Soyinka (surname)
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Language | Yoruba |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Nigeria |
| Meaning | I am surrounded or protected by sorcerers |
| Region of origin | South West, Nigeria |
| Other names | |
| Derivatives | Shoyinka, Osoyimika, Oshoyimika |
Soyinka is a Nigerian surname. It is a male name and of Yoruba origin, which means "I am surrounded or protected by sorcerers". The diminutive form can be Osoyimika or Oshoyimika, same meaning but in full form.
Notable individuals with the name
- Grace Eniola Soyinka (1908–1983), Nigerian shopkeeper, activist, member of the aristocratic Ransome-Kuti family and mother of Wole Soyinka
- Kayode Soyinka (born 1957), Nigerian journalist, publisher, author
- Olaokun Soyinka (born 1958), Nigerian physician and son of Wole Soyinka
- Susan Soyinka (born 1945), social historian, researcher, author and wife of Kayode Soyinka (born 1944), younger brother of Wole Soyinka
- Wole Soyinka (born 1934), Nigerian playwright, essayist and Nobel laureate