African Names for Girls

Nyala is a secret nature name with a fashionable animal meaning. Nyala might be an appropriate name for a baby girl born under the sign of Capricorn, which is symbolized by the goat, or in the Chinese Year of the Goat -- though the last one was 2015 and we won't have another until 2027. Although the nee beginning is most frequently cited as the correct pronunciation, the name can -- and often will -- be pronounced with the first syllable rhyming with my and sigh.

Lush and unusual.

Spirit that protects babies from illness...and surname of designer Naomi.

One African name that's virtually unknown in the western world, but sounds both soft and strong.

Kenya, a name borrowed from the East African nation and theoretically unisex, is now used mostly for girls. While it's had its ups and downs since entering the US Top 1000 in 1968, it currently ranks lower than spelling variant Kenia.

A truly international name with an arty feel, Zina has many origins. It is used as a short form of Zinaida, Rozina, and Zenobia in Russia, Hungary, and Poland and as an alternative form of Xena, Xenia, and Zena in various European countries. It is also an Arabic name meaning "adornment", an Nsenga name referring to a child's spirit name, a Galician form of Gina, and an Amharic name that could mean "felicity, happiness".

While this African place-name is much more popular for boys, nearly 40 girls were named Zaire last year. Among African baby names, this is one of the best-known in the US.

Panya is a multicultural possibility with a sound that's pleasing to the English-speaking ear, though the Swahili translation, which might also be "rat," makes it less than savory as an African name.

Short form of Adebayo

An anagram of Mama, in tune with its Tamil meaning.

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.

Dynamic and creative; common in Africa, challenging here. Pronunciation isn't as difficult as you'd guess, but everyone will have to ask. Many favor n-GO-zee, but a native speaker tells us that it is closer to n-GAW-zee, and we've found at least one n-GAH-zee, too.

The name of a great seventeenth century African warrior queen, known for her brilliance as an administrator and organizer, and unstinting commitment to peace.

A name with the kind of pan-cultural feel that's in vogue now... and forever, it is both a Swahili name meaning "coral", ultimately from the Arabic marjan, and a Hindi name, meaning "purification".

Would you really want to name your child after a Japanese anime movie called Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space.

This Hindi word which is used in prayer is one of the prime names that mean peace, always a nice message to impart to a child. Nick Nolte used it for his daughter.

Lissa might be an abbreviation of Melissa, but it's more substantial in its own right: Lissa is the name of a supreme mother goddess in African mythology and an Arabic symbol of rebirth.

Despite its varied cultural ties, Zizi still sounds like a cancan dancer or a fluffy lapdog.

This variant of the more-difficult Afua, from the Akan language of what is now Ghana in West Africa, is a traditional "day name" that can make a perfectly pretty modern choice.

Makena may be one of the names with the most diverse range of possible roots. It can be a spelling variation of the Scottish surname McKenna, or a name from the East African Meru community with a happy meaning. Makena is also a Hawaiian place name that refers to a town on Maui, which may be drawn from the Hawaiian Makana, meaning "gift".