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
Joos	Girl	Fun, uniting
Jozua	Girl	Funny; Talented; Helpful; Radiant personality
Juji	Unisex	Compelling; Unique and attractive
Julene	Girl	Youth; Lucky and natural
Julisha	Girl	Youthful and beautiful
Jumapili	Girl	Sunday
Jumoke	Unisex	Everybody loves the child
Juza	Girl	Notify
Jwahir	Girl	The golden woman
Kabibe	Girl	Little lady

Kabili	Unisex	Honest, brave
Kacela	Girl	Great Huntress
Kahari	Unisex	Youthful
Kaikara	Unisex	The traditional name of God
Kainda	Girl	The hunter's daughter
Kalei	Unisex	The child; The flowers
Kalere	Girl	Small woman
Kamaiyah	Girl	Unique; Confident; Ambitious
Kamaria	Girl	Moon
Kamisha	Unisex	Captivating; Beautiful

Kande	Girl	The firstborn female child
Kanika	Girl	Seed; Piece of gold
Kaniqua	Girl	Black dress
Kanoni	Girl	Little bird
Karasi	Girl	Life; Wisdom
Karimah	Girl	Big-hearted; Generous
Kataleya	Girl	Powerful; Orchid; Pure
Katlego	Unisex	Success
Kaula	Girl	Woman prophet
Kaweria	Girl	The loving one

Kaya	Girl	My elder sister; Rock; Restoration; Light; Perfume
Kayin	Girl	The child that has been long awaited
Kecia	Girl	Great; Big joy
Keeya	Girl	The flower of the garden
Kehinde	Girl	Came second; The second-born child
Keisha	Girl	Restored to the heart of God; Cassia tree
Keishla	Girl	Her life
Keita	Unisex	Blessing in African and the child was a huge gift
Kelenna	Girl	Town of keels
Kenda	Girl	Child of clear, cool water

Kendi	Unisex	The one who is loved and cherised
Kendy	Girl	The one who is loved a Lot
Kenia	Girl	White mountain
Kenya	Girl	Mountain of white; The one having stripes
Kerubo	Girl	Born on the plain
Kesin	Girl	Earth-bound
Kessie	Girl	Lion
Kesslee	Girl	Chubby baby
Keyana	Girl	Living with grace; God's gracious gift
Khalix	Unisex	Sound of laughter; Profit

Khaya	Unisex	Home; Dwelling
Khia	Unisex	Queen
Khosi	Unisex	King; Ruler
Kia	Girl	Hill; Mountain
Kianga	Girl	The beams of the sun
Kiaya	Unisex	House with beautiful colors
Kiden	Girl	A girl born after 3 boys
Kiho	Unisex	Fog
Kijana	Unisex	Youth
Kimani	Girl	One who is beautiful and sweet

Kimmie	Girl	Rock with diamonds
Kimonia	Girl	Great woman
Kimya	Girl	Silent
Kinfe	Unisex	Wings
Kione	Unisex	He came from nowhere
Kioni	Girl	The one who sees and finds things
Kirabo	Unisex	The one who is a gift of God
Kissa	Girl	Sister of twins
Kitara	Unisex	Hope; Guitar
Kitoko	Unisex	Holder of the beauty

Kizzy	Girl	Cassia
Kubwa	Girl	Kubwa means Large
Kumani	Girl	Kumani means Destiny
Kunto	Girl	Th name means Third Born Child
Kuron	Unisex	The name means Giving Thanks
Kwamboka	Girl	One who was born while crossing a river
Kya	Girl	Diamond in the sky
Kyera	Girl	Honorable; Dignified
Kymbre	Girl	Diamon brearing rock
Lakayla	Girl	Gift of God

Lamin	Unisex	Strong and honorable
Lanisha	Girl	Graceful; Unique; Elegant
Laqueta	Girl	A woman who is silent, quiet, and calm
Lashay	Unisex	Gift ofGod; Beautiful
Lateefah	Girl	Pleasant and kind person of tender character
Ledisi	Girl	To bring forth; To come closer
Leeda	Girl	African word; To bring
Lehana	Girl	A person who rejects
Lewa	Girl	Beautiful person
Lindiwe	Girl	A person who has waited a long time; A patient person

Lissa	Girl	African mythology name; Supreme mother goddess
Loba	Unisex	Sharing a conversation; Talking
Loloo	Girl	Pearls or gems found in an ocean
Lolovivi	Unisex	Love is always there
Loveie	Girl	A lovely and happy soft hearted individual
Lu lu	Girl	A woman whose beauty is compared to a Pearl
Lulana	Girl	Shining Moon or a Guiding Star
Maasai	Unisex	People of the leopard
Machupa	Girl	One who likes to drink
Madana	Girl	A person who heals people

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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.