716 African Baby Girl Names With Meanings

Embrace the beauty of Africa.

Written by Kavita Kankani, MBA, BEd Specialty: Child education & activitiesExperience: 7 years

Kavita has a diverse background in finance, human resources, and teaching. She did her MBA in Finance and HR at Solapur University, and bachelor in Education at Pune University. After working for thre... more

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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
Zawadi	Girl	Gift
Zella	Girl	Lacking nothing; Young warrior
Zendaya	Girl	To give thanks
Zerai	Unisex	The savior
Zhane	Unisex	God is gracious
Zharia	Girl	Princess; Flower
Zhuri	Girl	Beautiful
Ziko	Unisex	Gift of God
Zina	Girl	A welcoming and hospitable woman
Zinzi	Unisex	Beautiful life

Zola	Girl	Calm; Peaceful
Zora	Girl	Dawn
Zuri	Unisex	Beautiful
Zuriya	Unisex	Radiant; Flourishing; Blessed
Zuwena	Girl	Good
Zyonna	Girl	Unique, vibrant, and exotic

« 1 … 6 7 8

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.