There are many names out of which you can choose one for your child, but before doing that, check out what these African baby names mean.
Africans believe that the name of the baby can work like a luck factor for him or her for the rest of his life, so choosing the right name is highly important for them. They refrain from choosing an over ambitious name that might lead to the child and the family facing problems for the rest for their lives. They tend to choose names that would reflect the day of birth and the environment or circumstances on that day.
In Africa, there are innumerable ethnic groups with equally large number of beliefs, and which are a merge of Christian, Muslim, and African old tribal beliefs. African names can be of Arabic, English, French, or Dutch origin, apart from their own native languages like Swahili, Hausa, Zulu, Shona, and Kongo. The African names vary from one region to the other. Here is a general list of African names.
African Boy Names
- The name Abdi means “my servant”.
- Abdalla means “Servant of God”. This name is Swahili in origin.
- Abayomi means “the bringer of happiness”. This name is Nigerian in origin.
- Ade means a “crown” or “royal”.
- Bello means “Helper or a person who helps in promoting Islam”.
- Baabar means “lion or the king of jungle”. It is a variant of Babar.
- Camara means a “teacher” in African.
- Chatha means “ending”.
- Chiamaka means, “God is splendid”.
- Dumaka means, “a helping hand”.
- Dakarai means “happiness”.
- Duante means “a wagon maker”.
- Effiom means “a crocodile”. This is quite a popular name in Africa.
- Elimu means “knowledge”, another popular name in Africa.
- Erasto means “man of peace”.
- Essien is the name for the “sixth-born son”.
- Faraji means “consolation”.
- Gamba means a “warrior”.
- Haben means “pride” in some of the African languages.
- Jawara means “peace and love” and is quite a popular name for boys.
African Girl Names
- Adia means “a gift that is given by God”.
- Abiba means “a child born after her grandmother died”. It is quite a popular name in Africa.
- Abeni means a girl who is born on Tuesday.
- Afua means a girl who is born on Friday.
- Bahati means a parent’s thankfulness for the birth of the child and the name reflects the same; it literally means, “My luck is good”.
- Baako means “first born”.
- Beyonce is a famous girl name after the celebrity singer Beyonce Knowles. This name means “someone who is beyond others”.
- Baal-gad means the idol of fortune and felicity. It is a Bibilical name that is non-gerderized.
- Cabul is a biblical name that means, “displeasing or dirty”. This is also a non-gerderized name.
- Cacey is an Irish name used by Africans that means “vigilant”.
- Dalila is an African name that means, “Gentleness is in her soul”.
- Dalili is also a name similar to the previous one, which means “sign”. This name reflects the belief of the parents that the birth of the child actually brings a special message from God.
- Ebere means mercy and it is quite popular a name in Africa.
- Eshe means “life” and many people choose this name for their child.
- Faizah means “victorious”. This name is of Muslim origin.
- Gaynell is the name for a “happy shiny thing” and parents love to name their daughters Gaynell.
- Many people also name their daughters Gimbya that means “a princess”.
- Habika is also a popular name and it means “sweetheart”.
- Ice is also a very popular name for African girls since it means the “Supreme Goddess”.
- Jamila is also a popular name that means “beautiful”.
- Keisha is an African name which means “favorite”.
There are many such names that are quite popular in Africa.