Discover Beautiful African American Names

Variation of “Zion,” meaning “highest point”

Form of Frederick: Peaceful ruler (Old German).

“Of the night” (French origin)

“Old town” (English origin)

“Western town” (English origin)

Form of Valery or Valerian: Strong, healthy, powerful (Late Latin).

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

“Long hill” (English origin)

Form of Wallace: Man from Wales (Old English).

No meaning available

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

Modern African American name

A nickname in Middle English for someone who assumed the manner of a king (English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name. The surname of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is used as a first name in honor of the great civil rights leader.

Dweller near the wood; woodsman; woodworker (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Place name—A river and two countries in Central Africa. Name found among freed black men from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries.

Blend of two names such as Moses (mercy; saved from the water—Egyptian; Hebrew; Old Testament—referring to the biblical Moses) and Keziah, a form of Ketziah: (a type of cinnamon—(Hebrew; Old Testament—second daughter of Job, born to him after his great affliction).

Form of Hula: Eagle (Osage, Native North American).

Arabic origin, meaning “king,” widely used in African American culture

Son of Leod, the ugly wolf (Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Of Mars, warlike” (modern African American origin)

“Serious, determined” (German origin)

From the north estate (Old Anglo-French).

Form of Al-Hakim: The wise (al-hah-KEEM—Qur’an or Koran; Arabic, North Africa).

Great one (Anglo-French).

Blend of “Day” and “Von”

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Vaughn: Small one (Old Welsh).

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.

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

“The king” (French origin)

Danish crossing (English).

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

Place name—several places in England: Child's dwelling (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

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

“Blessed” (Swahili origin)

No meaning available

Created name from African-American culture (leh-MONE).

Akan origin, meaning “born on Saturday”

Blend of “Cor” and “Den”

Form of Barclay: Dweller at the birch-tree meadow (Old English).

No meaning available

Fuller or thickener of cloth (Middle English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Brave; bravery is his prize (Muslim—popular in Sudan; Arabic, North Africa).

“Warrior” (African origin)

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

Ethiopian form of the biblical David: Beloved one (Hebrew; Old Testament—King of Israel).

Modern African American name inspired by “martial”

Form of Corliss: Benevolent (English).

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

Created name from African-American culture (leh-MONE).

Visitor (TAH-rik—Swahili, East Africa).

No meaning available

“Strong, brave bear” (variation of Bernard)

No meaning available

From a field near the town (English).

Dweller in a town with a tannery, from pellis: skin of a fur-bearing animal (Latin).

Son of Hendry (Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Long stick; a tall, thin person (Middle English).

Form of Salaam: Peace (Swahili, East Africa; Senegal).

Spanish form of Emmanuel: God is with us (Hebrew).

Meaning and origin unknown.

No meaning available

Praiseworthy, more commendable (Arabic, North Africa; Swahili, East Africa).

Asked for (from the Aramaic; Latin; New Testament—missionary friend of Paul and Timothy).

Meaning unknown (NEE-ye—Nigeria).

Blend of two names such as Kala (the black one—Sanskrit; the sun—Hawaiian) and Akamu, Hawaiian form of Adam (mortal, man of the red earth, first human created by God—Hebrew; Old Testament).

Form of Bradford: From the broad river crossing (English).

Meaning and origin unknown.

Form of Stewart: Household administrator (Scottish, from Middle and Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Form of Barak: Lightning, a flash of light (Hebrew; Old Testament).

No meaning available

No meaning available

“Sharp” (Irish origin)

“Supplanter” (modern African American origin)

Ruler of thunder (Old English); rooted in Thor, the mythological Norse god of thunder (Old Norse).

Form of Tawia: Next child after twins (Akan, Ghana; Ga [Gao], Ghana). In the Ga language, the name can be either male or female.

Form of Almerich: Work-power (German).

“Fifth born” (French origin, popularized by Quincy Jones)

“Wealthy” (Hebrew origin)

Modern blend of “Tray” and “Von”

From the great estate or town (French).

Form of Nikolaos: Victorious army; victorious people; victorious one (Greek).

Meaning and origin unknown.

No meaning available

A military man (Latin).

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

No meaning available

Form of Willard: Resolute and brave (Old English).

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Flora: Flower; Roman goddess of flowers (Latin).

No meaning available

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

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

Twin (Aramaic; Greek; New Testament).

“Highest point” (Hebrew origin, often used with a sense of spiritual significance)

Dweller at the priest's meadow (Old English).

Unique variation of “Amari”

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

Form of Hilliard: Battle brave; war guard (Old German).

“Champion” (Irish origin)

“Lord” (Scottish origin)