African American First Names: Cultural Heritage & Modern Identity

Canada

Meaning: Place name—a country in North America.

Percival

Meaning: “Pierces the valley” (French origin)

Archibald

Meaning: The truly bold; noble; sacred prince; genuine (Anglo-French; German).

Londer

Meaning: Dweller in the country (German); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Griffin

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

Zyrell

Lacy

Meaning: Form of Lassy: Settlement of Lascius (English, from the Norman); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Archie

Meaning: Form of Archibald: The truly bold; noble; sacred prince; genuine (Anglo-French; German).

Abram

Meaning: Exalted father (Hebrew; Old Testament—Abraham’s name before God changed it). Name found among enslaved men in the South during the mid-nineteenth century.

Gerrick

Meaning: English origin, meaning “spear ruler”

Vern

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

Jory

Meaning: Form of Jordan: Descender (Hebrew); also a female name.

William

Meaning: “Resolute protector” (German origin)

Kalamu

Meaning: 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).

Natrone

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture.

Adonal

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture, a form of Adonis: Handsome lord (Greek).

Kelso

Meaning: Chalk ridge (Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Solomon

Meaning: Peaceful (Hebrew; Old Testament—son and successor of King David).

Jermaine

Meaning: Brother (Latin).

Thatcher

Meaning: “Roof maker” (English origin)

Diley

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

Tyler

Meaning: “Tile maker” (English origin)

Weaver

Meaning: Clothmaker (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Sengstacke

Meaning: Meaning and origin unknown; surname or family name given for a first or middle name. Name given to honor the late newspaper publisher John Herman Henry Sengstacke.

Tevari

Trent

Meaning: “Gushing waters” (Latin origin)

Reno

Meaning: “Ruler” (Italian origin)

Azaire

Meaning: Unique blend, with roots in “Zaire”

Warryn

Meaning: Variation of “Warren”

Jabari

Meaning: “Valiant” (Swahili origin, widely used in African American communities)

Tres

Meaning: Word name—the French word tres (tray): Three.

Yardley

Webster

Meaning: Weaver (Old English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Marshall

Meaning: Military officer; keeper of horses (Middle English).

Lee Roy

Meaning: Form of Leroy: King; person given the title of king for his royal bearing or for the part played in a religious pageant (French).

Purvis

Meaning: To provide food (French).

Elmo

Meaning: Courageous protector (Italian, from the German helmut).

Burke

Meaning: Dweller at the fortress or stronghold (Old English; Old French); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Donte

Meaning: Italian origin, African American variation of “Dante”

Donald

Meaning: Mighty world ruler (Scottish Gaelic).

Shaquille

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture, a form of Shakil: Handsome, well developed (Arabic, North Africa).

Yassin

Meaning: Meaning and origin unknown.

Kibwel

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture.

Bashaun

Meaning: Blend of “Ba” and “Shaun”

Kione

Alber

Meaning: Form of Albert: Noble and brilliant or illustrious (Old English).

Valentine

Meaning: Strong, valorous, healthy (Latin).

Bart

Meaning: Form of Bartholomew: Son of the furrows; a farmer (New Testament—one of the twelve apostles; Hebrew).

Price

Meaning: Son of the ardent one (Old Welsh).

Melvin

Meaning: Sword friend or speech friend (Old English).

Julius

Meaning: Youthful; downy-bearded one (Latin).

Kirby

Meaning: From the church village (Old Norse).

Bennie

Meaning: Form of names beginning with “Ben”: Benedict (blessed one—Latin); Benjamin (son of the right hand—Hebrew; Old Testament); Bennett (little blessed one—Latin-French).

Sephaniah

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture.

Bazil

Meaning: Form of Basil: Kingly; magnificent (Latin).

Lardarius

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture, a form of Darius: King, kingly; one who is wealthy (Hebrew).

Broderick

Meaning: “Famous ruler” (Welsh origin)

Rubin

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

Ned

Meaning: Form of Nedaviah: Generosity of the Lord (NED-ah-VY-ah—Hebrew).

Dillon

Meaning: Little blind one (Irish Gaelic); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Sumner

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

Vaddrick

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture.

Kaleb

Meaning: “Devotion to God” (variation of Caleb)

Xaiden

Meaning: Blend of “Xai” and “Aiden”

Thornton

Meaning: Dweller at the thorny estate (English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Wilton

Meaning: From the spring farm (Old English).

Cain

Silas

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

Farrel

Meaning: Irish origin, meaning “courageous”

Rayshawn

Meaning: “God is gracious” (modern African American origin)

Taj

Meaning: Arabic origin, meaning “crown”

D’Marr

Meaning: Unique blend of “D” prefix and “Marr”

Corley

Meaning: Dweller near the crane in a woodland clearing (English); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Tinsley

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture.

Ashton

Meaning: “Ash tree town” (English origin)

Frank

Meaning: “Free man” (German origin)

Antione

Meaning: Variation of “Antoine,” meaning “priceless”

Landon

Meaning: “Long hill” (English origin)

Kwaku

Meaning: Born on Wednesday (Akan, Ghana).

Dione

Meaning: Form of Dion or Dennis, forms of Dionysos: God of wine and revelry (Greek).

Ali

Meaning: Elevated, greatest, noble, exalted (Arabic, North Africa; Swahili, East Africa).

Hillery

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

Demarre

Meaning: Created name from African-American culture.

Xavion

Quantrell

Meaning: Combination of “Quan” and “-trell”

Demond

Meaning: Form of Desmond: Gracious protector (English).

Darnley

Meaning: Place name—an estate in southwestern Glasgow (English; Scottish); surname or family name given for a first or middle name.

Travis

Meaning: “To cross” (French origin)

Cassius

Meaning: “Vain” but associated with “strength” due to Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali (Latin origin)

Obasi

Meaning: “In honor of God” (Igbo origin)

Reed

Meaning: Form of Read: Red-haired or red-complexioned (Old English).

Philando

Meaning: Meaning and origin unknown.

Elian

Meaning: Hebrew origin, meaning “the Lord is my God”

Addison

Meaning: “Son of Adam” (English origin)

Alton

Meaning: Dweller at the old town or estate (Old English).

Calan

Meaning: Variation of “Callan,” meaning “rock”

Claude

Meaning: Form of Claudius, an old Roman family name: Lame one, suggesting that a handicap may be the stimulus for great achievement, as with the two Roman emperors with the name Claudius (Latin).

Jaelani

Meaning: Modern blend, inspired by “Jalen” and “Jelani”

Marcelino

Meaning: Form of Marcus: Little hammer; little warlike one (Latin). Rooted in Mars, the Roman god of war.

Armond

Meaning: Variation of “Armando,” meaning “army man”