Ayodele

Meaning of Ayodele

Ayodele is a unisex given name of Yoruba origin, semantically composed of the morphemes “ayo” (joy) and “dele” (home or arrival), and is conventionally rendered in Yoruba phonology as ah-yoh-DEH-lay (/a.jo.de.le/). Its etymological significance—“joy has come home”—derives from longstanding naming customs in southwestern Nigeria, wherein personal names often encapsulate familial hopes or life events. In the United States, Ayodele has maintained a modest yet consistent presence in Social Security Administration data from the early 1970s through 2022, with annual occurrences ranging from five to fourteen births and a most recent ranking of 937th (six occurrences) in 2022. The name’s gender‐neutral application aligns with evolving anglophone preferences for unisex names, while its preservation of Yoruba tonal and morphological integrity underscores its cultural specificity. Despite its relatively low frequency in anglophone registries, Ayodele’s sustained registration and positive semantic associations confer both cross‐cultural resonance and enduring appeal.

Pronunciation

Yoruba

• Pronunced as ah-yoh-DEH-lay (/a.jo.de.le/)

• Ayo
• Ayomide
• Ayoola
• Ayotunde
• Ayokunle
• Ayobami
• Adeleke