African American Names for Girls
- Aisha
Origin:
Arabic; SwahiliMeaning:
"living, prosperous"Description:
Aisha was Muhammad's favorite wife, making this lovely name and its myriad variations hugely popular among Muslims and also African-Americans. It's been energized by TV personality Aisha Tyler. Pronunciation is usually eye-EE-sha but some say ay-sha.
- Tyra
Origin:
Scandinavian, feminine variation of Tyr, an ancient Indo-European godDescription:
High profile supermodel/entrepreneur Tyra Banks has put this name in the spotlight, endowing it with her confident, superattractive image.
- Sade
Origin:
Finnish, Nigerian and Yoruba, diminutive of FolashadeMeaning:
"rain; honor bestows a crown"Description:
The one-named singer clarified the confusing pronunciation on this one (in her case, it's shah-DAY), but a number of parents have looked for more phonetic spellings. The Finnish version means "rain."
- Tyler
Origin:
Occupational nameMeaning:
"maker of tiles"Description:
This once-trendy name has been fading for both boys and girls. A Top 10 name from 1992 to 2000, it is now at Number 38 and falling. It was the surname of the tenth U.S. president.
- Diamond
Origin:
Word name, English from GreekMeaning:
"diamond"Description:
Diamond sparkled all through the nineties--reaching as high as Number 150 in 1999. Although its shine has diminished quite a bit, it remains in use.
- Meghan
Origin:
Variation of Megan, WelshMeaning:
"pearl"Description:
Megan was one of the first trendy names to spawn lots of spelling variations and this form of the name is less popular than its streamlined counterpart, but nevertheless familiar to those in the English speaking world. A variant of Margaret, the name was rarely heard outside of Wales before the mid-20th century.
- Keisha
Origin:
Spelling variation of KeziahMeaning:
"cinnamon, cassia tree"Description:
A long-popular name, particularly among the African-American community, Keisha was first publicized by the child actress, Keshia Knight Pulliam, who starred on the old Cosby Show. It entered the US Top 1000 in 1967 and remained there for 30 years, but it hasn't featured again since 1997.
- China
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
Long before the current place-name craze, a pair of the more daring pop singers of the Age of Aquarius picked this name for their daughters. Jefferson Airplane's Grace Slick used the conventional spelling, the Mamas and the Papas's Michelle Phillips went further afield with Chynna (of the group Wilson Phillips).
- Aliya
Origin:
Arabic, HebrewMeaning:
"heavens, highborn, exalted; to ascend, to rise"Description:
Simpler and less tied to the singer in this form, Aliya is a feminine form of the Arabic name Ali, meaning "lofty, sublime, high" or "exalted." Boosted to fame by the ill-fated singer, Aaliyah, and used across the Middle East, the US and the UK, Aliya is a powerful and pretty choice with a concise spelling.
- Latoya
Origin:
American EnglishMeaning:
"victory"Description:
Built from the popular La- prefix and Toya, possibly from Victoria, this is one of the best known and historically most popular La-starting names. A famous bearer is La Toya Jackson, a singer, actress and businesswoman and sister of Michael Jackson. It was a Top 100 name from 1981 to 1985, then fell off the list in 1995.
- Fantasia
Origin:
GreekMeaning:
"imagination"Description:
One of the more prominent by-products of reality TV, via Disney.
- Kiarra
Description:
Kiarra is a melodious feminine name that gained popularity in the United States beginning in the 1990s. It likely developed as a variant of Kiara or Ciara, which have Irish and Italian origins meaning 'dark' or 'little dark one.' The double 'r' adds a flowing quality to the pronunciation and gives the name a distinctive appearance. Kiarra blends the trend of names with 'Ki-' beginnings with the popular '-arra' ending sound found in names like Tarra and Zarra. The name has a musical quality with its balanced syllables and liquid consonants. While not among the most common names, Kiarra has maintained steady usage, particularly in diverse communities. It offers the appeal of being recognizable without being overly popular.
- Raheema
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