# Obama

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /oʊˈbɑ.mə/ · frequency rank #1,463

## Definitions
1. An African surname from Luo.
2. An African surname from Luo.

## Etymology
A corruption of the Luo by-name Mobam (“born with a crooked back”), itself from Luo obam (“to lean or bend”).

## Easily confused with
- **Oma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/obama-vs-oma)
- **Oban** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/obama-vs-oban)
- **Omaha** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/obama-vs-omaha)
- **Osaka** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/obama-vs-osaka)
- **Osama** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/obama-vs-osama)
- **Okada** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/obama-vs-okada)
- **Ozawa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/obama-vs-ozawa)
- **Obamas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/obama-vs-obamas)
- **oba** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/oba-vs-obama)

## Common misspellings (6)
`boama`, `oabma`, `obaam`, `obamma`, `obbama`, `obmaa`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/obama