Discover Beautiful African American Names

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

Ford over the stream (English).

Form of Jabari: Fearless person, brave one; comforter, bringer of consolation (Muslim; Swahili, East Africa).

No meaning available

“Crooked nose” (Scottish origin, widely adapted)

Form of Milton: Dweller at the mill town (Old English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Martial one (Italian; Latin).

Form of Bem: He is peaceful (behm—Tiv, Nigeria).

Father, elder (BAH-bah—Fulani, West Africa; Hausa, Nigeria; Swahili, East Africa; Yoruba, Nigeria).

Dark one (Latin); from Adria, an ancient town in central Italy.

Form of Charles: Strong, manly (Latin; Old German).

Blend of “Omar” and “-ion” suffix

Form of Hartwell: From hart-deer spring, a place where wild deer come to drink (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

From the pool or waterfall (Old Welsh).

“Counsel” (English origin)

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

No meaning available

“Good judgment” (Arabic origin)

English origin, meaning “famous ruler”

Modern African American name

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

“Fortified hill” (Spanish origin)

Learned person (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Dangerous undertaking.

“At the cross” (English origin)

From the old estate or town (Old English).

Named after Langston Hughes, the famous poet (English origin)

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

No meaning available

Shortened form of “Isaiah” or “Xavier”

“Dark-skinned” (Latin origin, widely used in African American communities)

“Dedicated” (Hebrew origin)

Arabic origin, meaning “leopard”

Blend of two names such as Laurence (from the place of the laurel tree; laurel-crowned one—English, Latin; place name—small town in Italy) and Maurice (Moorish; dark-complexioned one—Late Latin).

“Little star” (English origin)

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Ron, a form of Ronald: Mighty power (Old Norse).

“Courteous” (French origin)

“Army guard” (German origin)

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

Name that transferred from Normandy to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066 (English; French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

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).

Unique variation of “Dakarai”

“Beauty” (Swahili origin)

Form of Gamliel: God is my reward (GAM-lee-el—Hebrew).

No meaning available

Meaning and origin unknown.

No meaning available

“He has heard” (Hebrew origin)

From the bean field (Old English).

Latin origin, meaning “fifth,” adapted in African American communities

Meaning and origin unknown.

“Wise protector” (German origin)

Elf ruler (English).

Gift; wealth; the Lord exists (Hebrew; Old Testament).

Combination of “Ja” and “Gabriel”

Form of Coujoe: Born on Monday (Ewe, Ghana).

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).

Form of James, the English form of Jacob from the Old Spanish Jayme: The supplanter or one who takes the place of—Hebrew; Old Testament.

Mighty, brave (Old German).

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

Unique African American name

Form of Chuslum: Bull (chuh-sluhm—Nez Percé, Native North American).

“Sun child” (Hebrew origin)

No meaning available

Mercy; saved from the water, referring to the biblical Moses (Egyptian; Swahili, East Africa; Wolof, Senegal).

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

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).

Sea friend (Old English).

Giver of light (Greek; New Testament).

Created name from African-American culture.

Merry one (Old English); more often a female name.

English origin, meaning “nobleman, warrior”

“Guide” (South African origin)

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

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).

“Son of the steward” (English origin)

Created name from African-American culture, a form of Jalal: Greatness (jah-LAL—Arabic, North Africa).

Hebrew origin, meaning “servant of God”

Heroic character in The Thousand and One Nights, also called The Arabian Nights, a collection of tales from the Islamic Golden Age, compiled by various authors over many hundreds of years.

“Patience” (Igbo origin)

No meaning available

“Leader” (French origin)

No meaning available

The advancer (Old English).

Meaning and origin unknown.

No meaning available

Form of Jojo: Born on Monday (Fante, Ghana).

English origin, meaning “hill settlement”

Created name from African-American culture.

Blue jay (Old French).

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

Unique African American name

Form of Montague: Dweller at the pointed hill (English, from the French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Place name—Various places in England.

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

Administrator (Latin).

A shortened form of “Treyvon,” often used in African American culture

Merchant; storekeeper (French).