African Girl Names

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Thandiwe	Beloved	African
Jela	Father Suffered During Birth	African
Fabunni	God has Given Me This	African
Ashaunti		African
Akia	First Born	African
Tene	Love	African
Zhenga	African Queen	African
Jamala	Friendly, Well-mannered	African
Dembe	Peace	African
Zhuri	Beautiful	African
Yatima	Orphan	African
Umi	Servant	African
Adeniyi	Crown has honour	African
Sadiki	Faithful	African

Milandu	A Case to Answer	African
Yassah	A Dance	African
Mhina	Delightful	African
Niah	Lustrous; goal, purpose	African
Faven	Light	African
Nala	Successful	African
Isoke	Satisfying gift from God	African
Yoruba	People in Nigeria	African
Tarisai	Look, Behold	African
Ekundayo	Sorrow Becomes Joy	African
Ashante		African

Whether it’s their sound that catches your ear or their meaning that captures your heart, African girl names are undeniably stunning. Several appear on the baby name charts, but many others are still waiting for their chance in the spotlight. Explore them with us.

While African girl names aren’t very common in the U.S., still you’ll find them on the baby names chart. Zuri usually trends the most popular, and we definitely see why. She’s fun, youthful, and fresh — making her the perfect name for a modern baby girl. Nia is another favorite, and we see her as a vibrant alternative to the more popular Mia and Maya. Armani is also well-loved, and with her association with the luxury fashion line, she’s a stylish pick loaded with glitz and glamor. You can sort by the most recent chart’s popularity on our site or use all-time popularity to find more common African girl names.

If you’d like to find something similar to popular names but not as common, you’re also in luck with African girl names. There’s Amali, a sweet alternative to Amelia and Emily and Lela, a sassy cutie that’s a close cousin to Layla and Lily. We love Safia too, a gorgeous sister to Sophia.

That said, rare names are some of our favorites, as they stick out in people’s mind and give your child a unique name identity. Mandisa is one of our standouts among African girl names, as she’s beautiful and bold. Kirabo is another head turner along with Kumani. While they may not be chart toppers, they’re certainly stunning and deserve more attention. We encourage you to explore further down the charts or use our surprise me button to browse names of varying popularity.

African girl names are often melodic on the ear, winning over parents who can’t get enough of their singsong nature. Ayanna is an obvious gem because of this, along with her meaning of “beautiful flower.” Alora is another beauty in sound and meaning, hers being “my dream.” Other ear-pleasing princesses are Adesina, Keyara, Kanoni, and Asatira, to name a few. There are many more waiting for you to discover, too.

As with other origins, the meanings behind African girl names are our favorite parts of them. As we all know, a great meaning can really make a name pop. Siyanda is a favorite of ours, meaning “we are growing.” Isn’t that adorable for the newest member of your growing family? Amaka’s “precious” and Tafariah’s “she who inspires awe” are out-of-this-world gems, too. You could go spiritual, with Aminali’s “faithful” and Nakimera’s “gift from God,” or you could go powerful with Faizah’s “victorious” and Jasira’s “courageous.” If you’re seeking a particular meaning, you can use our Search Baby Names tool and narrow to search African girl names with your chosen meaning.

Browse our collection of beautiful African girl names and see what special treasures you find.