In most cultures of the world, the naming of children is taken very seriously, Many cultures do as the Hebrews dis during biblical times, attaching prophetic significance of a person's name. That is also the case of the Luo people of the Nyanza province of southwestern Kenya.
That is the ethnic group of which Barack Obama's father descends. The senator's father, a Muslim, gave his son names from the Arabic language, the same work barak, means "lightning". For the Biblical significance, see Luke 10:18. The senator's middle name means "handsome". But the last name Obama does not come from Arabic. It comes from the Luo language. Ir means "crooked".
Really. Obama means "crooked", "zigzag", or "not in a straight line". So the entire meaning of his name- as it would be understood by diplomats from AFrica or the Arab world- is: "The blessing drom the handsome one that is crooked".
So... is his name prophetic, or more coincidence?
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kovach/080723