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African Names for Girls

Nameberry
By Nameberry
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
African names for girls are derived from a wide range of cultures, languages and countries, from Arabic to Xhosa, Swahili to Yoruba. Some African names have migrated to other continents and become well-used in English-speaking nations such as the US and Great Britain, including Amara, Anika, Zuri, and place-name Kenya. Many African names for girls originated as names for days of the week, times of the year such as harvest time, positions in the family such as eldest daughter, or elements of nature such as lion or grass. In modern Africa, names sometimes have a religious element, with much of Northern Africa using Muslim names while parents in other African countries favoring Christian names. In the US, many parents began searching for African names with personal meaning following the popularity of the book and TV miniseries Roots, in which the main character reclaims his African names.

If you're searching for African names for a baby girl, here is our full list. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.
  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. 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.
  3. 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.
  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. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Sanaa

    • Origin:

      Swahili; Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "work of art; shining light"

    • Description:

      Simple-yet-unusual name with a creative meaning. Actress Sanaa Lathan promoted it, and it was on the U.S. popularity list from 2003 to 2011. Shaquille O'Neal used it as the middle name of his daughter Amirah. And spelled Sana'a, it's the capital of Yemen.
  12. 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".
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Juba

    • Origin:

      African

    • Meaning:

      "born on Monday"

    • Description:

      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.
  17. Nairobi

    • Origin:

      African place-name, Maasi

    • Meaning:

      "cold water"

    • Description:

      Kenya is fairly commonly heard as a girl's name, but its capital city makes a much more exceptional choice. The name comes from the Maasai phrase "Enkare Nairobi," which translates to "cold water." Nairobi is popularly known as the Green City.
  18. Makena

    • Origin:

      Scottish, Meru, or Hawaiian

    • Meaning:

      "son of Kenneth; happy one, gift"

    • Description:

      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".
  19. Bayo

    • Origin:

      African, Nigerian, Yoruba

    • Meaning:

      "the crown meets joy"

    • Description:

      Short form of Adebayo
  20. Marjani

    • Origin:

      Swahili from Arabic, Hindi, Sanskrit

    • Meaning:

      "coral; cleansing, purification"

    • Description:

      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".