African Names for Girls

This Swahili and Muslim female name referring to the Prophet Muhammed's nurse. It is a popular name in Egypt and Somalia.

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.

Samiya is a name used by parents of both Arabic and African ancestry. Spelling variations include Samiyah, Samiah, and Samia.

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

Abyssinia is the ancient name of the Ethiopian Empire, no longer found on any map but with a possible future as a melodic girls' name in the ever-expanding place-name category. Among African names for girls, this one is undiscovered.

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.

Short form of Adebayo

Something slightly negative about that Nil beginning; more positive similar names would be Lilla or Willa, Lucilla or Priscilla. Nilla may also be a short form of the Scandinavian Gunilla.

A variant of Asha, which is related to the classic Arabic name Aisha, yet another way to say life. Other on-the-rise names with this uplifting meaning: Zoe and Vivian varieties such as Viviana, Viveca, and Vivienne.

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.

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

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).

Friendly and energetic name from the Mende language of West Africa.

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.

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

A beautiful Yoruban name associated with honor and good fortune. Both fy-o-la and fay-OH-luh are used as pronunciations.

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".

Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.

A name whose sweet sound matches with its meaning, Habiba is popular in Somalia and North Africa. It comes from the Arabic habib meaning "dear, beloved", making it a bright and endearing choice.