Awesome African Names

Awesome African baby names
  1. Amara
    • Origin:

      Igbo, Sanskrit, Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "grace, immortal, tribe"
    • Description:

      Strong, attractive, and stylish, Amara is a true multicultural choice enjoying some popularity in both the US and the UK. In the US Top 1000 since the turn of this century, Amara has been holding steady in the rankings between overly popular and obscure.
  2. Asha
    • Origin:

      Sanskrit; Swahili
    • Meaning:

      "hope; life"
    • Description:

      Asha is an Indian name that comes from the Sanskrit word for hope or desire, but it is also a Swahili name derived from Aisha, meaning life. Since the ascendance of Ashley through the 1980s and 90s, all baby names Ash-related have been used in the U.S. for both girls and boys, from Ashlyn to Ashby, Ashton to Asher. Despite its separate roots, Asha is part of this group.
  3. Nia
    • Origin:

      Swahili; Welsh form of the Irish Niamh
    • Meaning:

      "resolve; brilliance"
    • Description:

      Short but energetic and substantial, Nia has special meaning for African-American parents, as it's one of the days of Kwanza. Nia also benefits by its similarity to (yet differentness from) the megapopular Mia.
  4. Imani
    • Origin:

      Arabic, Swahili
    • Meaning:

      "faith"
    • Description:

      Another strong Arabic name, related to Iman. Imani one is popular throughout the Muslim world but especially East Africa. It was chosen for her daughter by actress Jasmine Guy.
  5. Zola
    • Origin:

      African, Congolese; also literary name
    • Meaning:

      "piece of earth"
    • Description:

      When the Eddie Murphys named their fourth daughter Zola, it affirmed the up-and-coming status of the name, which has African roots, but also literary links to Emile Zola. Zola may also be recognizable to some as the adopted daughter of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd on the hit, long-running show Grey's Anatomy.
  6. Charlize
    • Origin:

      Feminization of Charles
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Charlize is a name that owes its very life to a star: elegant blond South African actress Charlize Theron. She was named after her father, whose name was Charles. Charlize jumped onto the popularity lists in 2004, the year the actress won the Oscar for lead actress in Monster.
  7. Sanaa
    • Origin:

      Swahili; Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "work of art; shining light"
    • Description:

      Simple-yet-unusual name with a creative meaning. Actress Sanaa Lathan promoted it, and it was on the U.S. popularity list from 2003 to 2011. Shaquille O'Neal used it as the middle name of his daughter Amirah. And spelled Sana'a, it's the capital of Yemen.
  8. 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.
  9. Makena
    • Origin:

      Scottish, Meru, or Hawaiian
    • Meaning:

      "son of Kenneth; happy one, gift"
    • Description:

      Makena may be one of the names with the most diverse range of possible roots. It can be a spelling variation of the Scottish surname McKenna, or a name from the East African Meru community with a happy meaning. Makena is also a Hawaiian place name that refers to a town on Maui, which may be drawn from the Hawaiian Makana, meaning "gift".
  10. Afia
    • Origin:

      African
    • Meaning:

      "born on Friday"
    • Description:

      This variant of the more-difficult Afua, from the Akan language of what is now Ghana in West Africa, is a traditional "day name" that can make a perfectly pretty modern choice.
  11. Abena
    • Origin:

      Akan, Fante, Ghanaian
    • Meaning:

      "born on Tuesday"
    • Description:

      This name from the Akan language of Ghana in West Africa is traditionally given to baby girls born on a Tuesday. The male version is Kwabena or Kobena.
  12. Kamaria
    • Origin:

      Swahili
    • Meaning:

      "moonlight"
    • Description:

      Lush and unusual.
  13. Thandiwe
    • Origin:

      Zulu, Xhosa
    • Meaning:

      "beloved"
    • Description:

      A common full form of Thandi or Thandie.
  14. Desta
    • Jelani
      • Lindiwe
        • Manyara
          • Tinashe
            • Adanna
              • Esi