Browse Names - Behind the Name

Aadan m Somali
Possibly a Somali form of Adam.

Abdou m Western African, Northern African
Form of Abduh common in West and North Africa.

Abeba f Amharic
Means "flower" in Amharic.

Abena f Akan
Means "born on Tuesday" in Akan.

Abeni f Yoruba
Means "we prayed and we received" in Yoruba.

Adisa m & f Yoruba
Means "bundled up and set to dry" in Yoruba.

Adwoa f Akan
Means "born on Monday" in Akan.

Aisha f Arabic, Urdu, Hausa, Swahili, Kazakh, African American
Means "living, alive" in Arabic. This was the name of Muhammad's third wife, the daughter of Abu Bakr. Some time after Muhammad's death she went to war against Ali, the fourth caliph, but was defeated. Her name is used more by Sunni Muslims and less by Shias.... [more]

Aïssa f Western African
Form of Aisha used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Akpan m Ibibio
Means "first-born son" in Ibibio.

Alaba f & m Yoruba
Means "second child after twins" in Yoruba.

Aliyu m Hausa
Hausa form of Ali 1.

Amadi 1 m Igbo
Means "freeborn man" in Igbo.

Amadi 2 m Yoruba (Rare)
Possibly means "seemed destined to die at birth" in Yoruba.

Amadu m Western African
Form of Ahmad used in West Africa.

Amaka f Igbo
Short form of Chiamaka.

Amara f Igbo
Means "grace" in Igbo.

Amina 1 f Arabic, Bosnian, Tatar, Bashkir, Chechen, Ingush, Kazakh, Urdu, Swahili, Hausa
Derived from Arabic أمن (ʾamina) meaning "safe, secure". This was the name of the Prophet Muhammad's mother, who died when he was young.

Aminu m Hausa
Hausa form of Amin.

Annet f Dutch, Eastern African
Dutch variant of Annette, also in use in East Africa.

Anuli f Igbo
Means "joy" in Igbo.

Asabe f Hausa
From Hausa Asabar meaning "Saturday" (of Arabic origin).

Asma'u f Hausa
Hausa form of Asma.

Awiti f Luo
Means "thrown away" in Luo, possibly used for a child born prematurely.

Axmed m Somali
Somali form of Ahmad.

Ayaan 2 f Somali
Means "good luck" in Somali.

Ayana 1 m Ethiopian
Meaning unknown (possibly Amharic or Oromo).

Ayele m Amharic
Means "become strong, become powerful" in Amharic.

Ayuba m Hausa
Hausa form of Job.

Taiwo m & f Yoruba
Means "taste the world, taste life" in Yoruba.

Thabo m Sotho, Tswana
Means "joy, happiness" in Sotho and Tswana.

Thato m & f Sotho, Tswana
Means "will, desire" in Sotho and Tswana.

Thema f Akan
Means "queen" in Akan.

Thoko m & f Chewa
Short form of Thokozani.

Tidir f Berber
Feminine form of Idir.

Toyin f & m Yoruba
Means "worthy of praise" in Yoruba, also a short form of Oluwatoyin.

Tunde m Yoruba
Means "return, come again" in Yoruba, also a short form of names containing that element.

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