Discover Beautiful African American Names

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

Form of Denzel: From the stronghold (den-ZEL—English).

English origin, meaning “maker of cords”

Form of Dorian: 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).

Blend of two names such as Clovis (great fighter; famous warrior—French; Old German; Teutonic) and Louis (great fighter; famous warrior; warrior prince—French; Old German).

Form of Jordan: Descender (Hebrew); also a female name.

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

Word name—Charms and spirits that make unnatural things happen (Greek; Latin).

Form of Darrell: Little dear or beloved one (French).

“Son of Edward” (English origin)

Form of Stephanos: Crowned one (Greek).

Second King of Rome (Latin).

“Western town” (English origin)

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Tsalani: Goodbye, farewell (tsah-LAH-nee—Ngoni, Southern Africa).

“Crowned” (modern American origin)

No meaning available

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

Heir of the valiant warrior (Old English).

“Young warrior” (Welsh origin)

Form of Wallace: Man from Wales (Old English).

“He has heard” (Hebrew origin)

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

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

Form of Thurman: Protected by Thor, the ancient Norse god of thunder (English).

No meaning available

Form of Arnall, from Arnhold: Eagle-gracious (French; Old German).

Form of Coolidge or Coleridge: Dweller from the ridge where charcoal was made (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Dweller in a town with a tannery, from pellis: skin of a fur-bearing animal (Latin).

“Land” (German origin)

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

French origin, meaning “nobleman,” popular in African American culture

Created name from African-American culture.

Unique blend of “Mar” and “Tavious”

No meaning available

“Rocky land” (German origin)

No meaning available

Song, joy (male or female name—Hebrew).

Hebrew origin, meaning “God is my strength”

Firm, strong, steadfast, reliable (Hebrew).

“Priceless” (variation of Anthony, widely used)

“Great” (English origin)

Form of Cheney, a form of Chesney: From the name of a place in Yonne, France (Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Order, harmony; the universe (Greek).

Italian origin, African American variation meaning “angel”

“Independent” (American origin)

One of three men thrown into a fiery furnace (Old Testament).

“Light” (Latin origin)

Created name from African-American culture.

“Pilgrim” (English origin)

Dark one (Latin).

Swineherder (English, Irish, and Welsh, from the Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

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.

Wanderer (Old German).

Word name—The English word marvelous: Causing wonder (Middle English).

Form of Rufus: Red-haired or ruddy-complexioned one (Latin); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Tsalani: Goodbye, farewell (tsah-LAH-nee—Ngoni, Southern Africa).

Day-bright; brilliant; noble (Old English).

Form of Edgar: Prosperous spearman (Old English).

From the hedged place; hay enclosure (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Manly” (variation of Andrew)

Noble and brilliant or illustrious (Old English).

Form of Zachariah: Jehovah has remembered (Hebrew; Old Testament).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Jalal: Greatness (jah-LAL—Arabic, North Africa).

Created name from African-American culture.

Form of Cleophas: One who comes to give a speech (Aramaic; New Testament); one of two disciples who encountered Jesus on the Road to Emmaus.

“Ruler with spear” (German origin)

Gatekeeper (French, from the Latin).

No meaning available

Form of Andrew: Strong, manly (Greek).

“Victorious” (Arabic origin, popularized in African American culture)

Virile or masculine one (ar-SEE-nee-oh—Greek; ar-SAY-nee-o—Spanish).

Son of the divine (German).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Follet: One who is mad (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

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

No meaning available

No meaning available

Latin origin, meaning “star”

Shortened form of “Isaiah” or “Xavier”

Administrator (Latin).

“White” (English origin)

Form of Aleph: The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Hebrew).

“Ash tree town” (English origin)

No meaning available

From the watch hill (Old English).

Created name from African-American culture.

English form of Alan: Handsome, cheerful, harmonious one (Irish Gaelic).

Gift of God (Hebrew; New Testament—disciple of Jesus).

Praised (Arabic, North Africa; Swahili, East Africa).

Dweller at the priest’s place (Old English).

Created name from African-American culture.

Meaning unknown (muh-NOOT—Sudan). Name common among Dinka males in Sudan.

Form of Husain or Husayn, a form of Hasan or Hassan: Good, handsome, beautiful (Arabic, North Africa; Swahili, East Africa).

Dweller on the plain or fields (Irish; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Abram: Exalted father (Hebrew; Old Testament—Abraham’s name before God changed it). Name found among enslaved men in the South during the mid-nineteenth century.

White, noble (English).

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

Combination of “Dion” and “Andre”

A military man (Latin).

Wise; intelligent (Irish Gaelic).

“One who is blessed” (modern American origin)