This is a list of submitted names in which the usage is African or Hawaiian.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Gedleyihlekisa m Southern African, ZuluIn the case of former South African president Jacob Zuma (1942-), the name means "the one who smiles while causing you harm" in Zulu. His middle name was invented by his father, who based it on the phrase
ngeke ngithule umuntu engigedla engihlekisa meaning "I won't keep quiet when someone deceives me with a beautiful smile while he is doing damage to me".
Geesi f SomaliMeans "a courageous man, brave, hero" in Somali.
Geleta m & f AmharicGeleta is Amharic in origin & means 'revealed'.
Ghakarhi m ZuluThe meaning of this name is fierce warrior. A person not accepting defeat as an option.
Gifti f OromoMeans "lady" or "queen" in Afaan Oromo.
Giniel m AfrikaansGiniel de Villiers is a South African rallye driver and winner of Rallye Dakar 2009.
Ginikanwa f & m IgboMeans "what is greater than a child" in Igbo.
Gitonga m Meru, Embu, GikuyuThis name is commonly used in Meru, Embu and Gikuyu regions in Kenya. The name means a rich man. The name has been passed from generation to generation since time in memorial. The cultures which usually name their male children after their grandparents-dead or alive intentionally do this to ensure the character or personality of the grandpa can be carried to the grandchildren.
Gondai m ShonaMeans "to trust or place hope in" in Shona.
Goodluck m AfricanA famous bearer is the Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.
Goodwill m Literature, English (African), Southern AfricanFrom the English word
goodwill, derived from Middle English
gode meaning "good" and
will "wish, will, volition", which was originally a nickname applied to an amiable person with a favourable disposition towards others... [
more]
Gowan m AfricanMeans "Rainmaker" and originates from Africa, notably Nigeria.
Goyit m NgasForesight, seer, one who sees the future. The name is used in reference to a visionary.
Gugu f Zulu, XhosaFrom Zulu
igugu meaning "precious, valuable" or "treasure".
Guled m & f SomaliIt means victory after a long struggle
Guondibo m & f BandialMeans "they inter you there" in Bandial. This is considered a 'death prevention' name.
Gurey m SomaliA name that comes from the Somali word gurey, meaning "left-handed." This word is usually an adjective, but sometimes a name.
Guyyah m BandialMeans "graves" in Bandial, originally a short form of
Ammenguyyah. This is considered a 'death prevention' name.
Gwinyai m ShonaGwinyai means "be strong". The Zimbabwean tennis player Gwinyai Tongoona is a famous bearer of this name.
Habon f & m Somali (Rare), SpanishThis name means when everything comes together at the right time and the right place. Beautiful.
Habte m & f EthiopianAccording to some sources, Habte means "treasure/present/wealth/riches of".
Haile m Ge'ez, Amharic, EthiopianMeans "power, force, strength" in Ge'ez and Amharic. This was the Ge'ez (baptismal) name of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie (1892-1975), who was born as
Tafari Makonnen.
Haile'a f HawaiianHawaiian name, composed by "ha'i" and "le'a", meaning "telling joy".
Hakizimana m Rwandan, Rundi, African Mythology (Modern)A name which means "God saves everything,"
imana being the name of the original Rwandan/Burundian deity and now the modern word for God in all monotheistic usages within Rwanda and Burundi.
Hakunei m & f ShonaThis is a name that implies and asks, meaning "What is not there?". This is a name given by or to someone who is assumed to be falling short or without, so they name the child "What could be missing?" in a sense of affirmation, so to say there is perfection even if you (all) do not see it or doubt it... [
more]
Halas m SomaliMeaning: Halas generally means "good" or "positive" in Somali.... [
more]
Haleakalā f HawaiianMeans "house of the sun" in Hawaiian. Its usage was likely inspired by the crater of the same name in Maui.
Halia f HawaiianDirectly taken from Hawaiian
hali'a meaning "memory of a loved one, cherished or loving memory". It made the top 100 in Hawaii for the first time in 2020, the year of the Covid19 pandemic.
Halona f HawaiianMeans "peering; place from which to peer, place to peer at, lookout" in Hawaiian.
Hamandishe m ShonaMeaning “one’s relative or family is God”, this name may be given by and/or to someone who is devoted to God, who is an orphan, has no relatives or was abandoned.
Hamis m SwahiliFrom Swahili
Alhamisi meaning "Thursday" (ultimately of Arabic origin).
Hamunyari f ShonaHamunyari means "Have you no shame".
This name is given in a feuding situation.
Hanai f HawaiianDevivred from Hawaiian word (
Hānai) meaning "to adopt" or "to nurture." Could also be a shortened version of the name
Hanaiakamalama.
Hanaiakamalama f & m HawaiianA compound name in Hawaiian meaning "work of the moon" or "guardian of the moon," derived from:... [
more]
Hanalei f & m HawaiianMeans "crescent bay" from Hawaiian
hana "bay" and
lei. It is sometimes used as the Hawaiian form of
Henry.
Hanu m & f ShonaMeaning “mountain pass”, or “path in the valley”, synonymous with
Haro.
Harambee m SwahiliMeans "all pull together" in Swahili. It is the official motto of Kenya.
Hauʻoli m & f HawaiianMeans "happiness" in Hawaiian. This name was used by American actress Mary Astor as a middle name for her daughter, Marylyn Hauoli Thorpe, who was born in 1932 in Honolulu, Hawaii. A known bearer is American football player Hauʻoli Kikaha (1992-).
Hawea f HawaiianPossibly taken from
hāwea, the name of a mythical drum brought from Tahiti.
Hazvinei f ShonaHazvinei means "Never mind, no worries".
This name may be given by a parent who was offended Hazviperi m & f Shona"It does not end". Situational name given in circumstances where family faced unending troubles or trials.
Healani f HawaiianMeans "heavenly mist", from
hea meaning "mist" and
lani meaning "sky, heaven".
Hekili m & f HawaiianMeans "thunder" in Hawaiian. Apparently in the past,
Herman was sometimes used as its Anglicized form.
Herru f BerberEtymology unknown. This was the name of a famous poetess.
Hibaaq f SomaliDerived from Arabic هِبَة
(hiba) meaning "gift, grant".
Hiʻilani f & m HawaiianMeans "held in the arms of heaven," from
hiʻi "bear, hold/carry in the arms" and
lani meaning "sky, heaven, heavenly, spiritual, royal, exalted, noble, aristocratic."
Hiʻilei f Hawaiian (Modern, Rare)Means "child carried in the arms" from Hawaiian
hiʻi "carry in the arms" and
lei "wreath" (by extension "child", carried on the shoulders like a lei).
Hikolana m Dagbaniwhen a child was born denoting the owner to have to brought blessing, luck and authority in a family in northern dagombi speaking family .
Hinalei f & m HawaiianCombination of
Hina, from the Hawaiian moon Goddess and
lei "flowers, lei, child".
Hinaleimoana f & m HawaiianCombination of
Hinalei and
Moana. Hinaleimoana Kwai Kong Wong-Kalu (1972- ) is a Native Hawaiian community leader in the field of Kanaka Maoli language and cultural preservation.
Hiyabel f Ethiopian, Tigrinya (?)According to Nameberry, it means "gift of God" from the Tigrinya element
hiyab meaning "gift" and Hebrew אֵל
('el) meaning "God".
Hlayisani m & f TsongaFrom the Xitsonga
hlayisa meaning "preserve, protect".
Hlengani m & f TsongaFrom the Xitsonga
hlenga meaning "collect, gather".
Hlomla m & f XhosaMeans "to comment on something" in Xhosa.
Hoala f & m HawaiianDerived from the Hawaiian word "
hoʻala", which means "to scent" or "to awaken".
Hoku f & m HawaiianMeans "night of the full moon" in Hawaiian.
Hokule'a f & m Hawaiian, AstronomyHōkūleʻa is Hawaiian for “Star of Gladness” or “Clear Star”. The western name of this star is Arcturus. Hōkūleʻa is the brightest in the northern hemisphere and it is Hawaii’s zenith star... [
more]