Journal of Modern Education Review, ISSN 2155-7993, USA August 2018, Volume 8, No. 8, pp. 624–633 Doi: 10.15341/jmer(2155-7993)/08.08.2018/007  Academic Star Publishing Company, 2018 http://www.academicstar.us 624 A Pragmatic Analysis of Obolo Names Jones G. I. Ayuwo  (University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria) Abstract: Pragmatics is frequently conceptualized as the science of language use, the study of context-dependent meaning and the study of speaker-intended meaning, presupposing the existence of language, language user and context on the one hand, and context-independent meaning on the other. This paper is pragmatic analysis of Obolo names. In view of this, the objectives of this paper therefore were to find out how Obolo proper names were analysed based on context as well as how these personal names were interpreted in the Obolo worldview. To actualize this, the researcher gathered data through introspection, personal interviews, and extensive library materials on pragmatics. Lawal’s (1992) model of pragmatic theory was also used to analyze the data gathered. Following this analysis, the paper observed that Obolo personal names are majorly contextual in nature and that virtually all Obolo proper names have a background meaning on which they stand; they also have direct, indirect as well as intended speech act they perform. The paper also observed that Obolo personal names have situational, psychological as well as sociological competences. This means that Obolo proper names don’t just serve as a way of identification of their bearers but also have such import that depicts experiences and situations surrounding the bearers or bearers’ parents. Key words: pragmatics, context, names and Obolo personal names 1. Introduction No language exists in a vacuum. Hence, all languages have a way of interacting with their users in a countless number of ways. Among those ways is in the area of naming. Naming especially in Africa serves as a major way of distinguishing individuals’ identity in a society. This is because “in African societies names are believed to have some great deal of control on the bearer. There is universal contention also that personal names do influence attitude, behavior, success, failure, future and character”. That is how relevant naming is to an African. This paper focuses on naming as it pertains to Obolo. Obolo is a language spoken by people numbering about 100,000 (Aaron, 2000) in the South-South region of Nigeria. The language is used extensively by the people in the day-to-day running of their affairs. But, the English language and Nigerian Pidgin are also widely used by the Obolo people. Among the older folks Igbo and Ibibio are used for the purposes of trade and religious activities. Naming is a specific linguistic act that is linked intimately with values, traditions, hopes, fears and events in people’s lives. This makes it a relevant aspect of pragmatics. Names equally communicate the many preferences of their owners (or givers) in terms of real life objects, actions, features and beliefs (Rosenhouse, 2002). The word Jones Gilbert Ijoh Ayuwo, Ph.D., Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies, University of Port Harcourt; research areas/interests: linguistics and onomastics. E- mail: jones.ayuwo@uniport.edu.ng.