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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. Obi

    • Origin:

      Short form of Obadiah or 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".
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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'.
  6. 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."
  7. Gahiji

    • Origin:

      African

    • Meaning:

      "the hunter"

    • Description:

      A name that originated in Rwanda, rhythmically evocative.
  8. 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.
  9. Bayo

    • Origin:

      African, Nigerian, Yoruba

    • Meaning:

      "the crown meets joy"

    • Description:

      Short form of Adebayo
  10. Abanu

    • Origin:

      African, Ibo

    • Meaning:

      "I have joined the family"

    • Description:

      Rhythmic, strong, and buoyant.
  11. 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.
  12. Yaw

    • Origin:

      Ghanaian, Akan, Twi

    • Meaning:

      "Born on a Thursday"

    • 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).
  13. Zuri

    • Origin:

      Kiswahili

    • Meaning:

      "good, beautiful"

    • Description:

      Singular, strong, and rare outside East Africa.
  14. 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.
  15. Ebo

    • Origin:

      African, Akeradini

    • Meaning:

      "born on Tuesday"

    • Description:

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

    • Origin:

      African

    • Meaning:

      "thirteenth born son"

    • Description:

      If you choose this name, it's not likely to be for the meaning.
  17. Shango

    • Origin:

      African, Yoruba, mythology name

    • Description:

      More substantial than it sounds: Shango was the god of thunder and legendary ancestor of the Yoruba people of Nigeria.
  18. Amadi

    • Origin:

      African

    • Meaning:

      "free man"

    • Description:

      This name from the Igbo language of Africa, which feels like the more-familiar Arabic Ahmad, might be an original and attractive choice.
  19. Ibo

    • Origin:

      African

    • Meaning:

      "my people"

    • Description:

      Ibo is short but striking. Another, unrelated but equally appealing name is Ivo.
  20. Kano

    • Origin:

      African place-name or Japanese

    • Meaning:

      "the god of the waters"

    • Description:

      Pleasing crossover possibility.

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