Yoruba Family Relationship Terms

Father's father

Baba Agba

Also used generally for any elderly/respected man; Yoruba often doesn't sharply split paternal vs maternal grandparents in everyday address.

Father's mother

Iya Agba

Mother's father

Baba Agba

Mother's mother

Iya Agba

Father

Baba

Mother

Iya

Also 'Mama.'

Father's older brother

Baba Nla

Literally 'big father': an older uncle on the father's side is addressed almost like a second father, not with a separate 'uncle' word.

Father's younger brother

Baba Kekere

Literally 'small father.'

Father's sister

Aunty

Modern Yoruba commonly uses the English loanword 'Aunty' here; a more traditional descriptive form is 'egbon/aburo obinrin baba' ('father's older/younger sister').

Mother's older brother

Uncle

Modern Yoruba commonly uses the English loanword 'Uncle' here; the traditional descriptive form is 'egbon okunrin iya' ('mother's older brother').

Mother's younger brother

Uncle

Mother's sister

Iya Kekere

Literally 'small mother': treated like a second mother, mirroring baba nla/baba kekere on the father's side.

Father's older brother's wife

Iya Agba

Often simply addressed as 'mother'/'aunty' descriptively rather than with one dedicated word.

Father's younger brother's wife

Iya Kekere

Mother's brother's wife

Aunty

Father's sister's husband

Uncle

Mother's sister's husband

Uncle

Older brother

Egbon

Yoruba sibling terms are chosen by relative age, not gender: 'Egbon' covers an older brother OR older sister.

Younger brother

Aburo

Covers a younger brother or sister alike; gender is marked only if clarified with 'okunrin' (male) or 'obinrin' (female).

Older sister

Egbon

Younger sister

Aburo

Father's brother's son

Egbon / Aburo

Yoruba has no separate word for 'cousin': children of your father's or mother's siblings are called Egbon (if older than you) or Aburo (if younger), the same words used for siblings.

Father's brother's daughter

Egbon / Aburo

Father's sister's son

Egbon / Aburo

Father's sister's daughter

Egbon / Aburo

Mother's brother's son

Egbon / Aburo

Mother's brother's daughter

Egbon / Aburo

Mother's sister's son

Egbon / Aburo

Mother's sister's daughter

Egbon / Aburo

Son

Ọmọkunrin

Daughter

Ọmọbinrin

Grandson

Ọmọ-ọmọ Okunrin

Literally 'child of a child': 'Ọmọ-ọmọ' alone covers any grandchild.

Granddaughter

Ọmọ-ọmọ Obinrin

Son-in-law

Ọkọ Ọmọ

Literally 'child's husband'; 'Ana' is the broader Yoruba word for in-laws generally.

Daughter-in-law

Aya Ọmọ

Literally 'child's wife.'

Brother's son

Ọmọ Egbon/Aburo Okunrin

Literally 'child of older/younger sibling': Yoruba has no dedicated 'nephew' word, it's described through the sibling relationship.

Sister's son

Ọmọ Egbon/Aburo Okunrin

Brother's daughter

Ọmọ Egbon/Aburo Obinrin

Sister's daughter

Ọmọ Egbon/Aburo Obinrin

Husband

Ọkọ

Wife

Iyawo

Spouse's father

Baba Ọkọ/Iyawo

Descriptive ('father of husband/wife') rather than one dedicated word.

Spouse's mother

Iya Ọkọ/Iyawo

Husband's older brother

Egbon Ọkọ

Literally 'older sibling of husband': in-law-sibling terms borrow the same egbon/aburo age system.

Husband's younger brother

Aburo Ọkọ

Husband's sister

Egbon/Aburo Ọkọ

Wife's brother

Egbon/Aburo Iyawo

Wife's sister

Egbon/Aburo Iyawo

Brother's wife

Iyawo Egbon/Aburo

Sister's husband

Ọkọ Egbon/Aburo