Daniel O. Fagunwa

He was born in Oke-Igbo, Ondo State, to Joshua Akíntúndé Fágúnwà and Rachel Òṣunyọmí Fágúnwà in 1903.[2] His paternal great-grandfather was Faniyi Arojo, a warrior. His son, Fagunwa's paternal grandfather was Egunsola Asungaga Bèyíokú, an Ifa priest from the town of Origbo near Ipetumodu. His paternal grandmother was Sayoade Olowu, an Owu woman who was a daughter of the Olowu of Owu (before they migrated to Abeokuta). Asungaga moved from Origbo to Ile-Ife after his children continued dying (this Yoruba process is called abiku). Asungaga himself was an abiku child. When he arrived to Ile-Ife, in the 1870s, he became the native herbalist and Ifa priest for the future Ooni of Ife, Ologbenla. After the war between the Ondo and Ife ended, many warriors were allowed to enter a new settlement they called "Oko-igbo" meaning Farm in the Forest, and later became Oke-Igbo. Asungaga had four surviving children, Ifatosa, Akintunde Fagunwa (who later took the name Joshua), Ifabunmi (later married and took the last name Ajibise), and "Philip" Odugbemi.

Fagunwa's parents were originally adherents of the traditional Yoruba religion until they converted to Christianity in the late 1910s to early 1920s. He was born with the name Oròwọlé, referring to the Yoruba bullroarer god, Orò. When his family converted to Christianity, he changed his name to Ọlọ́runfẹ́mi (God loves me). He was the only surviving son of his parents, and had 3 sisters,