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Babatunde as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Babatunde

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The baby name Babatunde is a Male name and is pronounced {'common_english': 'bah-bah-TOON-deh', 'yoruba_approx': 'ba-ba-tun-de (tones: bà-bá-tún-dé)', 'ipa': '[bàbátúndé]'}.

Babatunde is Yoruba in Origin.

Gender: Male
Origin: Yoruba
Pronunciation: {'common_english': 'bah-bah-TOON-deh', 'yoruba_approx': 'ba-ba-tun-de (tones: bà-bá-tún-dé)', 'ipa': '[bàbátúndé]'}

What is the meaning of the name Babatunde ?

The baby name Babatunde is a Male name and is pronounced {'common_english': 'bah-bah-TOON-deh', 'yoruba_approx': 'ba-ba-tun-de (tones: bà-bá-tún-dé)', 'ipa': '[bàbátúndé]'}.

Babatunde is Yoruba in Origin.

Babatunde is a masculine Yoruba given name from southwestern Nigeria and neighboring Benin and Togo, built from baba (“father”) + tún + dé (“has returned”). It conveys the belief that a departed father or paternal ancestor has come back in the newborn, so it is often bestowed after the death of a father or grandfather. The name appears across Christian and Muslim Yoruba communities and in the diaspora through Afro-Atlantic religions and migration.

Common short forms are Tunde and Baba; scholarly Yoruba orthography writes it as Bàbátúndé, while francophone contexts may show Babatundé. Related and thematic counterparts include Yetunde/Yewande and Iyabo (“mother has returned”), Babajide (“father has risen”), and Babatunji (“father wakes again”). Notable bearers such as percussionist Babatunde Olatunji and politician Babatunde Fashola have sustained international visibility, and the name is also encountered as a surname.

Babatunde has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Babatunde

Babatunde Olatunji Musician · Born 1927 · United States Babatunde Olatunji was a Nigerian drummer and recording artist best known for popularizing African percussion music around the world. He was also an educator and social activist, and his best-known works include the albums Drums of Passion, More Drums of Passion, and Drums of Passion: The Invocation.

Babatunde – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
NG 0 #46 299 5,926
NG Boys 0 #64 7,963 16,906
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
NG Girls 0 #255 1,117 15,093
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
GH Boys 0 #355 7 8,138
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
SD Boys 0 #464 3 10,523
ZA 0 #472 3 14,421
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
LY 0 #510 26 12,703
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
PS Boys 0 #559 3 10,655
CM Girls 0 #560 1 11,671
AE Girls 0 #597 1 20,968
IL Boys 0 #623 3 10,983
Finland Boys 2026 #674 9 3,552
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
QA Boys 0 #698 10 18,093
United States Boys 2010 #853 7 7,345
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
EG Boys 0 #917 9 15,035
AE Boys 0 #1,067 26 22,615
MY Girls 0 #1,072 1 24,821
ZA Boys 0 #1,157 22 25,619
MY Boys 0 #1,179 4 25,439
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
ZA Girls 0 #1,236 1 25,928
TR 0 #1,253 2 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,457 15 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,689 3 28,008

Babatunde is popular in 30 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
AE
CM
CR
DK

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People also ask about Babatunde

Babatunde is predominantly a boy's name.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Bàbátúndé (with diacritics), Babatunda, Babatunji and Tunde (short form).
Across languages, Babatunde has these equivalents: Tunde (short form), Yetunde (female counterpart, "mother has returned"), Babajide (similar meaning).
Somewhat — Babatunde ranked #674 in Finland in 2026, and appears in official birth registries across 2 countries, placing it just outside the most common names.
Babatunde ranks highest in Finland (#674 in 2026).
Babatunde's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #797 in 2000 to #853 in 2010 in United States.
Yes — 1 notable people named Babatunde are in our database, including Babatunde Olatunji (Musician).