Discover Beautiful African American Names

Help of God (az-ah-RY-ah—Old Testament—a king of Judah; Hebrew).

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

“Laughter” (Hebrew origin)

“Fortified place” (English origin)

Amharic origin, meaning “descendant”

Living; generous; form of Zeus, chief of the Olympian gods (Greek). Name found among enslaved black men in eighteenth-century New England.

Born on Saturday (Akan, Ghana).

Word name—The time of day when the sun appears above the horizon.

“Great” (short form of Augustus)

Commander, leader, ruler; prince (ah-MEER-ee—Swahili, East Africa).

Dark skinned (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Wealthy defender” (Scandinavian origin)

Handsome (Irish).

Form of Cornelius: Like a horn (Latin).

Of unique birth or origin (origin unknown).

The earl’s shelter (English). Name found among descendants of slaves in Maryland during the late nineteenth century.

Latin origin, meaning “wrathful”

“Man from the north” (English origin)

Form of Abduhl: Servant of God (Arabic, North Africa; Swahili, East Africa).

Unique variation of “Dakarai”

From the earth; from the settlement near the clay pit; mortal (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Thomas: Twin (Aramaic; Greek; New Testament).

Unique blend, with roots in “Zaire”

No meaning available

Physically and morally attractive (jah-MEEL—Arabic, North Africa; Swahili, East Africa). Also spelled Jamili and Jamiil.

English origin, meaning “settlement of field”

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

“Dark” (Irish origin)

“Nobleman” (English origin)

No meaning available

Created name from African-American culture.

Shortened form of “Xavier”

Place name—state in the central United States.

Created name from African-American culture.

Dear friend (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Famous one’s island (Old English).

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

Form of Niall: Champion (Irish Gaelic).

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

Meaning and origin unknown.

Form of Sharif (sha-REEF): Honorable, eminent (Arabic, North Africa).

Modern African American name

No meaning available

Watchman, defender, true man (Old German).

Divine, god-like; temple (dayv-al—Hindi, India; Sanskrit).

No meaning available

Modern African American name, often with “De” prefix

To provide food (French).

“Appointed” (Hebrew origin)

Form of Al-Hakim: The wise (al-hah-KEEM—Qur’an or Koran; Arabic, North Africa).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Vaughn: Small one (Old Welsh).

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

Unique blend of “Jah” and “Sir”

Form of Earl: Nobleman, chief (Old English).

Unique African American name

One who knocks at the door (TAH-reek—Arabic, North Africa).

No meaning available

Variation of “Javonte,” a unique African American name

No meaning available

Created name from African-American culture.

Form of Adam: Mortal, man of the red earth; first human created by God (Old Testament; Hebrew).

Form of Dupré: Dweller of the meadow (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Red-haired” (English origin)

No meaning available

From the cottage or country estate; barn for cows (Old English).

“Sea warrior” (Irish origin)

“Mighty warrior” (African origin)

Endowed with great physical strength and skill, a definition based on the title character of Edgar Rice Burroughs' book Tarzan of the Apes.

Small songbird (Old English).

No meaning available

Burdened, troubled; borne by God (Old Testament; Hebrew).

Eighteenth-century African name of unknown meaning and origin.

Form of Matthew: Gift of God (Hebrew; New Testament).

Meaning and origin unknown.

If pronounced "gy-an," form of Gyantwaka: By what one plants, the planter (gy-an-twak-ah—Iroquois, Native North American).

Fast runner, quick-footed one (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Place name—towns in seventeen U.S. states.

Homestead near a river (English).

Blend of “Day” and “Von”

Meaning unknown (Nigeria).

The Brown family's farm or enclosure (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

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

Combination of “Sha” and “Vonte”

“Of the sea” (Spanish origin, adapted)

Great king of the Zulus who, in 1818, united the people of South Africa against colonial control; also called Shaka (Zulu, South Africa).

Form of Robin, a form of Robert: Bright or shining with fame (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Alexander, Sanders (son of Alexander), Sandor (form of Alexander): Helper and defender of humankind (Greek).

Blend of “Car” and “Dell”

Form of Erik: Ever powerful; ever ruler (Old Norse).

Danish crossing (English).

“Oarsman” (French origin)

Powerful, brave (Old German).

No meaning available

Helped by God, saved by God (o-SHE-ah—Hebrew).

No meaning available

Form of Koffi: Born on Friday (Ga [Gao], Ghana).

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

Created name from African-American culture.

Form of William: Resolute protector (German).