Famous rapper Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty, widely known as Nicki Minaj, has confirmed that she indeed has an Igbo name.
The global music star revealed that her first name, Onika, is the Trinidadian derivation of the Igbo name Onyekachi.
Minaj was responding to a post by a fan praising her recent appearance at the United Nations, where she spoke against jihadist attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
The fan claimed that Minaj’s first name, Onika — interpreted as “Who is greater than God” — was a sign that she was destined for greatness, including boldly speaking against injustice.
Sharing a photo that explained the meaning and variations of the name Onika on X, the fan wrote:
“The name Onika means ‘continued belief in a supreme being who holds ultimate authority and surpasses all others in greatness.’
“Let my Nigerian Barbz and friends confirm how God destines someone for great things before they are even born!”
In her response, Minaj wrote:
“Will it get even more mysterious if I told you the tattoo on my arm means ‘God is with me’ in Chinese?”
