African Girl Names

A sparkling and rare option among the names that mean light.

The more familiar name Thandi is often used as a nickname for Thandeka.

Also spelt Sebele, this soft-sounding name means "harvest" in the Amharic language of Ethiopia.

A pretty pan-botanical name from the Sotho languages, spoken mainly in the southern part of Africa.

A captivating and sprightly name brought into the limelight by actress Thandiwe Newton.

Zenzile derives from the word uzenzile, meaning "you bought this upon yourself." It was the given name of Miriam Makeba, a singer known as Mama Africa. Her mother gave Makeba the name after a difficult delivery because she had previously been warned that she was unlikely to survive the pregnancy.

A rare and beautiful name that could easily cross cultures.

An Ethiopian name that means "joy."

Might frequently be understood as "pilly." Can also be a short form of Pilar -- though the long form is better.

Pronounced mah-zah, Maaza means a pleasant scent, usually from a yellow daisy popular in Ethiopia. Hot young Ethiopian-American novelist Maaza Mengiste introduced the name to our shores.

Mirembe is a feminine Ugandan name stemming from the Luganda word "emirembe" meaning peace, quiet. In Luganda, Rs are pronounced similar to Ls, so mill-EM-beh is an approximate pronunciation.

Attractive African name with a meaning that honors mom.

Nakato was traditionally used on the second-born (female) twin among the Luganda-speaking people of Uganda.

Related to the better-known Arabic name Noor.

Feminine form of the male name Lelisa.

Achol is an African name that usually means more specifically, "second born after the first child dies," making it a name often used for rainbow babies. Achol Ayor is a South Sudanese model.

This charming West African mini name fits in with the other similarly short names that are all the rage right now. Ayo is enjoying new visibility thanks to actress Ayo Edebiri, star of TV's The Bear.

U is an oft-rejected first initial, but a name like Uzoma makes it cool.

Although the best-known Kehinde is the male painter Kehinde Wiley, this name is used for both genders in its native Nigeria and can be just as attractive for a girl.