President-elect Obama has an unusual name which reflects his African Muslim heritage. The surname OBAMA is from the Luo ethnic group of southwestern Kenya, where the father of President-elect Barack Obama was born. It was originally the given name of Barack Obama’s great-grandfather. It is based on the Luo language word “bam,” which means “crooked.” The prefix “O” means “he,” and many Luo male names begin with “O.”
The President-elect’s first name, “Barack,” is a Swahili name that has its origins in the Arabic language. The original Arabic root of the name means “blessed.” In Arabic, the root word is used in many other phrases to denote blessings and to describe people who are blessed.
Senator Obama’s middle name is Hussein, which was his grandfather’s first name. The Arabic name means “good” or “handsome one.” It is common in Muslim cultures for children to have a middle name in honor of their father or grandfather.
