Discover Beautiful African American Names

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

No meaning available

Modern African American name

German origin, meaning “wise ruler”

Rock or stone (Greek; Latin; New Testament).

“Youthful” (Latin origin)

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

Created name from African-American culture.

No meaning available

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Kalil: Crown, wreath, garland (KAY-lil—Hebrew).

Blend of “Ja” and “Quell”

Modern African American name

Place name—a town in West Virginia.

Form of Rudolf: Famous wolf (Old High German).

Calf herdsman (English).

Form of Wilbert: Resolute, brilliant one (Old German).

Blend of “Ra” and “Shaud”

Form of Steven, a form of Stephen, a form of Stephanos: Crowned one (Greek).

No meaning available

“Son” (Scottish origin)

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

Meaning and origin unknown.

“Bear” (English origin)

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

Form of Clifford: From the cliff ford; one who dwells at the ford near the cliff (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Modern African American name

Form of the word veritas: Truth (Latin).

Strong, manly (Greek).

“The protector” (Kenyan origin)

Meaning and origin unknown.

Form of Nayland: Dweller at the island (English).

Blend of two names such as Winston (from the friend’s estate or town—Old English) and Bernard (brave as a bear—Old German).

Form of a place name—Astbury in Cheshire, England: Dweller from the east manor (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name—sometimes given to honor the eighteenth-century Methodist preacher and circuit rider, Frances Asbury.

From the spring farm (Old English).

“Light” (Latin origin)

Created name from African-American culture.

From Ella’s hill or foreign hill (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Place name—from Orsay in Seine-et-Orne, France; surname or family name given for a first or middle name (English, from the French).

Little king; kingly (Irish Gaelic).

Form of Jay: Blue jay (Old French).

Created name from African-American culture.

Blend of “Ra” and “Shawn”

No meaning available

No meaning available

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

Created name from African-American culture.

Form of Adolf: Noble wolf; noble hero (Old German).

Irish origin, meaning “white”

No meaning available

No meaning available

Son of Gray (Irish; Scottish).

Form of Dawud, the Arabic form of David: Beloved one (dah-WUUD—Arabic, North Africa; Hebrew; Old Testament—king of Israel).

No meaning available

Helmeted head; helmeted chief (Irish Gaelic); old Irish and Scottish clan name. Surname of the thirty-fifth president of the United States (John F. Kennedy).

Handsome, cheerful, harmonious one (Irish Gaelic).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Donald: Mighty world ruler (Scottish Gaelic).

“Wealthy defender” (Scandinavian origin)

Famous protector (Old German).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Donald: Mighty world ruler (Scottish Gaelic).

Form of Philemon: Loving, friendly (Greek; New Testament).

No meaning available

Blend of “Ken” and “-trell” suffix

“Wolf shield” (English origin)

No meaning available

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

Form of Romanus: Man from Rome (French; Latin).

Meaning unknown (Russian); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

“Fair” (Irish origin)

Unique spelling, modern African American name

Player of the rote—an early medieval stringed instrument (Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Free holder of land (Middle English).

Dutch origin, meaning “home-ruler,” popularized in African American culture

Form of Matthew: Gift of God (Hebrew; New Testament).

“God” (Yoruba origin, often used as a prefix for many Yoruba names)

“He who wins the struggle” (Yoruba origin)

Meaning unknown (The Gambia); surname of the character Kunta Kinte in Alex Haley’s book Roots, given for a first or middle name.

“Laughs” (African origin)

Far away, high up (Ewe, Ghana).

From the white-haired one’s island (Old English).

Meaning unknown (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name—sometimes the name is given to honor the surname of the late great bandleader Count Basie.

Form of Kendrick (son of Henry—Irish Gaelic; royal ruler—Old English).

Combination of “Sha” and “Vonte”

No meaning available

“Stone settlement” (English origin)

Form of Philemon: Loving, friendly (Greek; New Testament).

Courageous protector (Italian, from the German helmut).

Form of Cornelius: Like a horn (Latin).

Kind, willing; wise man (Arabic, North Africa; India).

No meaning available

Dweller on the bank of a river (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of Budd: One whose body is thick (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

English origin, meaning “little hawk”

Latheworker; woodworker (Latin; Middle English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Gift of God” (Greek origin)

No meaning available

Form of Kinkle: Spindle maker (German); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

King, kingly; one who is wealthy (dah-RI-us—Hebrew).

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

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