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
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
Babetta	Girl	Foreign woman
Badriya	Girl	One who is like the full Moon
Baina	Girl	One who is glittering with radiance
Bandele	Girl	Born Away From Home

Banji	Girl	Second Born of Twins
Barongo	Girl	The younger of twins
Bashira	Girl	Joyful; Predictor of Good News
Becca	Girl	To bind or tie; To forecast
Becka	Girl	To forecast; Predict; Borrow; Bound; Derived from Rebecca; A variant of Becky
Becky	Girl	To forecast; Predict; Borrow; Bound; Derived from Rebecca
Behati	Girl	Blessed; She who brings happiness
Beheshta	Girl	Paradise
Beka	Girl	One who predicts
Beya	Unisex	Beautiful

Bikita	Girl	Ant-eater
Binah	Girl	Dancer; one who lives in the moment and is understanding
Binta	Girl	With God
Bintou	Girl	Girl born on Tuesday
Bisa	Girl	Greatly Loved
Bishara	Girl	Good tidings
Bitania	Unisex	Daughter of Ethiopia
Boogie	Unisex	To dance
Braima	Girl	Father of many children
Bubu	Unisex	Owl

Bunme	Girl	My gift
Bunmi	Girl	To be my gift
Busara	Girl	African-Swahili: Wisdom; Prudence; Foresight
Camara	Girl	She is a teacher
Chalondra	Girl	A Lark; Smart individuals
Charminique	Girl	A female child born out of love
Chausiku	Girl	One who was born at night
Cheche	Unisex	A small thing
Chibueze	Unisex	God is the king
Chibuzo	Unisex	God is the way

Chidhatma	Unisex	The real God
Chidubem	Unisex	The one repaired by the Almighty
Chiedozie	Unisex	Planned by God
Chikelu	Unisex	Created by God
Chikere	Unisex	God has created
Chinelo	Girl	Thought of God
Chineye	Girl	God lives
Chinue	Girl	God's blessing
Chipo	Girl	A gift
Chuki	Girl	Born in a time of strike and hatred

Cinque	Unisex	Five or Freedom Fighter
Cleotha	Girl	A creative woman
Cleotis	Unisex	Glory of Hera
Cullinan	Unisex	Holly; Large rough diamond
Cyrah	Girl	Lord-like figure
Dabiku	Girl	Offering
Daisha	Girl	The one who is alive
Dajanae	Girl	Persuasive
Dalila	Girl	Delicate; Guide
Dalilah	Girl	Languish; Weak

Dalma	Girl	Made of metal
Dayo	Unisex	Arrival of joy
Debelah	Girl	A friendly and charming person
Debo	Unisex	Wait; Let us wait
Deka	Girl	A messenger sent from heaven; A pleasing personality
Delali	Unisex	God is with me
Delu	Girl	The one and only beautiful girl
Demani	Unisex	A strong and charismatic individual.
Demari	Unisex	Strong and determined
Dembe	Unisex	A peace loving individual

Denesha	Girl	Unique; Confident; Charismatic
Detra	Unisex	Variant of Deitra; Daughter
Dhakiya	Girl	She who is smart
Diarra	Unisex	Gift of God
Diata	Girl	One who is brave as a lion
Dika	Unisex	Beloved; Dear one; Strong ruler
Dikeledi	Girl	One who is filled with lot of tears
Dubaku	Unisex	Eleventh Born Child; very fortunate
Ducha	Girl	Small; Humble
Dumi	Unisex	One who inspires others; Powerful

Dumisani	Girl	Give praise; Honorable and well-praised
Duni	Girl	Small
Durah	Girl	Pearl
Durra	Girl	A variant of Durah; Pearl
Ebele	Unisex	Mercy or kindness
Eega	Unisex	palm bird who loves to fly
Efia	Girl	Born on Friday
Efuru	Girl	Daughter of heaven; they are blessed
Eidi	Girl	Guardian of wealth and health
Ekene	Unisex	The one who receives a lot of praise

Ekua	Girl	The one converting pain to happiness
Ekundayo	Unisex	The one who turns sorrows to joys
Eldana	Unisex	God has judged
Ellema	Girl	An efficient person who milks the Cow
Emani	Unisex	Faith; Believer
Emene	Unisex	Don't do harm; Do not hurt
Emonie	Unisex	Unique; Vibrant; Joyful
Endris	Unisex	Renowned fighter; Mariner
Eshe	Girl	Immortal
Esiankiki	Girl	Young maiden

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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)

Get the high-quality PDF version of this 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.