Widespread choice in the Muslim world, this was the name of both the father of the Prophet Mohammed and one of his sons. 

Abdul

Abebe

Adwoa is a given name used for women born on Monday in Western Africa, particularly Ghana and some parts of Togo and Ivory Coast. The male equivalent is Kwadwo.
 
The most famous people with this name are probably Canadian-Ghanaian beauty pageant contestant Adwoa Yamoah and English-Ghanaian model Adwoa Aboah.

Adwoa

The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this system. 

Afua (also Efia) is the female name for babies born on a Friday (the male variant is Kofi).

Afua

Alim

Ama is a day name used by the Akan people of Ghana for girls born on Saturday. Names that reference a baby's birth by day of the week, time of day, or season of the year are common in many African cultures. Ama is one that can be used happily by parents who live in English-speaking countries.
 
While there are many girls' names that contain Ama as an element and might use it as a short form — from Amalia to Amaryllis to Samara — there were only a handful of girls named Ama in the US in a recent year.

The usage of this Arabic name has been increasing in the US, joining the Top 1000 for the first time in 2015. Aminah bint Wahb was the mother of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Aminah

This elaboration of the Arabic amīn, meaning "trustworthy" or "to feel safe" was a fast riser in 2022, but has yet to crack the Top 1000. Latvian musical artist Aminata Savadogo's 2021 song "It's Written in the Heavens (Milky Way)" was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2022 Latvian Music Recording Awards, potentially bringing the name into the spotlight.

Aminata

Arti

Adekola

Ae Ri

Ai Ling

Arrah

Assibi

Ayoola

Beatrix has a solid history of its own apart from Beatrice, with that final x adding a playful, animated note to the name's imposing history.
 
In the earliest sources it is recorded as Viatrix, meaning "voyager". Possibly the spelling was deliberately changed to resemble the Latin word beatus, "blessed"; both meanings are part of Beatrix's rich history.
 
It has been largely associated with Beatrix (born Helen) Potter, creator of Peter Rabbit, and Beatrix has been Queen of The Nethelands since 1980.
 Actress Jodie Sweetin has a daughter called Beatrix, and designer Kate Spade chose it for her daughter Frances's middle name. The main character in Quentin Tarantino's movie Kill Bill was Beatrix Kiddo, played by Uma Thurman. 
 Both Bea and Trixie are adorable nicknames,and Beatriz is the Spanish form.

Beatrix

Boo may have started out as a nickname for the male character Arthur "Boo" Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird and these days may be closely associated with another male Boo, the "world's cutest dog" or with the adorable little girl in Monsters, Inc. 
 A couple of other contemporary female references: reality television's Honey Boo Boo and chef Jamie Oliver's daughter Daisy Boo Pamela. And it's an equal opportunity term of endearment and near the top of any list of <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/507/cute-baby-names">Cute baby names</a>.

Buhari

Bukola

Bunmi

Beautiful West African name that could appeal across cultures.

Chioma

Caracel

Chichi

A joyful Yoruba name which would be perfect for a long-awaited baby.

Dayo

Didier is kind of a Desiree for boy--a lively, confident name that's widely used in France and has definite possibilities here. It's the name of an early French saint.

Didier

The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this system (think Kofi Annan, whose name means born on a Friday). 

Efia (also Afua) is the <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">name for girls</a> born on a Friday. (The male variant is Kofi)

Efia

Efiya

Efua

Ekundayo

Elewa

Emeronya

The soft and strong name of a 13th-century Persian poet.

Farid

A short form of the masculine name Olufemi, which means "the Lord loves me". Femi is also used as a standalone name for both genders, meaning "love me".

Femi

Fadi

Fayouma

Feyi

Gboyega

A simple and straightforward choice from northwest Africa.

Idir

Simple African name all-but-unknown in the U.S. and Europe, which is exactly why it might make a perfect choice.  Similarity to such popular names as Ava and Eva (and the Irish Aoife) makes it more familiar, but potentially more confusing.

The Scottish spelling of Isabel has a definite character of her own, the 'o' giving her an extra infusion of strength but also an element of confusion. How do you pronounce that? Answer: Exactly like Isabel or Isabelle.
 Isobels have appeared on several high-profile TV shows: Isobel Crawley is Matthew's mother on Downton Abbey, Isobel Fleming is a Vampire Diaries character, and Isobel Stevens was known as Izzie on Grey's Anatomy.

Isobel

Issa

Star Wars fans may know the lore behind the origin of the word and the concept Jedi well enough to confidently choose their name for their child. It has to do with balancing the forces of the universe.

Also makes a cute short form for the somewhat forbidding Jedidiah.

Jedi

Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common than Jacob or Joshua, yet not too obscure. Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif.
 The appealing Jonah has been featured in such movies as Sleepless in Seattle and Knocked Up and is currently represented by actor/writer Jonah Hill.
 Jonas is the Greek version and Yona is a female spin.

Jonah

Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. One interesting name that means the same thing: Chara.
 Joy began to be used as a name by the seventeenth century Puritans, with the idea of "being joyful in the Lord." It came into more general use in the late nineteenth central, part of the revival of virtue names. Her high point was in 1974, when she reached Number 109 on the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names">popular names</a> charts. Joy has also been often used as a middle name. Two recent bearers: comedian/TV personality Joy Behar and Joy Mangano, the inventor whose life was the basis of Oscar-nominated biopic Joy, starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in the mold of Richarda or Benjamina. Still, it may appeal as one of the unusual-yet-familiar <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/j">girl names starting with J</a>.

Justina

Ji Huan

Juhanah

Kameron has become a very popular spelling for boys -- as are the condensed Kamron and Kamren. 

The Kameron spelling took off in the 1980s, but the original Cameron has been used as a first name in the US at least since the 19th century, ranking among the boys' Top 1000 for nearly every year since 1880.

Despite the high profile of actress Cameron Diaz, both Cameron and Kameron are used far more often for boys than for girls. Kameron leans even more to the boys' side than the original, with a proportion of early 20 boy Kamerons for every girl, while with Cameron the proportion is about eight to one.

Kamran is an unrelated Iranian name, a perfect cross-cultural choice popular in the UK.

Kameron

This sweet and loving name, favored in recent years by a mix of Hispanic-American parents and Bob Dylan fans, was chosen for her daughter by TV actress Melina Kanakaredes. 

Karina

This African name, which derives from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, is used for both girls and boys -- but in the US, its most notable bearer is (male) artist Kehinde Wiley.  Wiley, who paints brown- and black-skinned people in the style of European Old Masters, was born in Los Angeles of an African-American mother and a Yoruba father and was also a twin, thus his name.  An attractive and creative choice for either gender.

Kehinde

Although the best-known Kehinde is the male painter Kehinde Wiley, this name is used for both genders in its native Nigeria and can be just as attractive for a girl.

A common unisex name in Nigeria. Kerry Washington used it as the middle name for her son Caleb.

Kelechi

Though such cognates of Kira as Keira, Kyra, and Ciara are evermore popular throughout Europe and in the U.S., this Cyrus relative has a different root.  Variations include Keera, Kiera, Kierra, Kirah, Kiri, Kiria, Kiriah, Kiro, Kirra, Kirrah, Kirri, Kirya, and Kyra.

Kira

Kirah

This Akan day name is very much associated with Kofi Annan, the seventh secretary general of the United Nations. 
The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this system. 
 Kofi is the male name for babies born on a Friday (the female variant is Afua/Efua).

Kofi

Kore is the original Greek form of the modern Cora, a name that's heading straight for the top of the charts in the English-speaking world. Kore was an alternate name for Persephone, goddess of the underworld. Spelling the name Kore may tip it toward the short form Kory or Korey.

Kore

The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. Most Ghanaians have a name using this system (think Kofi Annan, whose name means born on a Friday). 

Kwasi is the name for boys born on a Sunday. (The name for girls born on a Sunday is Akosua).

Kwasi

Kayode

Kikiola

Kola

Korede

Kosii

Kunleo

Leila was popularized in the West by the poet Byron, who used it in his poem Don Juan for a ten-year-old Turkish girl. Leila also appears as a fairy in the Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera Iolanthe.
 The haunting Leila been chosen by such celebs as Al Roker and Greta Scacchi and Vincent D'Onofrio. While Leila has managed to appear on the Top 1000 list in the U.S. since its inception in 1880, phonetic form Layla is now much higher on the list in America. And parents attracted to <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ names</a> with the double l sound will find that most examples -- from Leila to Lila to Lily and Lillian and Lilith-- are zooming up the charts and, while classics, are bordering on trendiness.
 Yet another alternative is Lelia, a Latin name used in Roman times.

Leila

Sweet Lorraine might just be old enough to be ripe for reconsideration. This French place name has moved in and out of fashion in the few hundred years it's been used as a girls' first name, somewhat influenced by the alternative name of Joan of Arc--Saint Joan of Lorraine. It was quite popular from the 1920s to the fifties, but has pretty much been in limbo since then. 
 Some memorable Lorraines are A Raisin in the Sun playwright Hansberry, actress Bracco and original SNL cast member Laraine Newman--the alternate spelling Laraine was popularized by forties star Laraine Day. Lorraine is also the name of Jack Nicholson's now grown daughter.
 In the movie Uptown Girls, Dakota Fanning's Lorraine character was nicknamed Ray--more modern sounding than Lorrie.

Lorraine

Lysha

Malakai puts a South Sea Island spin on the Biblical Malachi, which may be just what It needs to fit in with contemporary trends.

Malakai

A name with many spelling variations, including Malek and Maliq. With Muslim roots, Malik ranks in the US Top 500 and is also popular in several European and Arabic countries.

Malik can also be thought of as a nature name, via its Greenlandic meaning of wave.

Malik

Martin is one of those names like Arthur and Vincent and George that is in the process of throwing off its balding middle-aged image to start sounding possible again, used in full without the dated Marty nickname. 
 Notable Martins are too numerous to mention as the name has been so well used throughout time and in so many countries. Martin became part of the basic European stock of names, largely due to the popularity of the fourth century St. Martin of Tours. Also influential were the German founder of Protestantism Martin Luther and civil rights leader Martin Luther King (originally born Michael and renamed in honor of Martin Luther), eighth President Martin Van Buren, and influential philosophers Heidegger and Buber.
 More current Martins include actors Sheen and Short, writer Amis, and director Scorsese.
 Two books with eponymous Martin titles are Martin Chuzzlewit by Dickens and Martin Eden by Jack London.
 Martin also is enjoying popularity in countries such as Chile, Spain and Austria.
 Yes, a Martin revival appears to be right around the corner -- if only we can think of a new nickname.

Martin

As Mila rises for girls, so Milan is becoming a more popular option for boys, especially after singer Shakira chose it for her son. After a 55-year hiatus, it reentered the Top 1000 in 2013 and is heading dramatically upward.
 
Milan has been a Top 10 name for boys in The Netherlands and Hungary, as well as making the Top 20 in Belgium. A famous literary namesake is Czech writer Milan Kundera, author of The Unbearable Lightness of Being. In America, it is a solidly unisex name whose usage is no doubt also inspired by the stylish Italian city of the same name.

Milan

The oldest-known form of Mary, serious and solemn Miriam has been a particular favorite of observant Jewish parents. But we can see it extending beyond that sphere into the next wave of Old Testament names post-Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah, Hannah, and Leah. Miriam is currently the Number 1 girls' name in Israel.
 Miriam is the Old Testament form of the Hebrew Maryam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).
 In the Old Testament, Miriam appears in Exodus as the older sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess who led the triumphal song and dance after the crossing of the Red Sea and deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians.
 Miriam is an artistic character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Marble Faun and in Henry James's The Tragic Muse, Miriam Rooth is a talented young half-Jewish actress, Miriam Leviers is a farm girl in D. H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers, and Miriam is the eponymous central character of a haunting Truman Capote short story.
 One notable namesake is South African singer Miriam Makeba. More relaxed nicknames: Miri, Mira, and Mimi.

Miriam

Mohammad

Majka

Marke

Merka

Min Ja

Mouran

Muhtar Yautai

Nadia, an accessible Slavic favorite, has a strong run of popularity in the US in the early 2000s, partially thanks to the character on Lost called Nadia but actually named Noor, but it's since slumped down the rankings. An earlier inspiration was Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who won the 1976 Olympics. Nadia is actually a short form of Nadezhda, the name of Lenin's wife, though more Westerners will relate it to the familiar Natalya or Natasha.

 Nadia is also a traditional Arabic name, popular in the Muslim community and also spelled Nadiyya or Nadya. It means "moist, tender, delicate" in Arabic.

 Octomom Suleman spells her first name Nadya, as in the Queen Nadya character in Noel Coward's play The Queen was in the Parlour.

Nadia

Similar to Nasser, with a slightly more altruistic meaning. Rapper Nas was born Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, and Nasir may have gotten a bump from 2016 show The Night Of, whose protagonist was named Nasir Kahn.

Nasir

Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue or indigo. 
 
Nile is also related to Niall, the Irish Gaelic form of Neal/Neil.
 Nile was actually used enough to make it onto the Top 1000 a couple of times around the turn of the last century.

Nile

Narmer

Nezi

Niyo

Nyeni

Simple, friendly, distinctive name heard in several cultures.  The a ending may feel more feminine in the US than Ole, though both variations are acceptable in Scandinavia.

This name, like Omar and Amari, has been in the US Top 1000 for many years. After taking a downturn in 2008, it's now again on the upswing. Actor Omari Hardwick  keeps it in the public eye.

Omari

Oshhe

Peju

Rafa is an adorable short form introduced to the world by actors Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, who used the name for their second son. Rafael is the Latin cognate of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/490/hebrew-names-for-boys">Hebrew boys' name</a> Raphael, but you don't need to be a Rafael to be a Rafa.

Rafa

Rebecca is a name representing beauty in the Bible, an Old Testament classic that reached the heights of revived popularity in the seventies but is still a well-used choice. It derives from the Hebrew name Rivkah, from the verb ribbqah, meaning "noose." The biblical Rebecca was the wife of Isaac and the mother of Esau and Jacob. Rebekah was a common spelling of the name in the Bible. 
 The Becca short form is more stylish now than homespun Becky. Nickname Becky is a staple in such classics as A Little Princess, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Vanity Fair, while the full form features in the eponymous Daphne du Maurier novel, in Ivanhoe, and in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
 
Rebecca remains one of the top <a href="https://nameberry.com/search/girls-names/r">girls' names starting with R</a>.

Rebecca

eviecheesey's list "Names from Books written by POC authors" of 136 great name ideas: Abdul - Zathulu!

Names from Books written by POC authors

I have been diversifying my reading and come across a lot of beautiful names! All of the names in this lis come from books written by POC authors, primarily Black. 