African Submitted Names

African names are used in various places on the continent of Africa. See also about African names.

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any masculine feminine unisex

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Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.

Yuna f Eastern African

Yuns m Berber
Central Atlas Tamazight form of Yunus.

Yurizaa m & f Dagbani
Means "loving all" in Dagbani.

Yusupha m Western African
Form of Yusuf used in West Africa.

Yuvone f American (Rare), Southern African (Rare)
Likely a variant of Yvonne.

Zaakir m South African
Form of Zakir used especially in South Africa.

Zady f & m English (American, Rare), Spanish (Latin American, Rare), Brazilian (Rare), Western African (Rare)
Variant of Sadie.

Zadzisai m & f Shona
Means "fulfill" in Shona.

Zahnya f Swahili

Zahur m Swahili
Means "flower" in Swahili.

Zaituni f Eastern African, Swahili, Indonesian
From Swahili zeituni meaning "olive", ultimately from Arabic زيتون (zaytun).

Zakari m Nigerian

Zakaryas m Amharic
Amharic form of Zachary.

Zakhi m South African

Zakiyos m Amharic
Amharic form of Zacchaeus.

Zalissa f Western African

Zama f South African, Zulu
Means "try" in Zulu.

Zamanu m Amharic
Means "time, era" in Amharic.

Zambo m Central African, Eastern African
Is a popular given name for boys in many West Central African nations. Also the name of an Italian Safari crime drama film and the duology of jungle themed Bollywood mad scientist films that inspired the Captive Wild Woman series.

Zamokuhle f Zulu
Means "try the good" in Zulu.

Zamzam f & m Arabic, Eastern African, Somali, Indonesian
From the name of a holy well in Mecca that, according to Islamic tradition, was miraculously created by Allah for Hajar and and her son Isma'il while the two were left in the desert without water... [more]

Zandile f Zulu
Means "they have multipled" in Zulu.

Zanele f Zulu
Means "they are enough" in Zulu.

Zanga m & f Manding
Bambara

Zannabach f Amharic
Means "she rained" in Amharic.

Zanne f Afrikaans
Afrikaans form of Sanne.

Zanthy m African (Rare), Spanish (Latin American, Rare)

Zaranyika m Shona
Means "populate the world" in Shona.

Zarel m South African

Zawditu f Amharic
Means "the crown" in Amharic.

Zawe f Eastern African
Short form or diminutive of Zawedde.

Zawedde f Eastern African
Means "princess" in a language spoken in Uganda.

Zawgha f Berber
Possibly from azewwagh meaning "red".

Zayaan f & m South African (Rare), Muslim (Rare)
Variant transcript of Zayyan.

Zayyan m & f Arabic (Rare), Nigerian (Rare), Muslim
From Arabic زَيْن (zayn) meaning "beautiful, handsome, nice" (see Zayn).

Zazi f Eastern African
Means "fertile" or "fruitful" in Swahili.

Zea f & m English (Rare), Afrikaans (Rare)
Variant of Zia.

Zebeth f Afrikaans (Rare)

Zefrin m Eastern African (Rare)

Zegeye m Amharic
Means "he delayed" in Amharic.

Zeğiga f Kabyle
Possibly means "flower" in Kabyle.

Zeidane m Western African
Variant of Zaydan (chiefly Mauritanian).

Zeinabou f Western African
Variant of Zeinebou.

Zeine m Western African, Arabic (Maghrebi)
Western African (chiefly Mauritanian) and Maghrebi (chiefly Algerian) variant of Zayn.

Zeïnebou f Western African
Variant of Zeinebou based on French orthography.

Zeinebou f Western African
Western African elaboration of Zaynab (chiefly Mauritanian).

Zeituni f Eastern African
This name coincides with Swahili zeituni meaning "olive", a derivative of Arabic زَيْتُون‎ (zaytūn). This was borne by Zeituni Onyango (1952-2014), a Kenyan-born half-aunt of former American president Barack Obama.

Zekaryas m Ethiopian

Zelalem m & f Amharic
Amharic for "forever" or "eternity"

Zelleke m Amharic
Means "he surpassed" in Amharic.

Zenabu m Amharic
Means "the rain" in Amharic.

Zenani f South African

Zende m Swahili
Means "strong, firm" in Swahili.

Zennash f Amharic
Means "your fame" in Amharic.

Zenzele f Xhosa
Means "she will do for herself" in Xhosa.

Zenzile f South African
This is Miriam Makeba's first name. She was nicknamed Mama Africa and was a South African singer and civil rights activist.

Zephany f South African
Feminization of Zephan.

Zephne f Afrikaans

Zeray m Tigrinya, Ge'ez
Means "sower" in Ge'ez and Tigrinya.

Zerebruk m Ethiopian
Blessed generation or blessed family

Zeresenay m Eastern African

Zerezghi m Ethiopian

Zerihun m Ethiopian

Zerjacob m Ethiopian
Famously borne by St. ZerJacob, missionary of Ethiopia.

Zeudi f Tigrinya
Means "crown" in Tigrinya. It is the name of the famous 1970 Eritrean-Italian actress Zeudi Araya (1951-).

Zewditu f Eastern African, Amharic
Zewditu is an Amharic word meaning "the Crown". Although it was sometimes erroneously Anglicized as Judith, it's not a cognate.... [more]

Zibu f Zulu
Means "waterlily" in Zulu.

Zibuseni m & f Ndebele
Means "rule yourself" in Ndebele.

Zibusiso f Ndebele
Means "blessings" in Ndebele.

Zigza m Berber
Means "green" from the root zgz.

Zillale m African
Bantu... [more]

Zina f Amharic
Means "felicity" in Amharic.

Zina f & m Ogoni
Means "star" in Ogoni.

Zinachidiuto f & m Igbo (Modern)

Zindzi f South African
Diminutive of Zindziswa.

Zindziswa f South African, Xhosa

Zinhle f Zulu
Means "they (the girls) are beautiful" in Zulu.

Zintwezinhle f Zulu
Means "beautiful things" in Zulu.

Ziola m & f Ijaw
Means "the last born" in Ijaw.

Ziona f Hebrew, Jewish, English, Afrikaans
Feminine form of Zion.

Ziperela f & m Ijaw
Means "born to meet wealth" in Ijaw.

Ziphozonke m & f Zulu
Means "all the gifts" in Zulu.

Zira f Berber
Feminine of Ziri.

Ziri m Berber
Masculine form of Tiziri.

Zirk m Afrikaans

Zithembe m Zulu
Means "trust yourself" in Zulu.

Zitto m Eastern African

Zivai m Shona
Means "know" in Shona.

Zivaizvinodababa m & f Shona
Means "know what the father wants" in Shona.

Zivanai f & m Shona
"Know each other". Meant for relatives to keep in touch.

Ziyanda f Xhosa
Means "increase within daughters" in Xhosa.

Zobuhle f Zulu
Means "of beauty" in Zulu, from the possessive form of ubuhle.

Zodwe f South African, Zulu
Diminutive of Ntombizodwa.

Zolani m South African, Xhosa
Variant of Xolani.

Zoleka f Xhosa
Means "humble" in Xhosa.

Zoliswa f Xhosa
Means "one who calms" in Xhosa.

Zondai f & m Shona
"You may hate me." A situational name where a family is telling it's enemies you may hate me all you want.

Zondwa f South African

Zonja f English, Afrikaans, Dutch
Variant of Sonja.

Zoosim m & f Dagbani
Means "abundance" or "greatness" in Dagbani.

Zorle m Ogoni
Means "wealth is here" in Ogoni.

Zororo f & m Shona
Rest. "May be speaking of a time of rest or peacefulness experienced by family around time of child's birth".

Zoubo f & m Ijaw
Means "a traveller" in Ijaw.

Zozibini f South African
There is not much known about the name sadly, only that it was born in South Africa and the name Zozibini means "'Received with both hands' In this culture it is considered impolite, unappreciative to accept a worthy gift with one hand... [more]

Zuba m Swahili
Means "jump" in Swahili.

Zubairu m Hausa
Hausa form of Zubair.

Zubeidat f Avar, Nigerian
Avar form of Zubaida also used by Nigerian Muslims.

Zugsung m & f Dagbani
Means "good luck" or "good fortune" in Dagbani.

Zuhri m Swahili
Means "good looking" or "handsome" in Swahili.

Zuko m South African, African
Means "harmony, someone with a good heart, loving, appreciative and calm" in Nguni.

Zula m & f Tigrinya
Means "brilliant" in Tigrinya.... [more]

Zumaridi f Swahili
Means "emerald" in Swahili.

Zuna f Lingala
Means "to be sweet" in Bangi, the main lexical source of Lingala.

Zuo m & f Ijaw
Means "protection" in Ijaw.

Zuva f Shona
Means "day; daylight; sun; sunlight" in Shona.

Zuvarashe f & m Shona
Means the "lord's sun"

Zuwena f Swahili
Means "small and beautiful" in Swahili.

Zvanaka f Shona
Means "it is well" in Shona.

Zvichanzii m & f Shona
Means "what is it?" in Shona.

Zvidzai m Shona
Means "despise, look down upon" in Shona.

Zvikomborero f Shona
Means "blessings" in Shona.

Zwatie m Swahili
Means "people of language" in Swahili.

Zwelabo m South African

Zwelethu m & f Ndebele
Means "our nation" in Ndebele.

Zweli m South African

Zwelibanzi m South African

Apply this search to the main name collection