African Girl Names
- Nemy
Origin:
MendeMeaning:
"sweet"Description:
Friendly and energetic name from the Mende language of West Africa.
- Bayo
Origin:
African, Nigerian, YorubaMeaning:
"the crown meets joy"Description:
Short form of Adebayo
- Zahara
Origin:
Hebrew; SwahiliMeaning:
"to shine; flower"Description:
Zahara, a delicate but strong multicultural name, came into the spotlight when Angelina Jolie bestowed it on her Ethiopian-born daughter, and we predict other parents will adopt it as well. If you want something simpler than Zahara, consider Zara, a royal name in England--but also the name of a Spanish-based clothing store chain.
- Behati
Origin:
Afrikaans version of BeatriceMeaning:
"blessed; she who brings happiness"Description:
Namibian supermodel Behati Prinsloo, who has walked the runway for every designer from Prada to Versace to Vera Wang, has introduced us to this Afrikaans version of Beate or Beatrice, a rhythmic twist on an international favorite.
- Kamaria
Origin:
SwahiliMeaning:
"moonlight"Description:
Lush and unusual.
- Lissa
Origin:
African, Arabic mythological name; diminutive of Melissa, GreekMeaning:
"honeybee"Description:
Lissa might be an abbreviation of Melissa, but it's more substantial in its own right: Lissa is the name of a supreme mother goddess in African mythology and an Arabic symbol of rebirth.
- Ngozi
Origin:
African, Nigerian-IgboMeaning:
"blessing"Description:
Dynamic and creative; common in Africa, challenging here. Pronunciation isn't as difficult as you'd guess, but everyone will have to ask. Many favor n-GO-zee, but a native speaker tells us that it is closer to n-GAW-zee, and we've found at least one n-GAH-zee, too.
- Zaire
Origin:
Place-nameDescription:
While this African place-name is much more popular for boys, nearly 40 girls were named Zaire last year. Among African baby names, this is one of the best-known in the US.
- Samiya
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"high, exalted, praised"Description:
Samiya is a name used by parents of both Arabic and African ancestry. Spelling variations include Samiyah, Samiah, and Samia.
- Imena
Origin:
African, ArabicMeaning:
"dream; faith"Description:
A worthy update for Imani.
- Fayola
Origin:
African-Yoruba, NigeriaMeaning:
"lucky, good fortune, blessed"Description:
Too close to "payola."
- Tamala
Origin:
AfricanMeaning:
"dark tree"Description:
Would you really want to name your child after a Japanese anime movie called Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space.
- Gugu
Origin:
Zulu, Xhosa, NdebeleMeaning:
"treasure"Description:
Gugu is derived from the word igugu, meaning "treasure." It's commonly used as a nickname for Gugulethu.
- Sethe
Origin:
Egyptian mythological name or variation of Seth, HebrewMeaning:
"appointed, placed"Description:
Author Toni Morrison is an acknowledged master of naming, and Sethe, the name of one of the main characters of Beloved, which can be pronounced as Seth or Seth-eh, relates to the male biblical name Seth but is also the name of the Egyptian god of confusion.
- Salana
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"sun"Description:
Related to the more common Solana, Salana has a pleasantly rhythmic pan-cultural feel.
- Shanti
Origin:
HindiMeaning:
"peace"Description:
This Hindi word which is used in prayer is one of the prime names that mean peace, always a nice message to impart to a child. Nick Nolte used it for his daughter.
- Amadi
Origin:
AfricanMeaning:
"free man"Description:
Though this is traditionally a male name, it can work for a girl in our culture. Might also be considered a short form of the Italian Amadea.
- Lulit
Origin:
African, AmharicMeaning:
"pearl"Description:
Everyone is loving Lu- names nowadays, so why not add this sweet East African one to your list?
- Lindiwe
Origin:
Zulu, XhosaMeaning:
"awaited"Description:
Traditionally reserved for daughters who were long wished for.
- Chioma
Origin:
African, IgboMeaning:
"good God"Description:
Beautiful West African name that could appeal across cultures.