African Names for Girls
Across 5 pages
of 5
The names
Asha
Sanskrit; Swahili
"hope; life"
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,…
Zela
African variation of Zoe
See ZELLA.
Zola
African, Congolese; also literary name
"piece of earth"
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…
Makena
Scottish, Meru, or Hawaiian
"son of Kenneth; happy one, gift"
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…
Folami
Yoruba, African
"honor and respect me"
Nigerian name with an honorable meaning.
Kessie
African, Ashanti
"chubby baby"
Kessie is cute but slight.
Fayola
Yoruba, "lucky, good fortune, blessed"
"lucky, good fortune, blessed"
A beautiful Yoruban name associated with honor and good fortune. Both fy-o-la and fay-OH-luh are used as pronunciations. Instagrammer Fayola Leo and musician Sri Fayola are notable bearers.
Kanika
African, Mwera
"black cloth"
Energetic choice that bounces off the tongue.
Kissa
African-Ugandan
"born after twins"
Affectionate sounding name that could have birth-order meaning.
Luanda
African place-name
This name of Angola's capital city has occasionally been used for baby girls.
Fana
African
"light or jungle"
Simple, delicate, and unusual.
Kamaria
Swahili
"moonlight"
Lush and unusual.
Kamali
African, Mashona
"spirit guide, protector"
Spirit that protects babies from illness...and surname of designer Naomi.
Falala
African, Fula
"born in abundance"
A wonderful meaning for a bright and musical West African name.
Shanti
Hindi, Sanskrit
"peace"
A gentle Hindi name, ultimately from the Sanskrit śāntī , Shanti may equally refer to a state of mental and physical peace, maintained despite any stresses or difficulties and Hindu prayers for…
Kadida
Arabic
"premature child"
Kadida is an Anglicized form of the Arabic name Khadija, wife of the Muslim prophet Muhammad.
Juba
African
"born on Monday"
Juba, a strong and resonant unisex name, belonged to an ancient African king, is a city and river name, and is traditionally given to Ashanti (of Ghana) girls born on Monday.
Jinja
African place-name
Gingery.
Izara
Arabic, Basque, Hausa
"shawl; star; section of tree"
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.
Diarra
West African
"gift"
Diarra has a nice meaning, but we could see it leading to possible teasing re association with a certain digestive problem.