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.

A winning choice for a son.

A traditional name in southern Nigeria.

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

A unisex Xhosa name used in South Africa.

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.

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

A name that originated in Rwanda, rhythmically evocative.

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 cool and charismatic Sotho name with a great meaning.

Fierce choice from the Oromo culture of Ethiopia.

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.