Discover Beautiful African American Names

Arabic origin, meaning “friend,” used widely

Created name from African-American culture.

Created name from African-American culture.

Dweller near a plum tree; dealer in feathers; maker of lead pipes, plumber (Anglo-French; Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Unique variation of “Kaiser”

No meaning available

Blend of two names such as Kenneth (handsome one—Irish Gaelic; royal oath—Old English) and Bernard (brave as a bear—Old German).

Form of Evandros: Manly (Greek). In Roman mythology, the som of Hermes.

Form of Domingo: Of the Lord (Italian; Spanish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Ahmadou, a West African form of Ahmed: More commendable, praiseworthy (Arabic, North Africa).

Form of Augustinius, a form of Augustus: Exalted one, imperial, revered (Latin).

No meaning available

Administrator (Latin).

Form of Leslie: Garden of hollies; gray fort (English; Gaelic; Scottish).

Lion-hearted, brave as a lion (Old Franco-German; Old High German).

Form of Michael: Who is like God? (Hebrew).

Dweller in a house with an upper floor (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Valley of the River Kent” (English origin, adapted)

Dweller in the dell (English).

Form of Montague: Dweller at the pointed hill (English, from the French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Little; small in stature but big in love and constancy (Latin; New Testament).

Blend of two names such as Clovis (great fighter; famous warrior—French; Old German; Teutonic) and Louis (great fighter; famous warrior; warrior prince—French; Old German).

Form of Erik: Ever powerful; ever ruler (Old Norse).

No meaning available

No meaning available

Form of Purvis: To provide food (French).

Variation of “Rod” with “-ell” suffix

Firm, strong, steadfast, reliable (Hebrew).

“Remembered by God” (variation of Zachary)

Irish form of Miles: Generous (German).

Dear friend (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

From the friend’s field (Old English).

From the watch hill (Old English).

“Famous warrior” (English origin)

Unique modern name

From the marsh farm or estate (Old English).

“Leader” (English origin)

“Valley” (English origin)

No meaning available

No meaning available

“Tortoise” (Japanese origin, popularized by Kobe Bryant)

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Leroy: King; person given the title of king for his royal bearing or for the part played in a religious pageant (French).

Mighty and powerful; judicious; wise counselor (Latin; Old English; Old German).

“Western town” (English origin)

Place name—A small country on the coast of West Africa, whose name means edge of the water (Ewe, Togo).

Form of McConville: Son of the bald hound (Irish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Dweller at the old town or estate (Old English).

Dweller at the brook in the hollow (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Sundara: Beautiful (Sanskrit).

Form of Heinrich: Ruler of a home or private property (Old German).

Dweller at the rocky meadow (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Form of the Latin personal name Paschalis: Peaceful one (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Place name—city in New Hampshire. Name given to enslaved men in eighteenth-century New Hampshire.

From the pasture meadow (Old English).

Unique spelling of “Israel,” meaning “God perseveres”

Strength of God; God will strengthen (Hebrew; Old Testament—prophet for whom a book in the Old Testament is named).

No meaning available

Form of Regin: Judgment (reeg-un—Old Norse).

No meaning available

Form of Cordier: Make or seller of cord (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Strong” (Swahili origin)

Watchful one (Hebrew).

Form of Themba: Hope (TEHM-bah—Xhosa, South Africa).

Light; to illuminate (Arabic, North Africa; Islam—one of the ninety-nine names of Allah).

Form of Douglas: From the black or dark water (Scottish Gaelic).

Created name from African-American culture.

Place name—Various places in England.

The advancer (Old English).

Courageous; valiant, warlike one (Irish).

Form of Emmett: Industrious, strong (Old German).

Created name from African-American culture.

Warrior, warlike (Hebrew, from the Persian; Old Testament); rooted in the Babylonian mythical god of war Marduk.

Dweller at the west estate or west-facing farm (Old English).

Meaning and origin unknown. Name used among free black men since the 18th century.

Form of Lamar: Famous for land (Old German).

Form of names beginning with “Ben”: Benedict (blessed one—Latin); Benjamin (son of the right hand—Hebrew; Old Testament); Bennett (little blessed one—Latin-French).

Very choice one; strong man (Irish Gaelic).

Masculine form of Marie, the French form of Mary, the English form of the Latin Maria (New Testament), from the Hebrew Miryam: Sea of bitterness or sea of sorrow (Old Testament—sister of Moses and Aaron).

Form of Milton: Dweller at the mill town (Old English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

English origin, meaning “spear ruler”

The child is like a crown that brings honor to a king (Youruba, Nigeria).

Form of Arthur: Noble one; bear-man; brave as a bear (Welsh; English).

Elevated, greatest, noble, exalted (Arabic, North Africa; Swahili, East Africa).

Unique spelling of “Marquis”

“Famous ruler” (Welsh origin)

No meaning available

Father of the multitude (Hebrew; Old Testament—first of the patriarchs, father of the Hebrew nation, ancestor of the Hebrews and Arabs). Name found among enslaved men in the South during the mid-nineteenth century.

“Independent” (American origin)

Prosperous friend; rich in friendship (Old English).

Surname or family name given for a first or middle name: Hostage, noble youth; bright, famous (Early Medieval English).

Form of Gino, a form of Eugenio (Italian).

“Sacred hill” (English origin)

“Wealthy spear” (English origin)

“Holy stone” (English origin)

Form of Yoseph or Joseph: He shall add (YOO-suf—Arabic, North Africa; Hebrew; Swahili, East Africa).

No meaning available

No meaning available

Form of Augustine: Exalted one, imperial, revered (Latin).

“Deer wood” (English origin)