African Boy Names

Variation of Olamilekan

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

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

A traditional name in southern Nigeria.

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

Adverse associations with the ruthless Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

A unisex Xhosa name used in South Africa.

A name that originated in Rwanda, rhythmically evocative.

A winning choice for a son.

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.

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

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

Tadesse is seen as both a surname and a masculine given name in Ethiopia.

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

Fierce choice from the Oromo culture of Ethiopia.