The Yoruba names do have meanings. The way they stick the words together in a name is very similar to the way the Japanese do the same thing.
Although any particular individual might not know what the words mean, it's not too long ago that enough African-Americans still spoke Geetchie and Gullah so that there were folks around to provide the meanings.
You did know, of course, that one of the ways African-Americans were kept at the bottom of the pile in the South was to not teach them English~!
You said: You did know, of course, that one of the ways African-Americans were kept at the bottom of the pile in the South was to not teach them English~!
Yes, I knew that. I went to a predominantly black high school, by the way, in the early 70s, at a time when most blacks (at least the ones I hung out with) were working to be a part of the mainstream of society. They were black and proud, as they'd say. This was when many blacks wore the red, green and black patches, but the era of African-sounding names had not arrived. I am aware that some of these names have meanings, and certainly everyone has the right to the name of his or her choosing (or the parent's choosing). My kids's names are Samuel and Hannah (Bible names we promised during infertility times, rewarded with twins). We could have named them Snookie and Blossom, or some other names, with meaning or without, but there is a certain reality about how such children are viewed, and the obtstacle that must be overcome, for right or wrong. If a parent knows this, why create the problem? Is having a Yoruba name (if that is what this is) more important than being judged for one's talents and abilities?