Discover Beautiful African American Names

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

A form of Randolf: Shield wolf (Old English). The wolf suggests courage.

Form of Bristol: Rich, noble, powerful; place name—sight of the bridge (English).

Soldier armed with a spear; maker of spears (Middle English); surname or family name give for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

No meaning available

Variation of “Zion,” meaning “highest point”

English form of Ernst: Earnest one; determined (German; Old English).

Form of Stephanos: Crowned one (Greek).

No meaning available

Blend of “Trey” and “-on”

Courteous one; court-bred (Old French).

Form of McDonnell (MacDonnell): Son of Donhnall (or Donald)—mighty ruler (Irish Gaelic; Scottish Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Form of William: Resolute protector (German).

No meaning available

Hero in good health, or from the hall (Old English).

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

Man of the North (English; French).

English origin, meaning “grace of God”

Form of Alphonso: Noble and ready; eager for battle (Old German).

Shortened form of “Zephaniah”

Unique African American name

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.

English form of the French Hilaire, a form of Hilarius: Cheerful one (Latin).

Form of Corliss: Benevolent (English).

Rod or staff bearer (Latin).

Vigilant; watchful one (Greek; Latin).

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

No meaning available

Meaning unknown (Mali).

No meaning available

Created name from African-American culture.

Modern blend of “Amir” with “-ion” suffix

Hebrew origin, meaning “strong”

No meaning available

One who makes himself clear; one who makes his meaning clear; one who is precise (ah-dee-SAH—Yoruba, Nigeria).

Form of Gomer: Complete; to end; vanishing (Hebrew).

Variation of “Marvel,” meaning “miracle”

Form of Curtis: Courteous one; court-bred (Old French).

Modern African American name

“Exalted brother” (Hebrew origin)

Form of Kendrick: Son of Henry (Irish Gaelic).

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

Hard worker (Bondei, Tanzania).

Form of Maurice or Morris: Moorish; dark-complexioned one (Late Latin).

Created name from African-American culture.

To destroy (English, from the Greek Perseus); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Enslow: A place name in Oxfordshire, England; surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Noble one; bear-man; brave as a bear (Welsh; English).

Unique modern name

Created name from African-American culture.

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

Charming, clever, beguiling (English).

Blend of “Ke” and “Monte”

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

Form of Carlisle: One from the castle tower (Old English).

No meaning available

“Crooked nose” (Scottish origin, widely adapted)

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

Inestimable, priceless one; worthy of praise (Latin).

Gracious protector (English).

“Bright, splendid” (Arabic origin)

He is beauty; handsome one (Arabic, North Africa).

Form of names beginning with “Ed”: Edward (Prosperous guardian—Old English); Edmund (Prosperous guardian—Old English); Edwin (Prosperous friend; rich in friendship—Old English; Edensaw (Glacier—ed-en-saw—Tlingit, Native North American).

“Royal power” (Scottish origin, commonly used in African American culture)

From the church village (Old Norse).

Blend of “Ke” and “-ion” suffix

No meaning available

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

“Rocky land” (German origin)

Little great one (Irish Gaelic).

Modern African American name

“Wealthy defender” (Scandinavian origin)

Latin origin, meaning “tender, gracious,” used widely

No meaning available

Blend of “Dan” and “-trell” suffix

Unique blend of “Ma” and “Jon”

Form of Muhammad: Worthy of praise; the Blessed (after the Prophet); thankful (Arabic, North Africa; Sudan; Swahili, East Africa).

Form of Purvis: To provide food (French).

Spear; spearman (Old English).

Meaning and origin unknown.

Form of Roe: Roe-deer; small, agile European deer (Middle English).

Homestead near a river (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 Lawrence: From the place of the laurel tree; laurel-crowned one (English; Latin).

“Church land” (English origin)

“Free man” (Latin origin)

“Edge of the river” (English origin)

Keeper of the hours; light of the sun (Latin).

Beloved, famous, and resolute (German).

Word name—The English word marvelous: Causing wonder (Middle English).

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

“Wisdom” (Ghanaian origin)

Form of Alexander: Helper and defender of humankind (Greek).

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

Grower or seller of beans (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Short land (Dutch).

Form of Jaleel: Majesty (Arabic, North America).

Eighteenth-century African name of unknown meaning and origin.

The Brown family's farm or enclosure (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.