Discover Beautiful African American Names

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

“Lame” (Latin origin, adapted)

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

English form of Griffith: Fierce chief or fierce lord, red-haired; ruddy one (Old Welsh).

One who makes and repairs barrels (English, from the Middle Dutch); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

“Valley” (English origin)

“Edge of the river” (English origin)

No meaning available

Unique blend of “Quan” and “-ell”

Created name from African-American culture.

“God will uplift” (Hebrew origin)

Form of Lewis, a form of Louis: Great fighter; famous warrior; warrior prince (English, from the Old French and Old High German).

Blend of two names such as Kenneth (handsome one—Irish Gaelic; royal oath—Old English) and Rick (powerful ruler—Old German; powerful, brave—Old English).

First; first born (male or female—Swahili, East Africa).

Form of Oliver: Kind, affectionate one (Old Norse; Scandinavian).

Meaning unknown (Ghana).

No meaning available

Italian origin, meaning “brave”

English form of the Latin Martinus: Warlike one. Rooted in the mythological god of war, Mars.

Blend of “Ja” and “Corey”

Modern African American name

Form of Corey: Dweller near a hollow (Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Modern African American name

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

No meaning available

No meaning available

Form of Reuben: Behold, a son (Hebrew; Old Testament—eldest son of Jacob and Leah).

Form of Roscoe: From the deer forest (Old Norse).

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

Form of Francis: Free man, or Frenchman (Latin).

No meaning available

Spanish form of Reginald: Mighty and powerful; judicious; wise counselor (Latin; Old English; Old German).

From the dear or daring settlement (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Giver of light (Greek; New Testament).

Dark skinned (French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

No meaning available

Combination of “Zay” and “-len”

Modern African American name, often with “De” prefix

No meaning available

Meaning and origin unknown.

“Dove” (Scottish origin)

Form of Ananiah: Jehovah has given (ah-nah-NI-ahs—New Testament; Hebrew).

Form of Alvin: Friend of all; noble friend; friend of the elves (Old English).

Arabic origin, meaning “crown”

Dweller in the valley (Old English).

“Follower of Christ” (German origin)

No meaning available

Meaning and origin unknown. Name found among free black men who lived and worked in eighteenth-century New England.

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

Hebrew origin, meaning “pine tree”

Third-born son (MEN-sah—Ewe, Ghana).

Consecrated, dedicated (Hebrew; Old Testament).

Created name from African-American culture.

Unique blend of “Ka” and “rell” suffix

Form of Constantine: Firm, constant one; steadfast (Latin).

Form of Bernard: Brave as a bear (Old German).

Created name from African-American culture.

No meaning available

Most noble one; of noble birth (Hebrew; Old Testament).

Blend of “Ken” and “-trell” suffix

Lion-hearted, brave as a lion (Old Franco-German; Old High German).

From the friend’s field (Old English).

Blend of two names such as Dennis, the English form of Denis, the French form of Dionysos (Greek mythological god of wine and revelry) and Renardo (mighty, brave—Old German).

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

Created name from African-American culture.

“Speckled” (English origin)

Born away from home (Yoruba, Nigeria).

“Defender of the people” (Greek origin)

Variation of “Cameron” with “K”

Form of Dorian: Name created by writer Oscar Wilde for his title character in The Portrait of Dorian Gray—thought to be influenced by inhabitants of Doris (Dorians), a mountainous region of Greece (English).

Created name from African-American culture.

“Son of Will” (English origin)

“Fiery” (Welsh origin)

Merchant; storekeeper (French).

Good, beautiful, handsome (hah-sahn—Arabic, North Africa; Swahili, East Africa).

Son of Hall: Dweller at the hall or manor house (Old English).

“God is gracious” (modern African American origin)

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

“Dark or swarthy” (Irish origin, popular in African American culture)

Form of Sam: To hear (Hebrew).

Son of shield (Old English).

No meaning available

Hebrew origin, meaning “God has heard”

“Servant of God” (Arabic origin)

Form of Obadiah: Servant of God (Old Testament; Hebrew).

From the pool or waterfall (Old Welsh).

“To be pampered” (Yoruba origin)

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

Form of Jeffrey: Divinely peaceful (Old French).

Form of Rashid: Rightly guided (Arabic, North Africa).

Variation of “Javonte,” a unique African American name

No meaning available

Form of Zachariah: Jehovah has remembered (Hebrew; Old Testament).

Form of Leo: Lion (Latin).

Farmer; burning spear (Kikuyu, Kenya).

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

Name created by writer Oscar Wilde for his title character in The Portrait of Dorian Gray—thought to be influenced by inhabitants of Doris (Dorians), a mountainous region of Greece (English).

Created name from African-American culture.

“Son of Jay” (modern American origin)

“Warlike” (Polish origin)