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
Nomasonto	Girl	Who was delivered or received on Sunday
Nombeko	Girl	Regard; Respect; Admiration
Nomuula	Girl	Who is like unto Yahweh
Nontle	Girl	The ruler of the deep sea
Noxolo	Girl	One who is passive and diplomatic
Nsombi	Girl	Full of happiness or complete gladness
Nunu	Unisex	Cute; Sweet
Nuru	Unisex	Light
Nuzhah	Girl	Desirable trip; Expedition spot
Nya	Girl	Friend; Young; Purpose

Nyaguthii	Girl	A traveler
Nyah	Girl	Purpose
Nyakio	Girl	Mother; Womb
Nyala	Girl	Not boasting about oneself
Nyambura	Girl	Born of the rain
Nyana	Unisex	Little one; Small
Nyanjera	Girl	Born on the way
Nyara	Unisex	Bright; Shining light
Nyarai	Girl	Modest, not praising self
Nyasha	Girl	Not bragging about one's achievement

Nyathera	Girl	The quality of being modest; A moderate of reserve behavior
Nyawira	Girl	One who is hard working
Nyeki	Girl	A new growth of the plant; A recently grown plant
Nyelle	Unisex	Close to God; Women of knowledge
Nyema	Unisex	Calm; Peaceful
Nyemah	Unisex	Graceful; Blessed one
Nyla	Girl	Achiever
Nyoka	Girl	A person who infatuates others; To whom others are attracted
Nyokabi	Girl	Of the Maasai people
Nyomi	Unisex	Pleasant; Delightful; Beautiful

Nzingha	Unisex	Powerful, warrior, queen
Obioma	Girl	The Charm of a King that wins over the hearts of others; One who can win with his charm
Ode	Girl	Final; End of salvation where a person is relieved of all his duties
Okal	Unisex	Victory of the people
Okapi	Unisex	Horn; Pity; Mercy
Okoth	Unisex	Talkative person; Sometimes used to refer a crow
Okoye	Girl	Born on Oye market day; One who is born on a special market day
Olajuwan	Unisex	The exaltation of the triumph
Oluchi	Girl	Work of God
Olufemi	Unisex	The creator loves us; The precious people of God.

Olufunke	Girl	The one who was gifted from the highest place to be loved
Oluyomi	Unisex	Delivered or sent by God
Omolara	Girl	Loving child odf the family
Onaedo	Girl	The precious and great child
Oni	Girl	Today; Demon
Onnie	Girl	Child who was born in the divine place
Ontibile	Girl	The one who is sheltered by the highest God
Onyeka	Girl	nobody is superior than God
Onyekachi	Unisex	No one is grander than God
Oratilwe	Unisex	The dearest and darling one

Orma	Girl	The ninth received child in the family
Ororo	Unisex	Woman who dreams
Osa	Girl	One close to God; The Goddess
Osith	Girl	One who looks after the people and kingdom
Otieno	Girl	A person born at night
Ousmane	Unisex	God is great; Servant of God
Oya	Girl	Noble born; Young warrior
Paka	Girl	A cat; Intelligent; Quick minded
Palesa	Girl	A beautiful and majestic flower
Pamojan	Girl	Togetherness

Panya	Girl	One who is crowned in victory
Panyin	Girl	The older twin
Pecola	Girl	Fragile beauty
Peeta	Girl	Fourth Born Daughter
Pemba	Girl	The force of present existence
Penda	Girl	Admired; Loved; Beloved; A variant of Penha
Penha	Girl	Admired; Loved; Beloved; A variant of Penda
Phenyo	Girl	One who always wins and is victorious
Phomello	Girl	One who is born to succeed; mature individual
Pretoria	Unisex	A place name; A city in South Africa

Pulika	Girl	A girl who behaves well and is obedient
Rafiki	Unisex	A friend
Ramla	Girl	A female prophet
Rashida	Girl	The righteous one
Raziya	Girl	A delighted and satisfied woman
Renesha	Girl	Reborn, precious
Renisha	Unisex	Joyful; Compassionate; Intelligent
Rhaxma	Girl	A very sweet girl
Roep	Girl	A call of cry
Runako	Unisex	Beauty; Handsomeness

Russom	Unisex	One who is a leader; A head of the charge
Ruva	Unisex	Flower
Rwanda	Unisex	Land of a thousand hills
Saada	Girl	A helpful person
Sadaka	Girl	A spiritual offering
Safara	Girl	An African name; Fire
Safari	Unisex	A journey; An expedition
Saidah	Girl	One who has great luck
Saidi	Unisex	The auspicious one
Sala	Girl	A woman who is gentle by nature

Salama	Unisex	Safety and security
Salihah	Girl	She who is just and pious
Samiya	Girl	A sublime, high person
Sanaa	Girl	Brilliance; Praise; Work of art; Mountaintop; Shining light
Sanura	Girl	A kitten
Sarafina	Girl	Bright star; Fiery ones
Sarda	Girl	American invented name
Sekai	Girl	One who laughs often
Sekani	Unisex	Rejoice; Laughter
Semira	Girl	She who is from heaven

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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.