615 African Baby Girl Names With Meanings
Embrace the beauty of Africa.
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.
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Ayana | Girl | Beautiful flower | |
| Ayanna | Girl | A unique flower which is forever blooming | |
| Ayira | Girl | Chosen; Worthy of respect; Exalted; Revered; A variant form of Augustus | |
| Ayoka | Girl | One who causes joy all around; A variant of Ayo | |
| Azana | Girl | Call to prayer; One who inspires everyone | |
| Aziza | Girl | Beloved; Strong | |
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.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
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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:
- 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.
