Discover Beautiful African American Names

“Warrior” (African origin)

Form of Purvis: To provide food (French).

No meaning available

Form of a place name—Astbury in Cheshire, England: Dweller from the east manor (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name—sometimes given to honor the eighteenth-century Methodist preacher and circuit rider, Frances Asbury.

Form of Emery: Industrious ruler (English, from the Old German).

Combination of “Da” and “Shawn,” meaning “God is gracious”

Military officer; keeper of horses (Middle English).

Form of Hakim: He is wise (hah-keem—Arabic, North Africa).

Little falcon or hawk (Old French).

From the people’s meadow; from Dudda's meadow (Irish; Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Charming, clever, beguiling (English).

Meaning and origin unknown (mal-a-VEE-ya).

Blond; one with yellow hair (Irish Gaelic; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Created name from African-American culture.

Variation of “Aaron” with “N”

“Protection, stronghold” (English origin)

Dweller of the province of Lorraine (Scottish, from the French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Jehovah is my God (Hebrew; Old Testament—Prophet who was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire).

Unique African American name

Created name from African-American culture.

Fortified town belonging to Sullianus; a municipality and a castle in Italy (Latin; Place name).

Asked for (from the Aramaic; Latin; New Testament—missionary friend of Paul and Timothy).

Handsome lord (Greek). From Greek and Roman mythology.

Wry or crooked mouth (Scottish Gaelic); also a Scottish clan name.

Visitor (TAH-rik—Swahili, East Africa).

One who lives on the edge of an escarpment (Middle English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name. The surname of civil rights leader Medgar Evers is used as a first or middle name in honor of the slain activist.

No meaning available

Beautiful open country (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Hidden nook” (English origin, modern African American adaptation)

Son of Anders, the Scandinavian form of Andrew: Strong, manly (Greek); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Born at dawn” (Ugandan origin)

“Hugh’s town” (Scottish origin)

Form of Alphonso: Noble and ready; eager for battle (Old German).

No meaning available

Noble, famous (English).

No meaning available

Unique African American name

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Juan, Spanish form of John: God is gracious (Hebrew; New Testament).

Unique African American name

Form of McKoy: Son of Fire, the name of a Celtic pagan god (Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Morgan: Dweller near the bright, white sea (Welsh).

Form of Jabari: Fearless person, brave one; comforter, bringer of consolation (Muslim; Swahili, East Africa).

Form of Honorius: Man of honor (Latin).

No meaning available

Form of Albert: Noble and brilliant or illustrious (Old English).

Courteous one; court-bred (Old French).

Blend of two names such as Quinn (wise; intelligent—Irish Gaelic) and Shawn (God is good, gracious—Irish).

“Dove” (Scottish origin)

Owner of a grassy plain; territory (Middle English, from the German).

Long stick; a tall, thin person (Middle English).

Form of Francis: Free man, or Frenchman (Latin).

No meaning available

No meaning available

Form of Shawn, a form of Sean, the Irish form of John: God is gracious (Hebrew; New Testament).

Valley enclosure or settlement (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Blend of two names such as Louis (great fighter; famous warrior; warrior prince—French; Old German) and Barbara (stranger, foreigner—Latin).

Thin (Irish; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Form of Bran: Raven—a symbol of continued life or rebirth (Old Celtic).

Form of Sam: To hear (Hebrew).

Greater (Latin); surname, family name, or military rank given for a first or middle name.

Variation of “Callan,” meaning “rock”

Form of Chapman: Merchant (Middle English; Old English).

No meaning available

No meaning available

Young lion (English; French; Latin); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Blend of “Trey” and “-on”

“Oarsman” (French origin)

Form of Charpentier: Worker of wood (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Unique spelling of “Darius”

Place name—state in the central United States.

“Ruler of the household” (German origin)

Form of Lindsey: Dweller from the island of Lelli, Lealla—Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England (Anglo-Saxon); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Form of Bert: Shining brightly; glorious one (Old English).

From the deer forest (Old Norse).

“Conqueror” (Latin origin)

Form of Arnold: Strong as an eagle (Old German).

Form of Ossie, a form of Oswald: Divinely powerful (German, borrowed from the English).

Name that honors Saint George, Roman military tribune, who was martyred in C.E. 303. He is the patron saint of Boy Scouts, England, Germany, Portugal, and soldiers.

Place name, becoming popular in African American communities

Scottish form of John: God is gracious (EE-an—New Testament; Hebrew).

“Brave lion” (German origin)

Old, wise (Irish).

Form of Xavier, a village in Navarre in the Basque region of Spain: New home (hah-bee-AIR—Spanish).

Kingly (Swahili, East Africa).

Resembling a fox; sly, cunning (English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Blend of “Ny” and “Shawn”

African origin, meaning “noble”

Place name—The original name of ancient Ethiopia; the name of an Ethiopian city from the first to the eighth centuries CE.

Modern blend of “Amir” with “-ion” suffix

From the springs (Old English).

Name of a Cadillac automobile model.

Form of Heinrich: Ruler of a home or private property (Old German).

Consecrated to God; devoted to God (Hebrew; Old Testament).

A worker in metal (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Fire” (Latin origin)

Little warrior (Old French).

All-knowing; wise one (Latin).