Eastern African
names include those from Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. See also
about African names.
FILBERT m Eastern AfricanVariant of
FILIBERT. It is particularly used in Tanzania due to track star Filbert Bayi (1953-), who set a world record running the 1500 meter in 1974.
MAINA m Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"sing, dance" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations, each lasting about 30 years. The
Maina generation occupied the last part of the 19th century.
MUBIRU m Eastern African, GandaMeaning unknown. This is the name of a figure in Ganda mythology associated with forests and hunting.
MUMBI f Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"she who shapes" in Kikuyu. In Kikuyu mythology Mumbi was the wife of Gikuyu and the mother of his nine daughters.
MWANGI m Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"rapid expansion" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations. The
Mwangi generation started around the beginning of the 20th century and lasted for about 30 years.
NJERI f Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"travelling one" in Kikuyu. Njeri (or Wanjeri) is the name of one of the nine daughters of
Mumbi in the Kikuyu origin legend.
SIMBA (2) m Eastern African, SwahiliMeans
"lion" in Swahili. This is the name of the main character in the Disney movie
The Lion King (1994), about a lion cub who exiles himself after his father is murdered.
TAFARI m Eastern African, Amharic (Rare)Possibly means
"he who inspires awe" in Amharic. This name was borne by Lij Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), also known as Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia. Rastafarians (
Ras Tafari meaning "king Tafari") revere him as the earthly incarnation of God.