Discover Beautiful African American Names

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

“Man from the north” (English origin)

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

“God is gracious” (English origin)

Modern African American name with a unique sound

“King” (Malian origin)

Learned (se-KOO—Guinea).

“Hopeful” (Arabic origin)

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

Form of Demeter: Fertility (Greek); the goddess of fertility and agriculture in Greek mythology.

Form of Thomas: Twin (Aramaic; Greek; New Testament).

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

Form of Nelson: Son of the champion; son of Neal (English).

No meaning available

“Great Lord” (Welsh origin, popularized in African American culture)

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

Created name from African-American culture.

“Peace” (Zulu origin)

Noble one (Latin).

“White hawk” (Welsh origin)

Meaning and origin unknown.

Place name—a river in Africa (NY-jer).

“Of Marcus” (modern American origin)

Summoner to the courts (French; Latin; Middle English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Fragrant oil” (Greek origin, widely used in African American communities)

Nobleman (mar-KEE—French; MAR-quis).

Created name from African-American culture.

Akan origin, meaning “born on Saturday”

Combination of “Ja” and “Quan”

No meaning available

No meaning available

“God listens” (Hebrew origin)

“He who is loved” (African origin)

Blend of “Ja” and “Shaun”

No meaning available

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Andre: Strong, manly (Greek).

Great spearsman or marksman; spearlike or pointed (Irish Gaelic).

“God is gracious” (modern African American name)

No meaning available

Place name—from Haynes, Bedfordshire, England; surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Knight; horseman, rider (Late Latin; Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

From the new estate or town (Old English).

Form of Ryan: Little king; kingly (Irish Gaelic).

Divinely strong (German).

Master (Arabic, North Africa).

From a field near the town (English).

Blend of two names such as John (God is gracious—Hebrew; New Testament) and Karen (pure—Greek).

Unique African American name with “-ell” suffix

From the willow farm (Dutch).

Meaning and origin unknown.

No meaning available

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Cornelius: Like a horn (Latin).

“Scribe, scholar” (English origin)

Blend of two names such as Lee (from the pasture meadow—Old English; poetic—Irish Gaelic) and Darryl (little dear or beloved one—French).

“God is good” (Greek origin)

“Well-born” (Greek origin)

Name of a Cadillac automobile model.

Unique modern name

Created name from African-American culture.

No meaning available

“Pierces the valley” (French origin)

Stable, tranquil (Latin).

“Lover” (Irish origin)

Form of Lamont: Law man (Scottish, from the Old Norse); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

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

Worker at a manor house; the hall (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Warrior” (Irish origin)

Modern African American name

No meaning available

Form of Piers, an Old French form of Peter: Rock or stone (Latin; New Testament).

No meaning available

“Rock” (Scottish origin)

Powerful (Old English).

No meaning available

A form of Lawrence: From the place of the laurel tree; laurel-crowned one (English; Latin); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Created name from African-American culture.

French form of Dominic: Belonging to God (Latin).

Free man (Irish Gaelic).

No meaning available

Variation of “Cameron”

“Praised” (Hebrew origin)

Form of Terrell: Ruler of thunder (Old English); rooted in Thor, the mystical Norse god of thunder.

“From Scotland” (Scottish origin)

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.

“Son of Japheth” (modern American origin)

Meaning and origin unknown. Named found among enslaved men in the South during the nineteenth century.

“Third” (modern American origin)

Form of Oved: Servant, serving (Hebrew).

No meaning available

No meaning available

Form of Lindsey: Dweller from the island of Lelli, Lealla—Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England (Anglo-Saxon); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Gentle, patient” (Arabic origin)

Form of Vernon: Youthful, springlike, born in the spring (Latin).

Form of Anthony: Inestimable, priceless one; worthy of praise (Spanish; Italian; Portuguese; Latin).

No meaning available

Form of Kwasi or Kwesi: Born on Sunday (Akan, Ghana; Ewe, Ghana).

“Gravelly homestead” (Scottish origin)

“Seen” (Yoruba origin)

Blend of the two names Glen, a form of Glenn (dweller in a glen or valley—Irish Gaelic) and Allen (handsome, cheerful, harmonious one—Irish).

“Settlement of free men” (English origin)