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African Names

Pamela Redmond
By Pamela Redmond
Updated Tue Oct 29 2024

African baby names derive from a wide range of languages and cultures, from Ethiopian to Nigerian, Yoruba to Xhosa. African names often denote days of the week or times of the year denoting when the baby was born. Another source for African name meaning is place in the family: first-born of twins, for instance, or youngest son.

Nature also figures as a source for African baby names, with names relating to animals, weather, and landscape. Some African names derive from the Muslim religion while others relate to individual tribal mythology and beliefs.

Browse all of our African baby names here, ordered by their current popularity on Nameberry.

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African Girl Names

African Boy Names

  1. Amara

    • Origin:

      Igbo, Sanskrit, Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "grace, immortal, tribe"

    • Description:

      Strong, attractive, and stylish, Amara is a true multicultural choice enjoying some popularity in both the US and the UK. In the US Top 1000 since the turn of this century, Amara has been holding steady in the rankings between overly popular and obscure.
  2. Asha

    • Origin:

      Sanskrit; Swahili

    • Meaning:

      "hope; life"

    • Description:

      Asha is an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit word for hope or desire, but it is also a Swahili name derived from Aisha, meaning life. Since the ascendance of Ashley through the 1980s and 90s, all baby names Ash-related have been used in the U.S. for both girls and boys, from Ashlyn to Ashby, Ashton to Asher. Despite its separate roots, Asha is part of this group.
  3. Sena

    • Origin:

      Korean; Hindi; Turkish; Arabic; Ewe

    • Meaning:

      "this world's beauty or grace; army; to praise; bringing heaven to earth"

    • Description:

      Sena is one of those names that is as obscure in the Western World as it is simple and straightforward. Sena exists as a name in a range of languages and cultures and may be pronounced like Senna (with a soft e) or Sienna.
  4. Zora

    • Origin:

      Serbo-Croatian

    • Meaning:

      "dawn"

    • Description:

      Zora is a meaningful literary heroine name honoring Zora Neale Hurston, an important black writer and leader of the Harlem Renaissance.
  5. Zella

    • Origin:

      African, Bobangi, Libyan place name, diminutive of Rosella, Marcella, Gizella, or Isabella

    • Meaning:

      "lacking nothing, one who knows the way"

    • Description:

      Sunny, sassy, and stylish, Zella is a multicultural and versatile choice which works across multiple languages. Popular back in the early 19th century, Zella is now catching the attention of cotemporary parent as a rival to Ella, Stella, and Della.
  6. Zaire

    • Origin:

      Place name, Congo

    • Meaning:

      "the river that swallows all rivers"

    • Description:

      Zaire was a Central African state from 1971 to 1997 that has recently risen up the charts as a boys name. Deriving from a Congo term meaning "the river that swallows all rivers", it makes a bold and wearable choice for a son.
  7. Zuri

    • Origin:

      Kiswahili

    • Meaning:

      "good, beautiful"

    • Description:

      Zuri migrated, at least to American sensibilities, to the feminine side when an Ohio zoo used it for a female giraffe. For either gender, Zuri is an attractive name with the usual Z-initial zest.
  8. Zendaya

    • Origin:

      Shona

    • Meaning:

      "to give thanks"

    • Description:

      Zendaya has propelled her unusual African name into the spotlight and up the popularity charts. Zendaya is one of the major baby name influencers of our era.
  9. Makenna

    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of McKenna, Irish, Eastern African

    • Meaning:

      "son of Kenneth; happy one"

    • Description:

      Makenna can be considered a member of the McKenna, Mackenna, Mckenzie and Mckayla family: surname style names that are popular for girls. It translates to "son of Kenneth", or taking Kenneth's meaning into account, "son born of fire". This particular spelling peeked in 2010 when it reached #201 on the US charts, and while it remains in the Top 500, it has declined in popularity in recent years.
  10. Nala

    • Origin:

      African, meaning unknown

    • Description:

      A Disney name—Nala was the friend who became the wife of Simba, hero of The Lion King. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2015.
  11. Anika

    • Origin:

      Nordic diminutive of Anne or African, Hausa

    • Meaning:

      "sweetness of face"

    • Description:

      Anike is an attractive name with ties to several cultures, both African and Scandinavian. The African pronunciation emphasizes the second syllable while the Nordic one emphasizes the first. While there will be inevitable confusion over pronunciation, either form is "correct".
  12. Zola

    • Origin:

      African, Congolese; also literary name

    • Meaning:

      "piece of earth"

    • Description:

      When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be recognizable to some as the adopted daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the hit, long-running show Grey's Anatomy.
  13. Izara

    • Origin:

      Arabic, Basque, Hausa

    • Meaning:

      "shawl; star; section of tree"

    • Description:

      Attractive, rhythmic choice with roots in several languages and cultures. It's a lesser-known a celestial name, meaning "star" in Basque and referring to a star in the constellation Boötes in Arabic.
  14. Obi

    • Origin:

      African, Igbo

    • Meaning:

      "heart"

    • Description:

      Strongly linked in the US to the complex "Star Wars" character, Obi Wan Kenobi, but also popular in Nigeria as a short form of names containing the element Obi "heart".
  15. Kato

    • Origin:

      African, Uganda

    • Meaning:

      "second of twins"

    • Description:

      Kato gained a lot of attention during the O. J. Simpson trial via witness Kato Kaelin (born Brian). It is also the name of a fictional character in "The Green Hornet." Spelled Cato, it has a lot more credibility as an ancient name.
  16. Zuri

    • Origin:

      Kiswahili

    • Meaning:

      "good, beautiful"

    • Description:

      Singular, strong, and rare outside East Africa.
  17. Ama

    • Origin:

      Ewe, Akan, Ghanaian, Cherokee

    • Meaning:

      "born on Saturday; water"

    • Description:

      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.
  18. Behati

    • Origin:

      Afrikaans version of Beatrice

    • Meaning:

      "blessed; she who brings happiness"

    • Description:

      Namibian supermodel Behati Prinsloo, who has walked the runway for every designer from Prada to Versace to Vera Wang, has introduced us to this Afrikaans version of Beate or Beatrice, a rhythmic twist on an international favorite.
  19. Zala

    • Origin:

      Ethiopian or Slovene variation of Rozalija

    • Meaning:

      "a people from southwest Ethiopia; rose"

    • Description:

      Simple but sultry.
  20. Kia

    • Origin:

      African

    • Meaning:

      "season's beginning"

    • Description:

      Kia is a sweet, simple name that is now, unfortunately, associated with a Korean car label. Better today: Nia, Thea, or Keira.