African Names for Girls

A variation of Nila, a name spread through African by the substantial Indian population there. Also a variant of Neala and Neila.

Lush and unusual.

A relatively new name on the scene, increasing in popularity since 1999.

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.

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

Too close to "payola."

Simple but sultry.

Short form of Adebayo

A worthy update for Imani.

Kenya is fairly commonly heard as a girl's name, but its capital city makes a much more exceptional choice.

A name from the East African Kikuyu language with a sweet meaning; and a simplified spelling of McKenna.

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

Old-style arty.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

A name with the kind of pan-cultural feel that's in vogue now... and forever. A French variant, Marjane, belongs to the author of the iconic graphic memoir Persepolis.

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.