Discover Beautiful African American Names

“Guide” (South African origin)

Spanish form of Richard: Powerful ruler (English, from the Old French and Old High German).

Unique African American name

No meaning available

Form of Niall: Champion (Irish Gaelic).

“Elf ruler” (English origin)

No meaning available

Form of Lyman: Man of the meadow (Middle English).

“Sea protector” (Welsh origin)

“Bringer of treasure” (Persian origin)

Old, primitive (Latin; New Testament).

Form of Thaddeus: One who praises (Latin).

No meaning available

“Scribe, bookbinder” (English origin, popularized by Booker T. Washington)

Form of Lamar: Famous for land (Old German).

Arabic origin, meaning “king,” widely used in African American culture

Son of Roy (English; French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Philemon: Loving, friendly (Greek; New Testament).

Blend of “Rod” and “-ion” suffix

Meaning and origin unknown. In the New Testament, the procurator of Judea through whom Paul made his famous appeal to Caesar.

Form of Ray: Honored title given to a sovereign (Old French).

Well-born one; young warrior (EV-an—Irish Gaelic; Old Welsh).

Form of Anthony: Inestimable, priceless one; worthy of praise (Latin).

Modern African American name

Unique spelling variation of “Vaughn” with “Le” prefix

Beloved ruler (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Son of Japheth” (modern African American origin)

Black (ahs-WAHD—Arabic, North Africa).

Hebrew origin, meaning “God is my strength”

No meaning available

Unique blend of “Mar” and “Quavious”

Ethiopian form of the biblical David: Beloved one (Hebrew; Old Testament—King of Israel).

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

Son of Lans (Dutch); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Spanish origin, meaning “nobleman”

Created name from African-American culture.

Dweller at the crag or rock (Scottish Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Anthony: Inestimable, priceless one; worthy of praise (Latin).

Form of Ewan: Born of the yew tree (Scottish, from the Gaelic).

No meaning available

No meaning available

No meaning available

“Deer wood” (English origin)

Form of Moses: Mercy; saved from the water (Egyptian; Hebrew; Old Testament—referring to the biblical Moses).

Dweller from a narrow strip of land (English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Arabic origin, meaning “powerful, capable”

Form of Jaron: To sing, to cry out (Hebrew).

Japanese origin, meaning “thunder and lightning”

Grain thresher; dweller near the grain-winnowing fans or marshlands (Middle English).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Taurus: Bull (Latin); the second sign of the Zodiac.

“Ascended, uplifted” (Hebrew origin)

Created name from African-American culture.

Quarrelsome (Middle German); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“One who builds” (modern American origin)

No meaning available

No meaning available

Form of Nogomo: He will prosper (n-GO-mo—Central Africa).

Strong one (Celtic).

Form of Cadell: Spirit of battle (Irish; Welsh).

Created name from African-American culture.

Poet; a man of learning (Irish Gaelic).

Created name from African-American culture.

Beloved one (Hebrew; Old Testament—King of Israel).

Form of Joseph: He shall add (Hebrew).

No meaning available

From the field estate or town in the garden (English).

Knowing (English).

Famous warrior (German).

Form of Dedrick: Ruler of the people (Old German).

Unique blend of “Tre” and “Bell”

Form of Charles: Strong, manly (Latin; Old German).

Place name—an estate in southwestern Glasgow (English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Prosperous spearman (Old English).

Unique spelling of “Marquis”

Form of Carlisle: One from the castle tower (Old English).

Created name from African-American culture.

Form of names beginning with “Ben”: Benedict (blessed one—Latin); Benjamin (son of the right hand—Hebrew; Old Testament); Bennett (little blessed one—Latin-French).

Modern African American name

Place name—A river and two countries in Central Africa. Name found among freed black men from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries.

No meaning available

Prosperous guardian (Old English).

Meaning and origin unknown.

Unique African American name

Modern African American name

Combination of “Le” and “Shaun”

Created name from African-American culture.

Form of Marquis: Nobleman (mar-KEE—French; MAR-quis).

Rich, noble, powerful (English).

No meaning available

“Handsome, peaceful” (modern African American origin)

Blend of “Da” and “Marcus”

“Supplanter” (modern African American origin)

Modern African American name with unique spelling

“Young warrior” (English origin)

Form of Richard: Powerful ruler (English, from the Old French and Old High German).

A modern twist on “Aldric,” meaning “old and wise ruler”

Spanish form of John: God is gracious (Hebrew; New Testament).

Form of Jojo: Born on Monday (Fante, Ghana).

Form of Oved: Servant, serving (Hebrew).

Helper and defender of humankind (Greek).