African Boy Names

A name appropriate for boys born during the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca every Muslim is expected to make once in his lifetime.

Jengo is pronounced like Django, best known to Americans as the first name of the hero of Quentin Tarantino's film Django Unchained.

Rutendo is a unisex name used in southern Africa, particularly Zimbabwe. It is used more often among baby girls.

A winning choice for a son.

A name that originated in Rwanda, rhythmically evocative.

A unisex Xhosa name used in South Africa.

Adverse associations with the ruthless Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

The Biblical Tola was a long-ruling judge of Israel renowned for his wisdom and fairness, definitely a positive association.

A traditional name in southern Nigeria.

A unisex name with a lovely serene meaning in the Ambaric language of Ethiopia.

A cool and charismatic Sotho name with a great meaning.

Bekele is an attractive Ethiopian name prime for use in the English-speaking world, especially given the short form Bek. Pronunciation is three syllables with the emphasis on the second -- beh-KEH-lee.

A sonorous, if mournful, name from the Tumbuka language of Malawi and Zambia.

Ibo is short but striking. Another, unrelated but equally appealing name is Ivo.

In many African cultures, it is traditional to name children based on the day of the week they were born. For the Swahili people of eastern Africa, Khamisi is used for boys born on Thursday.

A unisex Shona name most closely associated with Tatenda Taibu, captain of the Zimbabwean cricket team.