Igbo Family Relationship Terms

Father's father

Nna Ochie

Literally 'old father'; the more precise compound 'Nna Nna' (father's father) also exists but Nna Ochie/Nne Ochie are the common everyday terms.

Father's mother

Nne Ochie

Mother's father

Nna Ochie

Mother's mother

Nne Ochie

Father

Nna

Also 'Papa.'

Mother

Nne

Also 'Mama.'

Father's older brother

Nna Ukwu

Literally 'big father.'

Father's younger brother

Nna Nta

Literally 'small father.'

Father's sister

Aunty

Modern Igbo commonly uses the English loanword here; a descriptive traditional form is 'nwanne nna nwanyi' ('father's sister').

Mother's older brother

Uncle

Modern Igbo commonly uses the English loanword here; a descriptive traditional form is 'nwanne nne nwoke' ('mother's brother').

Mother's younger brother

Uncle

Mother's sister

Aunty

Father's older brother's wife

Nwunye Nna Ukwu

Literally 'big father's wife.'

Father's younger brother's wife

Nwunye Nna Nta

Mother's brother's wife

Aunty

Father's sister's husband

Uncle

Mother's sister's husband

Uncle

Older brother

Nwanne Nwoke Okenye

'Nwanne' is the gender-neutral root for 'sibling'; Igbo marks gender (nwoke = male, nwanyi = female) and relative age (okenye = older, nta = younger) as modifiers rather than having one dedicated word like English 'brother.'

Younger brother

Nwanne Nwoke Nta

Older sister

Nwanne Nwanyi Okenye

Younger sister

Nwanne Nwanyi Nta

Father's brother's son

Nwanne

Traditional Igbo extended-family structure often treats a father's brother's children as siblings ('Nwanne') rather than a separate 'cousin' category; 'cousin' as an English loanword is also common in modern usage.

Father's brother's daughter

Nwanne

Father's sister's son

Nwanne

Father's sister's daughter

Nwanne

Mother's brother's son

Nwanne

Mother's brother's daughter

Nwanne

Mother's sister's son

Nwanne

Mother's sister's daughter

Nwanne

Son

Nwa Nwoke

Daughter

Nwa Nwanyi

Grandson

Nwa Nwa Nwoke

'Nwa nwa' ('child's child') alone covers any grandchild.

Granddaughter

Nwa Nwa Nwanyi

Son-in-law

Ọkọ Ada

Descriptive ('daughter's husband'); dialect and family-specific terms vary.

Daughter-in-law

Nwunye Nwa

Literally 'son's wife.'

Brother's son

Nwa Nwanne

Literally 'sibling's child': Igbo has no dedicated 'nephew' word, described through the sibling relationship.

Sister's son

Nwa Nwanne

Brother's daughter

Nwa Nwanne

Sister's daughter

Nwa Nwanne

Husband

Di

Wife

Nwunye

Spouse's father

Nna Di/Nwunye

Descriptive ('father of husband/wife').

Spouse's mother

Nne Di/Nwunye

Husband's older brother

Nwanne Di

Descriptive; in-law-sibling terms generally borrow the sibling system above.

Husband's younger brother

Nwanne Di

Husband's sister

Nwanne Di

Wife's brother

Nwanne Nwunye

Wife's sister

Nwanne Nwunye

Brother's wife

Nwunye Nwanne

Sister's husband

Di Nwanne