One of the most exciting parts of expecting a baby is choosing your child’s name! If you are pregnant or adopting and considering an African name, you’re in the right place! There are many beautiful African girl names and African boy names with equally beautiful meanings to choose from. Some African names are Swahili; some are Egyptian, and a few are Arabic, Hebrew, Ethiopian, or Somali in origin. Most of these baby names are from Eastern, Southern, or Western Africa, but a few are from Northern Africa too.
African Names for Your Baby
African Girl Names
Are you a Disney fan? You might like Nala, of The Lion King fame, which means “us.”
History buff? You might consider Cleopatra, as in Cleopatra VII, which means “glory of the father.”
Like geography? You might like Kenya, the name of a country and mountain in East Africa, which means “striped one or the mountain of whiteness” because of its snow-capped peak.
Do you love nature and the outdoors? You might consider nature names like Abeba, which means “flower,” or Aberash, which means “giving off light, shining.”
Maybe you want to choose a religious name for your daughter. You might like Ayaan, which means “gift of God, good luck;” or Chidinma, which means “God is good;” or Imani, which means “faith;” Masego, which means “blessings;” or Sharik, which means “God’s child or one on whom the sun shines.” Or you might consider Onika, which means, “Who is greater than God?”
Want an elegant name for your little girl? Try Adamma, which means “beautiful child;” Amara, which means “grace, mercy, kindness;” Anika, which means “sweet-faced;” Mandisa, which means “sweet;” Nia, which means “purpose;” Zola, which means “calm;” or Zuri, which means “beautiful.” Or you might like Jahzara, which means “blessed princess.”
If your baby girl is born on a specific day of the week or during a particular season, you might consider Aba, which means “born on Thursday;” Abidemi, which means “born during father’s absence;” or Abiona, which means “born during a journey.”
And if this is your first baby girl, you might like Ada, which means “first daughter.”
Popular African Names for Girls
Here are a few of the most popular African girl names in alphabetical order:
1. Aba
2. Abeba
3. Aberash
4. Abidemi
5. Abimbola
6. Abiona
7. Ada
8. Adamma
9. Adefunke, Adefunmike
10. Adjoa
11. Aduke
12. Adzoa, Adzowa
13. Afiya
14. Akosiwa
15. Akua, Akuwa
16. Alaba
17. Amara
18. Ameng
19. Anaca
20. Anecky
21. Anika
22. Annaka
23. Anuli
24. Asaye
25. Asong
26. Assibi
27. Aunika
28. Awo
29. Awushi
30. Ayaan
31. Ayaba
32. Ayana
33. Ayodele
34. Ayofemi
35. Babafunmike
36. Baduwa
37. Balaraba
38. Bosede
39. Chidera, Chidi
40. Chidinma
41. Chinagorom
42. Chinecherem
43. Chioma
44. Chukwuebuka
45. Cleopatra
46. Deka
47. Dipuo, Dipuonyane
48. Ebuka
49. Echerem
50. Eshe
51. Esi
52. Gugulethu
53. Hadiza
54. Hibo
55. Imani
56. Jahzara
57. Kenya
58. Kesia
59. Makena
60. Mandisa
61. Masego
62. Nala
63. Nia
64. Ola
65. Onika
66. Sade
67. Safiya
68. Sharik
69. Taraji
70. Zendaya
71. Zola
72. Zuri
African Boy Names
Do you love nature? You might like Kamari, which means “moon,” or Tau, which means “lion.” Or you might like Cowry, which means “cowrie shell.”
Geography lover? You might consider Kibo, the highest peak in Africa on Mount Kilimanjaro, which means “from the highest mountain peak,” or Zaire, the former name of a country in sub-Saharan Africa (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), which means “person from Zaire, river.”
Political junkie? You might like Obama, like former President Barack Obama, which means “crooked, somewhat bent.”
Maybe you want to choose a religious name for your son? You might consider Abdalla, which means “servant of Allah;” Chima, which means “God knows;” Ike, which means “God will laugh, God laughed;” Imamu, which means “spiritual leader;” Nnamdi, which means “my God is alive;” or Yuusuf, which means “God increases.”
Or you might consider Osiris, as in the Egyptian god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation, which means “God of the Dead or with strong eyesight.”
Want to give your son a strong name worthy of a warrior? Consider Amari, which means “possesses great strength,” or Diallo, which means “bold.”
If your baby boy is born during a particular season, you might consider Abiodun, which means “born during war,” or Abiola, which means “born during a festival.”
Popular African Names for Boys
Here are a few of the most popular African boy names in alphabetical order:
1. Aadan
2. Abdalla
3. Abebe
4. Abidemi
5. Abiodun
6. Abiola
7. Adelaja
8. Adeleke
9. Afro
10. Aiyetoro
11. Ajala
12. Akinlabi
13. Akintunde
14. Akinwunmi
15. Akinyele
16. Akrong
17. Amari
18. Amazu
19. Ambe
20. Amenyo
21. Awotwi
22. Ayo, Ayomide
23. Baako
24. Babafemi
25. Babatunde
26. Badu
27. Bahari
28. Bahati
29. Bakari
30. Balarabe
31. Bamidele
32. Bandele
33. Bomani
34. Botwe
35. Cairo
36. Chi
37. Chijioke
38. Chike
39. Chileogu
40. Chima, Chimaijem
41. Chinelo
42. Chineze
43. Chinua
44. Chiumbo
45. Chukwubuikem
46. Cowry
47. Dada
48. Danasabe
49. Danjuma
50. Danladi
51. Danlami
52. Diallo
53. Dubaku
54. Faraji
55. Femi
56. Idir
57. Ike
58. Imamu
59. Jabari
60. Kamari
61. Kibo
62. Kofi
63. Kwame
64. Nnamdi
65. Obama
66. Omari
67. Osiris
68. Scipio
69. Shaka
70. Tau
71. Thandiwe
72. Umi
73. Wole
74. Yared
75. Yuusuf
76. Zaire
There are so many beautiful and powerful African names for boys and girls to choose from! I hope you were able to add a few of these to your list! Which was your favorite?
Check out our other baby name lists if you are still on the baby name hunt. Try the coolest girl names, coolest boy names, rare girl names, rare boy names, and powerful boy names for inspiration. Good luck picking out the right one for your baby-to-be!
