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African Names for Boys

Nameberry
By Nameberry
Updated Tue Jun 09 2020
African names for boys include some of the very biggest names on the global stage in recent years: Barack, Mandela, Kofi, and — for rather different reasons — Kanye. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has a particularly interesting name in terms of traditional African naming conventions: Kofi means "born on a Friday", while his middle name, Atta, means "twin". It remains common practice in parts of Africa to name babies according to time, day, order, or circumstances of birth. Other appealing African boy names with such meanings include the Yoruba name Kehinde ("second of twins") and the Akan name Kwame ("born on a Saturday").

See our full selection of African baby boy names, and the stories behind them, below. 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. Zaire

    • Origin:

      Place name, Congo

    • Meaning:

      "the river that swallows all rivers"

    • Description:

      Zaire was a Central African state from 1971 to 1997 that has recently risen up the charts as a boys name. Deriving from a Congo term meaning "the river that swallows all rivers", it makes a bold and wearable choice for a son.
  2. Kanye

    • Origin:

      African place-name, Nigeria

    • Meaning:

      "honor, tribute"

    • Description:

      Kanye West propelled his name into the Top 900 in the early 2000s, at the height of his popularity, though now it has dropped off the baby-naming map. In addition to its African derivation, it is a Hawaiian name meaning 'free'.
  3. Obi

    • Origin:

      African, Igbo

    • Meaning:

      "heart"

    • Description:

      Strongly linked in the US to the complex "Star Wars" character, Obi Wan Kenobi, but also popular in Nigeria as a short form of names containing the element Obi "heart".
  4. Kwaku

    • Origin:

      Ghanaian, Akan, Twi

    • Meaning:

      "Born on a Wednesday"

    • Description:

      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).
  5. Kano

    • Origin:

      African place-name or Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "the god of the waters"

    • Description:

      Pleasing crossover possibility.
  6. Kato

    • Origin:

      African, Uganda

    • Meaning:

      "second of twins"

    • Description:

      Kato gained a lot of attention during the O. J. Simpson trial via witness Kato Kaelin (born Brian). It is also the name of a fictional character in "The Green Hornet." Spelled Cato, it has a lot more credibility as an ancient name.
  7. Bayo

    • Origin:

      African, Nigerian, Yoruba

    • Meaning:

      "the crown meets joy"

    • Description:

      Short form of Adebayo
  8. Ayan

    • Origin:

      Somali

    • Meaning:

      "fortune"

    • Description:

      The African name Ayan was first seen on the US Top 1000 for boys in 2014. It's both simple and distinctive, a winning combination.
  9. Kofi

    • Origin:

      Ghanaian, Akan, Twi

    • Meaning:

      "born on Friday"

    • Description:

      This Akan day name is very much associated with Kofi Annan, the seventh secretary general of the United Nations. 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.
  10. Congo

    • Origin:

      Place-name

    • Meaning:

      "gather"

    • Description:

      Not long ago, the name of this central African republic was firmly in place-name territory and not seen as baby appropriate. But those boundaries are moving so quickly that all kinds of place-names that were once not considered as baby names, from Alaska to Morocco to Chicago to, yes, Congo are on the list. The place-name Congo is taken from the people and language of the Kingdom of Kongo. In that language, the word kongo means "gather".
  11. Kymani

    • Origin:

      Eastern African

    • Meaning:

      "adventurous traveler"

    • Description:

      One of the most popular African names for boys, Kymani was in the US Top 1000 list from 2008 until 2016. Spelled Ky-mani, it's the name of Bob Marley's son.
  12. Massai

    • Origin:

      African tribe; also Italian

    • Meaning:

      "owner of land and farms"

    • Description:

      Unusual name chosen for her son by actress Nia Long, who combined it with the even more unusual literary middle name, Zhivago.
  13. Mandla

    • Origin:

      African

    • Meaning:

      "strength"

    • Description:

      This obscure Zulu name was chosen by Stevie Wonder.
  14. Barack

    • Origin:

      Hebrew; also Swahili from Arabic

    • Meaning:

      "thunderbolt, lightning; or blessing"

    • Description:

      The name of the 44th president, which he inherited from his Kenyan father, is related to the Swahili word "baraka," meaning "blessing," derived from the Arabic "baracka." It is linked, through the Semitic root, to the Hebrew name Baruch. Barack is also sometimes an alternate spelling of the Hebrew name Barak, which stems from the Semitic word for "lightning." Barack Obama may have found it a difficult name to grow up with, but the same won't be true for the many babies starting to be given that name. Other parents are being inspired to use Obama, which is a common surname among the Luo people of East Africa meaning "to lean or bend."
  15. Zuri

    • Origin:

      Kiswahili

    • Meaning:

      "good, beautiful"

    • Description:

      Singular, strong, and rare outside East Africa.
  16. Zenebe

    • Origin:

      Amharic

    • Meaning:

      "raining"

    • Description:

      Zenebe is an appealing name well-used in Ethiopia but rarely heard outside its native land. But it translates easily into English and Zen makes for a cool and attractive nickname. A winning choice for those looking for an African boys' names that bridges cultures.
  17. Kehinde

    • Origin:

      Yoruba

    • Meaning:

      "second-born of twins or one who falls behind"

    • Description:

      This African name, which derives from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, is used for both girls and boys -- but in the US, its most notable bearer is (male) artist Kehinde Wiley. Wiley, who paints brown- and black-skinned people in the style of European Old Masters, was born in Los Angeles of an African-American mother and a Yoruba father and was also a twin, thus his name. An attractive and creative choice for either gender.
  18. Nairobi

    • Origin:

      African place name

    • Description:

      The capital of Kenya makes a melodic and worldly name.
  19. Ebo

    • Origin:

      African, Akeradini

    • Meaning:

      "born on Tuesday"

    • Description:

      Ebo is a powerful African day name that can be used to fit its definition.
  20. Kwabena

    • Origin:

      Ghanaian, Akan, Twi

    • Meaning:

      "Born on a Tuesday"

    • Description:

      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).