Discover Beautiful African American Names

Blend of “Xai” and “Aiden”

English form of Griffith: Fierce chief or fierce lord, red-haired; ruddy one (Old Welsh).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Alphonso: Noble and ready; eager for battle (Old German).

Precious substance from the tusks and teeth of slaughtered elephants (Latin).

Form of Linwood: Dweller from the pool or waterfall near the forest (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Salvation (Hebrew; Old Testament).

Form of Vidal: Full of life (bee-DAHL—Spanish).

Form of Vernon: Youthful, springlike, born in the spring (Latin).

Combination of “Le” and “Marcus”

Fragrant ointment; sweet oil (Greek).

“Carter” (English origin)

Belongs to God (Armenian).

No meaning available

A prime minister during the Third Egyptian Dynasty who was the mastermind behind the step pyramid.

No meaning available

“Clever warrior” (English origin)

Blend of “Ke” and “Monte”

Generous (kah-REEM—Arabic, North Africa).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Marvin: Famous friend; sea friend (English).

Form of Gary: Spear; spearman (Old English).

Word name—Title of respect or honor (English).

Form of Cyril: Lordly one (Greek).

Variation of “Ishmael,” meaning “God will hear”

“Valley of the River Kent” (English origin, adapted)

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

Spanish and Italian form of Roland: From the famous land (Old German).

No meaning available

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

Handsome, cheerful, harmonious one (French; Irish Gaelic).

“Exalted brother” (Hebrew origin)

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

Blessed one (Latin).

Unique African American name

Blend of “Day” and “Von”

“Army of the people” (German origin, associated with civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.)

Form of Desmond: Gracious protector (English).

Created name from African-American culture.

Blend of “Rod” and “-ion” suffix

Form of Barclay: Dweller at the birch-tree meadow (Old English).

Eighteenth-century African name of unknown meaning and origin.

“Fiery” (Welsh origin)

Blend of two names such as John (God is gracious—Hebrew; New Testament) and Karen (pure—Greek).

“Hero” (English origin, popularized by musician Pharrell Williams)

Italian origin, meaning “brave”

Hebrew origin, meaning “God is my strength”

Form of Terrell: Ruler of thunder (Old English).

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

Man of the North (English; French).

Short land (Dutch).

Intelligence; spirit (Old English).

Meaning unknown (South Africa).

No meaning available

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

Blend of “Ra” and “Shawn”

Scottish origin, meaning “fair hero”

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

Elf counselor; good counselor; counselor with wisdom and diplomacy (Old English).

“Beautiful mountain” (English origin)

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

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Ron, a form of Ronald: Mighty power (Old Norse).

Dweller at the fifth son's estate (Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Little fire” (Celtic origin)

Form of William: Resolute protector (Old German).

From the town near the clearing in the woods (Scottish).

“Ellis’s town” (English origin)

Unique African American name

Form of Leslie: Garden of hollies; gray fort (English; Gaelic; Scottish).

“Son of Jay” (modern American origin)

Dutch form of John: God is gracious (Hebrew; New Testament); pronunciation: yahn.

Famous ruler; rich in fame (Old German).

Dweller at the hedge by the forest (Old English).

Blend of two names such as Joseph (God will add or increase—Hebrew) and Van, a form of Evan, a form of John—God is gracious—Hebrew; New Testament).

Form of Levardis, a form of the word veritas: Truth (Latin).

Created name from African-American culture.

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Lamont: Law man (Scottish, from the Old Norse); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

“Laughs” (African origin)

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

From Anatolios: Sunrise, daybreak, dawn; man from the East (AN-uh-tohl—Greek).

“High mountain” (Hebrew origin)

Blend of two names such as Zemariah (zeh-MARE-ree-ah—song, melody—Hebrew) and Roy (king—French; red-haired—Celtic).

Dutch origin, meaning “home-ruler,” popularized in African American culture

Created name from African-American culture.

Mild, gentle, merciful (Latin).

No meaning available

Self-important person (English, from the German); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Son of the dark one (Irish Gaelic).

Hebrew origin, meaning “servant of God”

Bailiff (Middle English).

“Power of God” (Igbo origin)

Form of Tawia: Next child after twins (Akan, Ghana; Ga [Gao], Ghana). In the Ga language, the name can be either male or female.

No meaning available

Unique blend of “Quan” and “-ell”

Form of Jesse: Gift; wealth; the Lord exists (Hebrew; Old Testament).

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

“In honor of God” (Igbo origin)

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.

“Pierces the valley” (French origin)

Form of Brian: Strong one (Celtic).

Word name— the color green (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name. Common first name among free blacks in the South during the 19th century.