Oyo Empire, naturalistic sculpture
- First textual reference
- 1614 by Ahmed Baba
- Spiritual homeland
- Ile-Ife
Lore & Background
The Yoruba were historically one of the most urban ethnic groups in Africa, settling in concentric nuclear patterns. Before colonialism, they existed as structured large kingdoms and states with urban capital cores. These cities had extensive defense structures such as moats, trenches, and walls; Oyo ile reportedly had an outer wall over 20 feet high with 10 gates. Archaeological findings indicate Òyó-Ilé had more than 100,000 inhabitants. In the 15th century, the Oyo Empire surpassed Ile-Ife as the dominant military and political power. In the 18th century, the Oyo Empire indirectly participated in the African slave trade, and the Yoruba practiced a system of indentured servitude called Ìwòfà. Most city-states were controlled by obas (kings) and councils, with power balances varying between states.
Reader's Guide
The Yoruba people are significant for their early urban civilization, which produced the Ife Empire (fl. 1200–1420 CE) and later the Oyo Empire. Ile-Ife, considered the place of origin of human civilization in Yoruba tradition, developed a refined naturalistic sculptural tradition in terracotta, stone, brass, and bronze, often under the patronage of King Obalufon II. Glass bead production reached industrial scale around 1300 CE. The Yoruba diaspora, numbering over a million outside Africa, extends to Brazil, Cuba, and the Caribbean, carrying cultural practices such as greetings and epithets like 'Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire' (The People who ask 'Good morning, did you wake up well?'). Today, Lagos (Èkó) has become the largest Yoruba city with a populace of over 20 million. The Yoruba remain one of Africa's largest ethnic groups, with their language having the most native speakers among Niger–Congo languages.
Did You Know?
- The oldest known textual reference to the name Yoruba is from a 1614 manuscript by Berber jurist Ahmed Baba, preserved in Timbuktu.
- The Yoruba refer to themselves as 'Ọmọ Káàárọ̀-oòjíire', meaning 'The People who ask Good morning, did you wake up well?'.
- Around 1300 CE, glass bead production at Ile-Ife reached industrial scale and floors were paved with potsherds and stones.
- The Oyo Empire's capital, Òyó-Ilé, reportedly had an outer wall over 20 feet high with 10 gates and more than 100,000 inhabitants.
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