African Names that Start With M

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.

Makenna is a name from the East African Meru community, with a sweet, cheerful meaning and a spirited sound. It could also be used as a spelling variation of the Scottish surname McKenna, or as a nod to the Hawaiian place name, Makena, on the south-west of the Island of Maui, possibly borrowed from the Meru name or from the Hawaiian Makana, meaning "gift".

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

This obscure Zulu name was chosen by Stevie Wonder.

An African family name ripe for adoption in honor of Nelson Mandela, the South African activist imprisoned for almost thirty years for his antiapartheid activities.

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".

Pronounced mah-zah, Maaza means a pleasant scent, usually from a yellow daisy popular in Ethiopia. Hot young Ethiopian-American novelist Maaza Mengiste introduced the name to our shores.