African Girl Names

A captivating and sprightly name brought into the limelight by actress Thandiwe Newton.

Though this is traditionally a male name, it can work for a girl in our culture. Might also be considered a short form of the Italian Amadea.

This charming West African mini name fits in with the other similarly short names that are all the rage right now. Ayo is enjoying new visibility thanks to actress Ayo Edebiri, star of TV's The Bear.

For parents searching for an African name that is wearable in the US, Sekai is a wonderful option for a daughter.

This is a Muslim female name particularly popular in Somalia and North Africa.

This name of the capital of an ancient Egyptian dynasty makes Lois X-rated.

One African name that's virtually unknown in the western world, but sounds both soft and strong.

Zenzile derives from the word uzenzile, meaning "you bought this upon yourself." It was the given name of Miriam Makeba, a singer known as Mama Africa. Her mother gave Makeba the name after a difficult delivery because she had previously been warned that she was unlikely to survive the pregnancy.

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.

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.

A rare and beautiful name that could easily cross cultures.

Might frequently be understood as "pilly." Can also be a short form of Pilar -- though the long form is better.

A sparkling and rare option among the names that mean light.

Also spelt Sebele, this soft-sounding name means "harvest" in the Amharic language of Ethiopia.

A rarer version of the charming Yoruba name Abeni.

Not many parents would want to use Tisa for its literal meaning in this era of smaller families, but Tisa is a name with much crossover appeal. Simple and straightforward, it's also both distinctive and feminine and relates to similar-sounding Western names such as Lisa and Trisha and Tea. If you're looking for an African name that can bridge cultures, Tisa is an excellent pick.

Nakato was traditionally used on the second-born (female) twin among the Luganda-speaking people of Uganda.

Related to the better-known Arabic name Noor.

Intriguing and rare South African name.

More original than any made-up name.