Discover Beautiful African American Names

Variation of “Malik,” meaning “king”

Blend of “Ja” and “Monte”

A blend of two names such as Micah (like unto the Lord—Hebrew; Old Testament prophet) and Elijah (Hebrew; Jehovah is my God—Old Testament).

From the field by the small river (Old English).

Blend of two names such as Dennis, the English form of Denis, the French form of Dionysos (Greek mythological god of wine and revelry) and Renardo (mighty, brave—Old German).

English origin, meaning “spear ruler”

“Mountain” (modern American origin)

“Little star” (English origin)

Spanish variation of “Ezekiel”

Latin form of Heracles: Glorious, famous; son of Zeus in Greek and Roman mythology (Greek; Mythology).

No meaning available

“Son of Japheth” (modern African American origin)

Form of Lawrence: From the place of the laurel tree; laurel-crowned one (English; Latin).

English origin, meaning “land by the road”

Spanish origin, meaning “of the sea”

Variation of “Theron”

“Son of defilement” (Irish origin)

No meaning available

Descendant of the hound of valor (Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Chief guardian; noble watchman (Old English).

Far away, high up (Ewe, Ghana).

From the brushwood hill (English).

No meaning available

Famous warrior (German).

Created name from African-American culture.

Form of Ray: Honored title given to a sovereign (Old French).

Form of John: God is gracious (Hebrew; New Testament).

Modern African American name

Grain grinder (English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Gracious protector; protected by God’s grace (Old English).

Wheelmaker (Old English).

Created name from African-American culture.

“Famous ruler” (Welsh origin)

Well-born one; young warrior (EV-an—Irish Gaelic; Old Welsh).

Form of Brittany: Place name—a peninsula in northwestern France (Latin).

Form of Purvis: To provide food (French).

The truly bold; noble; sacred prince; genuine (Anglo-French; German).

Form of Charpentier: Worker of wood (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Form of Ronald: Mighty power (Old Norse).

Twelfth month of the Gregorian calendar (Latin).

Modern African American name with a unique sound

Place name—city in Rhode Island. Name found among free and enslaved black men in late eighteenth-century New England.

Meaning and origin unknown.

No meaning available

Place of the roses (Greek).

Form of Lewis, a form of Louis: Great fighter; famous warrior; warrior prince (English, from the Old French and Old High German).

Combination of “Ja” and “Quan”

Form of Timothy: He who honors God (Greek; New Testament).

Form of Leroy: King; person given the title of king for his royal bearing or for the part played in a religious pageant (French).

Form of Paul: Little; small in stature but big in love and constancy (Amharic, Ethiopia; Latin; New Testament).

Handsome (Irish).

No meaning available

Servant of God (Old Testament; Hebrew).

If pronounced "gy-an," form of Gyantwaka: By what one plants, the planter (gy-an-twak-ah—Iroquois, Native North American).

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

Form of Caesar: Long-haired or hairy; through use, emperor (Latin).

Created name from African-American culture.

God is gracious (Hebrew; New Testament).

Form of Roscoe: From the deer forest (Old Norse).

Greek form of Peter: Rock or stone (Latin; New Testament).

Abounding in elm trees (Scottish Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Acquired” (Hebrew origin)

Unique spelling variation of “Antoine”

Small songbird (Old English).

“Noble” (variation of Marquis)

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Shawn or Sean, the Irish form of John: God is gracious (rah-SHON—Hebrew; New Testament).

No meaning available

Scottish form of John: God is gracious (EE-an—New Testament; Hebrew).

Dweller from the southern settlement (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Modern variation of “Aaron”

English form of Alan: Handsome, cheerful, harmonious one (Irish Gaelic).

Variation of “Javonte” with “-ez” suffix

Hazelnut tree (Old English).

Unique blend, inspired by “Xavier”

“Exalted father” (Hebrew origin)

Combined names that reflect John the Baptist (French; Hebrew; New Testament).

“Western town” (English origin)

No meaning available

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

Place name—capital city of England and the United Kingdom.

Form of Chinwe: It belongs to God (Igbo or Ibo, Nigeria).

Benevolent; content, happy (nah-EEM—Arabic, North Africa).

Form of Emery: Industrious ruler (English, from the Old German).

Form of Donald: Mighty world ruler (Scottish Gaelic).

No meaning available

“Strong decision” (French origin)

“Lover” (Irish origin)

Form of Dick, a form of Richard: Powerful ruler (Old German).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Alphonso: Noble and ready; eager for battle (Old German).

“Heir” (Scandinavian origin)

Slavic origin, meaning “declaration of peace”

Form of Vance: Grain thresher; dweller near the grain-winnowing fans or marshlands (Middle English).

Swineherder (English, Irish, and Welsh, from the Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Blend of “Jay” and “-lin,” a unique African American name

Another variation of “Shawn” with “De” prefix

Created name from African-American culture.

“Watchman” (German origin)

French origin, meaning “wool worker”

Giver of light (Greek; New Testament).