716 African Baby Girl Names With Meanings

Embrace the beauty of Africa.

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• Sep 14, 2023

Illustration: MomJunction Design Team

African baby girl names are often traditional and have unique stories behind them. Factors like the time a baby is born or the circumstances or the surroundings during the birth often influence choosing a name for the baby. These events and surroundings can be positive or negative. Some of the names are a complete picture of the conditions. For example, "Yetunde Nwaokeke” is the name of a baby girl whose grandmother died just before her birth. "Yetunde" means mother has come back. Before the parents decide the names of their children, circumstances also play a part. It happens among some Ghanaian ethnic groups where a name is automatically assigned based on the day a child is born. For example, a baby girl who was born on Friday was named "Ghanaian Efua" which means a Friday-born. Several local names also have strong religious faith in keeping their baby's name. Among the Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups in Nigeria, baby names mostly start or end with "Chi" "Chukwu" or "Oluwa" which has some reference to God (1). Some groups in eastern or southern Africa choose certain names depending on the time of the day or season a baby is born. In Yoruba tradition, it is very common for each parent or grandparent of a baby to contribute in at least one name of the baby (2). As a result, a baby ends up with several names, each telling its own unique story. With Western influence, newer names have found their way into African families. In this post, we have curated a list of famous African baby names that you can choose using our baby names tool.

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Name	Gender	Meaning
Amahle	Girl	The beautiful one; The prettiest; The finest
Amogelang	Girl	Accept; Receive
Enzokuhle	Unisex	Expected to do great things; Do good
Lesedi	Girl	A ray of light
Lethabo	Unisex	Happiness; Rejoice
Luthando	Unisex	Love and adoration
Melokuhle	Unisex	One who represents good things; Righteous
Omphile	Girl	Gift from God or God gave
Rethabile	Girl	We are happy, Happy
Thandolwethu	Girl	Our love

Aba	Girl	African Akan - Girl born on Tuesday
Abana	Girl	This Biblical name means strong personality made with a stone
Abeba	Girl	Flower; Abeada and Abyda are variant transcriptions of the name
Abena	Girl	African Akan - Girl born on Tuesday
Abeni	Girl	We asked for her, now she is ours; Someone who is prayed for; A variant of name Abena
Abiba	Girl	The first child born after death of grandmother; Abeaba and Abeabah are the variant spellings of Abiba
Abiona	Girl	One who is born during a journey
Abla	Girl	Girl born on Tuesday; Has an Arabic meaning as voluptuous
Abraha	Girl	A girl who is born on Tuesday
Absco	Girl	One with an inventive mind

Abuya	Girl	One who was born when the garden was overgrown
Achebe	Unisex	One who is protected by the Goddess
Achieng	Girl	One born during the day time
Adabelle	Girl	Adornment; Noble; Oldest daughter
Adaeh	Girl	Crowned; Chosen; Pinnacle of a peak
Adamma	Girl	Child of Beauty; Beautiful Girl
Adana	Girl	Being the father's daughter; A variant of name Adanna
Adanna	Girl	Eldest daughter of father
Adanne	Girl	Being the mother's daughter; A child who resembles her mother; A variant of name Adane
Addiah	Girl	Ornament of God; Gift from God

Adebola	Girl	Honor is brought to her; She met honor
Adenike	Girl	The Crown is Loving; Affectionate; Crown has care; Wealth has Care; Crown is cherished
Adeola	Girl	Crown of wealth
Adhiambo	Girl	A daughter who is born after sunset
Adhra	Girl	Apology; Virgin
Adila	Girl	Equal; Just; Upright; Honest
Adilah	Girl	Equal
Adita	Girl	One who belongs to the Sun
Adjoa	Girl	Born on Monday; A daughter who is born on Monday
Adongo	Girl	The second of twins

Adwin	Unisex	An artist or creative person
Adwoa	Girl	One born on a Monday
Affrica	Girl	From Africa
Afi	Girl	A child who is born on Friday; A daughter who is born on Friday
Afia	Girl	A child who is born on Friday; A daughter who is born on Friday
Afiya	Girl	Health
Afra	Girl	Whitish red
Afua	Girl	A child who is born on Friday; A daughter who is born on Friday
Ahanti	Unisex	War-like
Ahnika	Girl	Ruler of the house, Beautiful ornament

Aibileen	Unisex	Helper, nurturing, caring
Aissata	Girl	One who is noble
Aiysha	Girl	Powerful; Complete
Akani	Unisex	To build; Construct
Akello	Girl	Baby girl born after twins
Akeyo	Girl	One who was born during the harvest
Akia	Girl	Clear sky; Bright sky
Akinyi	Girl	Born in the morning; Born during forenoon in the African language
Akosua	Girl	Girl child born on Sunday
Akua	Girl	A child who is born on Thursday

Akuba	Girl	One who is born on Wednesday
Alakay	Unisex	One who brings joy
Aluna	Girl	Come here
Aluoch	Girl	One who was born on an overcast morning
Ama	Girl	Child born on Saturday
Amandla	Girl	A powerful Woman; Brave and strong woman
Amarachukwu	Girl	God's grace; Mercy of God
Amare	Unisex	A person sent by God to love
Amari	Unisex	Promised by God; Strength; Courage; Immortal
Amarii	Unisex	Strength; Builder

Amarina	Girl	Rain
Aminata	Unisex	Trustworthy; Faithful
Amne	Girl	Safe; Secure
Amondi	Girl	Born at dawn
Amurta	Girl	Beautiful; Ambrosia; A veritable drink that gives immortality
Anana	Girl	The fourth child who is blessed with soft and gentle personality
Anansa	Unisex	Affection; Love
Angweng	Girl	One who was born during the time of white ants
Anika	Girl	Graceful; Fearless; Goddess Durga; Soldier
Anyango	Girl	Midday-born; Born at noon

Aoko	Girl	An evergreen blue tree
Aparaa	Girl	Unique; Materialistic; Matchless
Aphra	Girl	Dust
Apiyo	Girl	First of the twins
Armani	Girl	Warrior; Army man
Arogo	Girl	One who nagged a lot during pregnancy
Asabi	Girl	One of select birth
Asha	Girl	Hope; Alive; Desire
Ashaki	Girl	One who is beautiful
Ashante	Unisex	Warlike

Ashanti	Girl	War; Restlessness
Asis	Girl	Blessing; Of the sun; A variant of Asiss
Assata	Girl	Strong, courageous, revolutionary
Athiambo	Girl	Born in the late evening
Atieno	Girl	One who was born at night
Audi	Girl	The last daughter
Avongara	Girl	To tie
Awino	Girl	One who was born with the cord around
Awo	Girl	A girl who is born on Thursday
Ayah	Girl	Sign; Evidence

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African baby girl names have evolved over time while keeping their traditional essence. However, traditional names are still favored because of their cultural and religious significance. These names may be given in honor of ancestors or to praise the Lord. Many names are associated with nature and the personal traits of a person. These names are versatile and will carry forward your ancestral legacy and African heritage. Also, make sure the name you are choosing also rhymes well with your child’s last name.

Infographic: Auspicious African Baby Girl Names With Meanings

Africa is a great continent and has a variety of tribes and cultures with traditions and conventions attached to each of them. It may be challenging to encompass the entire range of names used throughout the continent. However, we brought you some of the most popular ones. If you are interested in African baby girl names with religious or gentle meanings, check out the infographic below.

appealing african baby girl names for your princess (infographic)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some African baby girl names inspired by nature or animals?

Wambui is an African name that means 'zebra' in Kikuyu. Zahrah, on the other hand, means 'blooming flower' in Arabic. Ayanna is an elegant name meaning 'flower' in Amharic.

2. What are the specific traditions or cultures that influence African baby girl names?

Africa is home to several cultures, each with unique naming traditions and cultures. For instance, the Akan people from Ghana name their children based on their birth order. Conversely, the Shona people of Zimbabwe choose nature-inspired names for their babies, whereas the Tswana people from Botswana choose names based on the circumstances surrounding the child’s birth. Like these, several specific naming traditions and customs can vary across diverse African cultures.

3. What African names mean ‘star’?

Anangikwe, derived from the terms anang 'star' and ikwe' woman,' means star woman in Ojibwe. Nthanda is another name commonly used in Southern Africa and means 'star' in Tumbulka. Some other titles that are commonly used in Africa and are associated with stars are Danica and Aster.

4. What is the African name for ‘queen’?

Thema is a beautiful name that means 'queen' in Akan. Some other African titles associated with queens are Makeda, an Amharic name related to the Queen of Sheba, who is believed to have ruled over some parts of Ethiopia and Yemen. Nzinga is a Bantu name derived from Njinga. It was the name of the queen of the Ndongo and Matamba Kingdoms in the 17th century.

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Geraldine Ifesinachi Nnamdi-Eruchalu; A Sociolinguistic Study of the Emerging Trends in Igbo Personal Names;
https://journals.scholarpublishing.org/index.php/ASSRJ/article/download/4408/2723/11625
African Names: A Guide for Editors.
https://www.csescienceeditor.org/article/african-names-guide-editors/

Look Up For Many More Names

Do you have a name in mind and want to know more about it? Or want to find names belonging to a particular origin, religion, or having a specific meaning? Use our search tool below to explore more baby names with different combinations.