An easily assimilated African name, a novel twist on Johnny. 

Ajani

Akello

Variant of Kwasi, given to boys born on a Sunday among the Akan people of Ghana.

Akwasi

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

Amadi

A form of Ahmad popular in Western Africa. It ranked in the French Top 500 for much of the 1980s.

Amadou

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.

Ayan

A beautiful meaning for a long-awaited child.

Ayodele

Abuja

Adamu

Adeben

Adewale

Awori

Axum

Ayangalu

Ayoka

Azibo

Bende

Bantu

Benue

A very common boys' name (and nickname) in Nigeria that some Americans will recognize as the name of one of the main characters on NBC's The Good Place.

Chidi

Chike

Dakarai

Danso

Davu

Ezana of Aksum was the ruler of an ancient kingdom that is now in Eritrea and Ethiopia. He was the first monarch of Aksum to convert to Christianity and is a saint in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
 
The name Ezana is from the Ge'ez language, but its meaning has been lost to history.

Ezana

Ekon

Eyosias

Hevioso

Issa

Ikechi

Ikem

Ikemba

Iverem

Jonono

Kano

Kasim

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.

Kato

Kellan Lutz is the attractive young actor who plays Emmett Cullen in the Twilight series.

Kellan

Kion

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant, whose name was inspired by a Japanese steak house, brought this energetic and appealing name into -- and out of -- the mix. Bryant's tragic death in a helicopter crash in 2020 increased the popularity of his name, as fans and admirers named their children Kobe in honor of the star.

Kobe

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. 
 Kofi is the male name for babies born on a Friday (the female variant is Afua/Efua).

Kofi

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).
Kwabena is the name for boys born on a Tuesday. The association of Kwabena is the ocean, so this might also be considered a <a href="https://nameberry.com/list/641/names-that-mean-ocean">name meaning ocean</a>.

Kwabena

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). 
 Kwaku is the male name for babies born on a Wednesday (the female variant is Akua or Akuba).

Kwaku

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). 
 
Kwame is the name for boys born on a Saturday. (The name for girls born on a Saturday is Ama).

Kwame

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). 

Kwasi is the name for boys born on a Sunday. (The name for girls born on a Sunday is Akosua).

Kwasi

Kanu

Kaymar

Kayode

Kemet

Kendi

Kengne

Khoe

Kintu

Kobena

Kodjo

Kolfe

Koro

Kwaito

Kweisi

Kxoe

Lerato

Lindelani

Lutalo

A name with many spelling variations, including Malek and Maliq. With Muslim roots, Malik ranks in the US Top 500 and is also popular in several European and Arabic countries.

Malik can also be thought of as a nature name, via its Greenlandic meaning of wave.

Malik

This obscure Zulu name was chosen by Stevie Wonder.

Mandla

Menelik

Mafana

Manala

Maxamed

Mekell

Mfon

Mhlanga

Musi

Mzansi

Water names are a cool category these days, and this one of the famous Egyptian river is no exception. It streamlines the fussier Niles and also may be thought of as a color name, meaning dark blue or indigo. 
 
Nile is also related to Niall, the Irish Gaelic form of Neal/Neil.
 Nile was actually used enough to make it onto the Top 1000 a couple of times around the turn of the last century.

Nile

Nanasi

Nkem

Nyabela

Nyiko

Okello

Rarely used these days, Onesimus was the name of an escaped enslaved man in the Bible who met St. Paul in prison. Its Greek sound is obvious, and its four syllables make it one that might be hard to wear in the twenty-first century.

Onesimus

Okeoma

Olatayo

Olaudah

Oloche

Olorun

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

Shango

Samkello

Samkelo

Shaka

Sibhoko

King Tafari was the last king of Ethiopia. He is worshipped today as an incarnation of God by Rastafarians.

Tafari

Tau, rhyming with cow, is a simple straightforward name with roots in two languages and cultures, the Kaurna language spoken by indigenous Australian people or the African Tswana language, a Bantu language spoken by five million people.
 
Grimes and Elon Musk have a son named Techno Mechanicus, who goes by Tau — a more wearable nickname than their other children, X and Y.

Tayo, also written as Táyò in Yoruba, is a name that sounds as joyful as its meaning.

Tayo

A common unisex name used frequently in South Africa.

Thando

Themba is a common male name in southern African countries such as Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini.

Themba

Tore

ThatsAmore's list "Connecting African Heritage - Male" of 110 great name ideas: Ade - Zemba!

Connecting African Heritage - Male

Africa + Caribbean; Haiti, Jamaica   - 

list 2.0 (WIP previous list wiped by errors) 
- (Dear NameBerry, please drop or adjust the lengthy 15+ word description requirement.)