African American First Names: Cultural Heritage & Modern Identity

Lardarius

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture, a form of Darius: King, kingly; one who is wealthy (Hebrew).

Wilson

Meaning: “Son of Will” (English origin)

Dorian

Meaning: Name created by writer Oscar Wilde for his title character in The Portrait of Dorian Gray—thought to be influenced by inhabitants of Doris (Dorians), a mountainous region of Greece (English).

Yajeel

Reilly

Randy

Meaning: A form of Randolf: Shield wolf (Old English). The wolf suggests courage.

Emmit

Meaning: Form of Emmett: Industrious, strong (Old German).

Vince

Meaning: “Conquering” (shortened form of Vincent)

Parker

Meaning: “Keeper of the park” (English origin)

Jaquel

Meaning: Blend of “Ja” and “Quell”

Bruce

Meaning: Dweller at the thicket or woods (Scottish form of Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Hayes

Meaning: “Hedged area” (English origin)

Jahmiah

Cary

Meaning: Dweller at the castles (Old Welsh); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Gough

Meaning: Red-haired person (Welsh); surname or family name given for a first or middle name:

Yaheem

Olu

Meaning: “God” (Yoruba origin, often used as a prefix for many Yoruba names)

McLeod

Meaning: Son of Leod, the ugly wolf (Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Jaegar

Meaning: Variation of “Jager,” meaning “hunter”

Phineas

Meaning: Hebrew origin, meaning “oracle”

Nigel

Meaning: Dark one (Latin).

Rachiim

Meaning: Seed of rulership (Arabic, North Africa; Persian [Farsi], Iran).

Dallevante

Radley

Meaning: “Red meadow” (English origin)

Alex

Meaning: Helper and defender of humankind (English).

Bertau

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

Abubakari

Meaning: Noble (Swahili, East Africa).

Gilbert

Meaning: Brilliant pledge or hostage (Old French).

Dallas

Meaning: Place name—City in the state of Texas in the United States.

Pierson

Meaning: Form of Piers, an Old French form of Peter: Rock or stone (Latin; New Testament).

Richardo

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

Giles

Meaning: Youthful; downy-bearded (Old French).

Harry

Meaning: Form of Henry: Ruler of the home or private property (Old English; Old German).

Pompilius

Meaning: Second King of Rome (Latin).

Londer

Meaning: Dweller in the country (German); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Amare

Meaning: “One who builds” (modern American origin)

Dale

Meaning: “Valley” (English origin)

Poncho

Meaning: Form of Alfonso, Alonzo: Noble, ready for battle (Spanish form of the German Alphonso).

Darrell

Caesar

Meaning: Long-haired or hairy; through use, emperor (Latin).

Arlo

Meaning: “Fortified hill” (Spanish origin)

Blake

Meaning: Word name—from the word blaec: Dark complexioned (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Hiriam

Meaning: Form of Hiram: Most noble one; of noble birth (Hebrew; Old Testament).

Gilbert

Meaning: “Bright pledge” (German origin)

Tucker

Meaning: “Garment maker” (English origin)

Baz

Meaning: Form of Basil and Bazil: Kingly; magnificent (Latin).

Derrick

Meaning: Form of Derek: Ruler of the people (Old German).

Pervis

Meaning: Form of Purvis: To provide food (French).

Chauncey

Meaning: Chancellor, church official; chief recordkeeper; a diligent man who earned his good fortune (English).

Henderson

Meaning: Son of Hendry (Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Joseph

Meaning: God will add or increase (Hebrew).

Theron

Meaning: Hunter (Greek).

Yates

Meaning: Dweller at the gates (Middle English).

Jay

Meaning: Blue jay (Old French).

Demondre

Lorenzo

Meaning: Spanish and Italian form of Laurence: From the place of the laurel tree; laurel-crowned one (English; Latin).

Houston

Meaning: “Hugh’s town” (Scottish origin)

Kenyonte

Meaning: Blend of “Kenyon” and “-te” suffix

Arvell

Meaning: Unique African American name

Leedarryle

Meaning: Blend of two names such as Lee (from the pasture meadow—Old English; poetic—Irish Gaelic) and Darryl (little dear or beloved one—French).

Andrell

Meaning: Unique African American name

Abdul

Meaning: “Servant of God” (Arabic origin)

Bertley

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

Rohan

Meaning: Ascending, rising (Sanskrit).

Jules

Meaning: French form of Julius: Youthful; downy-bearded one (Latin).

Imari

Meaning: Unique variation of “Amari”

Ervin

Meaning: Handsome (Irish).

Blythe

Meaning: Merry one (Old English); more often a female name.

Oloye

Meaning: Chief; genius (ah-LO-yeh—Yoruba, Nigeria).

Shanton

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture, a form of Sean, the Irish form of John: God is gracious (Hebrew; New Testament).

Homer

Meaning: English form of Homeros: Pledge; security (Greek).

Dennis

Meaning: English form of Denis, the French form of Dionysos, Greek mythological God of wine and revelry.

Claude

Meaning: Form of Claudius, an old Roman family name: Lame one, suggesting that a handicap may be the stimulus for great achievement, as with the two Roman emperors with the name Claudius (Latin).

Brison

Meaning: Blend of “Bri” and “Son”

Cassius

Meaning: Vain (Latin).

Calvon

Bertrell

Meaning: Form of Bertram: Brilliant raven; he shall be famous (English; German).

Adger

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture.

Lamel

Meaning: Modern African American name

Jim

Meaning: Form of James, the English form of Jacob from the Old Spanish Jayme: The supplanter or one who takes the place of—Hebrew; Old Testament.

Sunder

Meaning: Form of Sundara: Beautiful (Sanskrit).

Ewin

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

Geffery

Troy

Meaning: At the place of the curly-haired people (Old French).

Darnell

Meaning: An annual grass that was believed to cause intoxication (Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Vance

Meaning: “Marshland” (English origin)

Rutter

Meaning: Player of the rote—an early medieval stringed instrument (Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Doug

Meaning: Form of Douglas: From the black or dark water (Scottish Gaelic).

Daevion

Leonellis

Meaning: Form of Leon, a form of Leo: Lion (Latin).

Rashed

Xavion

Isaiah

Meaning: “God is salvation” (Hebrew origin, widely used)

Asbury

Meaning: 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.

Rakim

Meaning: Form of Rachiim: Seed of rulership (Arabic, North Africa; Persian [Farsi], Iran).

Provy

Meaning: Meaning and origin unknown. Eighteenth-century name found among free black men who lived and worked in New England.

Pomp

Meaning: Form of Pompey: Tendril; young shoot (Latin). Name found among free black men who lived and worked in early eighteenth-century New England.

Ndidi

Meaning: “Patience” (Igbo origin)

Ell

Meaning: Form of Ellis or Elliott, English and French forms, respectively, of Elijah: Jehovah is my God (Hebrew; Old Testament—Prophet who was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.

Ryant

Meaning: Form of Ryan: Little king; kingly (Irish Gaelic).