African Names that Start With I
Single page list
The names
Imena
African, Arabic
"dream; faith"
A worthy update for Imani.
Iyabo
African, Yoruba
"mother has returned"
A lively name often used to honor a deceased grandmother in Yoruba culture.
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.
Ibo
African
"my people"
Ibo is short but striking. Another, unrelated but equally appealing name is Ivo.
Idi
African
"born during the Idd festival"
Adverse associations with the ruthless Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.
Ife
Yoruba
"love"
Short but impactful, Ife is a meaningful Yoruba name, taken from the word ífé meaning "love". Predominantly used in Nigeria or among Nigerian families, it may also be used in as an element in longer…