African Submitted Names

African names are used in various places on the continent of Africa. See also about African names.
gender
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Ikeem m African
africa
Ikemba m Igbo
Means "strength of a nation" or "power of the people" in Igbo.
Ikeoluwa f Nigerian, Yoruba
Means "the care of God" in Yoruba.
Ikidaola m & f Yoruba
full of wealth
Ikiemoye f & m Ijaw
Means "thoughts" in Ijaw.
Ikuromo f & m Ijaw
Means "encourage me" in Ijaw.
Ikusasa f & m Zulu
Means "destiny" in Zulu.
Ilane f South African, Brazilian
Problably a feminine form to Ilan.
Ilánkaka f Lingala, African Mythology
One of the main characters in the Mongo mythology complex. She is the wife of Lonkundo.
Ilayetmas m Berber
Means "he has brothers" in Tamazight.
Iliyasu m Hausa
Hausa form of Elias.
Illi f Berber (Rare)
Literally "My daughter"
Ima f Ibibio
Means "love" in Ibibio.
Imany f Swahili
A variant of Imani.
Imanzi m Rwandan
From the Kinyarwanda word "umumanzi", meaning "righteousness".
Ima-obong f African
Nigerian(Akwa-Ibom)
Imara f Swahili
Means "strong, firm, stable" in Swahili.
Imbasa f & m Zulu
Means "star" in Zulu.
Imka f Dutch, Afrikaans, German
Diminutive of Ime 2.
Immeghar m Berber
Means "he is great" in Amazigh.
Imohimi m & f Western African, Edo
Means "I have a support" in Edo language.
Imose f Western African, Edo
Means "beauty" in Edo.
Inalegwu m African
popular among the Idoma people of Benue State of Nigeria.translate in English 'as Innocent'.
Inemesit f & m Western African, Ibibio
Means "happiness" in Ibibio.
Ingqondo f Zulu
Means "intelligence" in Zulu.
Ini f & m Western African, Ibibio
Means "time" in Ibibio.... [more]
Iniabasi m & f Western African, Ibibio
Means "God's time" in Ibibio.
Inibrakemi f Ijaw
Means "your destiny is in your hands" in Ijaw.
Iniekenimi f & m Ijaw
Means "know only your own" in Igbo.
Iniemem f & m Efik
"Time of peace"
Iniku f Amharic
Means "jewel" in Amharic.
Inioluwa m & f Yoruba
Means "property of the lord" in Yoruba.
Inipere f & m Ijaw
Means "here is my wealth" in Ijaw.
Inqu m Ge'ez
Means "precious stone" in Ge'ez.
Inyang m & f Efik
Inyoni f Zulu
Derived from Zulu inyoni meaning "bird".
Ipaishe f Shona
Means "give to God" in Shona.
Ipeleng f Tswana
Means "be happy" in Setswana.
Iqaqa m Zulu
Means "polecat" in Zulu.
Irawo m & f Yoruba
Means "star" in Yoruba.
Iredia m Western African, Esan
Means "stay" in Esan. ... [more]
Irekanmi f African, Yoruba
"It is now my turn for good things"
Iremide f & m Yoruba
Means "my goodness has come" in Yoruba.
Ireti m & f Yoruba
Means "hope" in Yoruba.
Irgetu m Amharic
Means "the calm" in Amharic.
Irido m Greek, Somali
Masculine form of Irida.
Irikidzai f Shona
Means "to add to" in Shona.
Irikidzayi m Shona
Means "add another one" in Shona.
Irorezi f Isoko (Rare)
Means "good thoughts" in Isoko.
Irorezi f Nigerian
A feminine Nigerian name. The meaning is loosely translated to "good thoughts". This name could also be a diminutive of the Nigerian name Orezi, meaning "precious".
Iruuju m Igbo
Means "sorrowful" in Igbo.
Isaaq m Somali, English
Variant of Isaac.
Isaka m Shona
Shona form of Isaac.
Isaki m Ndebele
Ndebele form of Isaac.
Isatou f Western African
Probably derived from Aisha, compare the West African name form Aïssatou.
Isaya m Swahili
Swahili form of Isaiah.
Isayyas m Amharic
Amharic form of Isaiah.
Isazo m & f Tumbuka
Means "come again" in Tumbuka.
Isgaden m Berber
Meaning unknown.
Isheanesu m Shona
Means "the lord is with us" in Shona.
Isioma f Nigerian
Means "good luck".
Isisa f Zulu
Means "the tenderness" in Zulu.
Isiyaka m Hausa
Hausa form of Isaac.
Isiyaku m Hausa
Hausa form of Isaac.
Iskinder m Amharic
Amharic form of Alexander.
Ismaaciil m Somali
Somali form of Ishmael.
Ismahan f Somali, Persian (Rare), Arabic (Rare)
Variant of Asmahan. This spelling is more typically used within the Somali diaspora.
Ismaïla m Western African
Western African form of Ismail (see Ishmael).
Isma'ilu m Hausa
Hausa form of Ishmael.
Isomubo m Ijaw
Means "messenager" in Ijaw.
Isongke f & m Western African, Anaang
Means "nothing is impossible" in Anaang, spoken in Nigeria.
Issaka m Western African
Form of Ishaq used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.
Isse m Eastern African, Somali
Somali form of Isa 1.
Isufu m Hausa
Hausa form of Joseph.
Isxaaq m Somali
Somali form of Isaac.
Itanya f Swahili
Means "hope" in Swahili.
Itohan f Western African, Edo, Ijaw
Means "mercy" in Edo and "I don't wish you bad" in Ijaw.
Itohanosa f Western African, Edo
Means "the mercy of God" in Edo language.
Itonyo f & m Ijaw
Means "my thought" in Ijaw.
Itsub m Ge'ez
Means "miracle" in Ge'ez.
Ituaton m Ijaw
Means "remember me" in Ijaw.
Ituri m Swahili
Means perfume, scent, fragrance in Kiswahili
Ityoppya f Amharic (Rare)
Rare Amharic form of Ethiopia.
Iwa f Afizere
Means "eve" in Afizere.
Iwalaye m & f Yoruba
THE IWALAYE / IWALAIYE IS THE NAME OF A FAMILY (A ROYAL NAME )IN THE YORUBA LAND,EFFO-AMURO, KOGI STATE.
Iwani f African
Means "speak out".
Iyabode f Ijaw
Means "poverty has come" in Ijaw.
Iyabode f Yoruba
Yoruba for " mother has returned". When a the first girl child is born after the death of a grandmother, the child is given this name. Iya is the root word,which means mother. Such as Iyaba, wich means Grandmother.
Iyassu m Ethiopian
Ethiopian form of Joshua.
Iyasus m Ethiopian, Theology
Form of Jesus used in Ethiopia.
Iyeoka f Western African, Yoruba
Means "mother who speaks the word" in Yoruba.... [more]
Iyiomo m & f Yoruba
ondo region of western nigeris
Iyoas m Ethiopian
Ethiopian form of Joash, a name borne by two emperors of Ethiopia.
Iyob m Amharic
Amharic form of Job.
Izaso m & f Tumbuka
Means "come again" in Tumbuka.
Izdârasen m Berber
Means "the mighty, the strong" in Tamazight.
Izebboudjen m & f Berber
From the berber word meaning "Olive tree".
Izemrasen m Berber (Rare)
Means "powerful" in Berber.
Izette f Afrikaans
Variant of Isette.
Izîl m Berber (Rare)
Izîl stands for ‘sublime and magnificent’.
Izlan f Berber
Means "melody" in Tamazight.
Izon-ebi m & f Ijaw
Means "the Ijaw life is good" in Ijaw.
Izula f Zulu
Means "nomad" in Zulu.
Jaachike m Igbo
Variant of Jachike.
Jaamac m Somali, Muslim
Somali transcription of the Arabic word جامع (jāmaʿa) meaning "mosque". This name has the same roots ج-م-ع (j-m-ʿ) of the Islamic day of prayers, coinciding with "Friday".
Jabai m African
Named after a african serial killer in the 5th century.
Jabu f Zulu
The name's origin meaning is "It is the shortened form of the name Jabulani which means joy or to rejoice"
Jabulani m Ndebele, Zulu
Means "enjoy" or "be happy all" in Ndebele and "rejoice" in Zulu.
Jabulile f Zulu
Means "she is happy" in Zulu.
Jachike m Igbo
Means "praise God" or "Hail God" in Igbo.
Jadesola f Yoruba
Means "emerge into wealth" in Yoruba.
Ja'ebun m African
Used for the warrior of the tribe KIKI in Nigeria
Jahali f Bandial
Means "worried" in Bandial.
Jak m Afrikaans
Variant of Jaak.
Jakkie m Afrikaans
Diminutive of Jacob.
Jakobus m Afrikaans, Biblical German, Medieval German
Afrikaans and German form of Jacobus.
Jakubu m Kikuyu
Kikuyu form of James.
Jana f Swahili
Means "yesterday" in Swahili.
Jancke f Afrikaans
Variant of Janke.
Jangwa m Swahili
Means "desert" in Swahili.
Janita f Dutch, Flemish (Rare), Afrikaans
Feminine diminutive of Jan 1.
Jannie m Afrikaans
Diminutive of Johannes.
Japie m & f Dutch (Rare), Afrikaans
Diminutive of Jaap.
Jaramogi m Luo
"very courageous"
Jasiba f African (Rare)
Meaning "wealthy noble princess" and "one who descends from the highest regal nobility" ... [more]
Jasiri f Swahili
Means "bold, courageous" in Swahili.
Jaturikua m Southern African, Herero
Means "to be uplifted" or "placed above".
Jawaahir f Somali
Somali form of Jawahir. One bearer is Somali-American model Jawaahir Axmed (born 1991), better known by her Americanized name of Jawahir Ahmed.
Jeanique f French (Rare), Dutch (Rare), Flemish (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare), Afrikaans (Rare)
Blend of Jeanne with any feminine name ending in -ique, such as Monique and Véronique... [more]
Jebet f African
Kalenjin name from the Rift Valley area of Kenya. Means born 'during the day'.
Jegede m Nigerian (Modern)
A very active person that moves around a lot
Jekesai f Shona
"Make it clear". Meant to speak to neighbor or family to make clear their position or purpose.
Jemal m Abkhaz, Amharic, Georgian
Abkhaz, Amharic and Georgian form of Jamal.
Jemda m & f Dagbani
Means "worshipper" in Dagbani.
Jemere m Amharic
Means "he began" in Amharic.
Jenda m & f Dagbani
It means Outstanding or exceptional when used as a verb, but when used as a noun it means responsibility
Jeremia m Dutch (Rare), Flemish (Rare), Afrikaans, Finnish, Swedish (Rare), Norwegian (Rare)
Dutch, Afrikaans, Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian variant of Jeremias.
Jesaja m Biblical, Swedish (Rare), Dutch, Biblical German, Afrikaans
Dutch, German, and Swedish form of Isaiah.
Jesam m & f Nigerian (Modern)
Originally, an expression used to indicated ... [more]
Jessic m Western African
Probably a masculine form of Jessica.
Jesubori f Yoruba
Meaning "Jesus is the winner" or "Jesus overcomes" in Yoruba
Jesumbo m & f Yoruba
It is a Yoruba name,a tribe in South-Western Nigeria which mean "JESUS IS COMING BACK" and in Hebrew Maranatha. It can be beared by both sexes reminding the hearer(s) of the second coming of the Lord Jesus who left this world over two thousand(2000) years ago...
Jesusemen m Esan
Meaning: Jesus is enough for me
Jeta m Nigerian
Meaning unknown. A known bearer of this name is the Nigerian filmmaker Jeta Amata (b. 1974).
Jibbanno m & f Bandial
Means "we have returned" in Bandial.
Jibirila m Hausa
Variant of Jibirilu.
Jibirilu m Hausa
Hausa form of Gabriel.
Jibriil m Somali
Somali form of Gabriel.
Jibrila m Hausa
Variant of Jibrilu.
Jibrilu m Hausa
Hausa form of Gabriel.
Jidji f Berber
Means "flower" in Tamazight.
Jilañulo f & m Jola
Means "we have come back" in Jola.
Jilele m Tumbuka
Means "rear yourself" or "be self reliant" in Tumbuka.
Jilma f & m Dagbani
Means "honour, respect" in Dagbani.
Jimo f & m Yoruba
Means "awake child" in Yoruba, derived from jí meaning "wake up; arise" and ọmọ meaning "child". It is also used as diminutive of longer names such as Ajírọ́mọgbé.
Jina f Swahili
Means "to walk" in Swahili.
Jiñappu m & f Bandial
Means "the little one" in Bandial.
Jintora m & f Dagbani
Means "counselor" in Dagbani.
Jipareol f Bandial
Means "get ready for her" in Bandial.
Joalane f Sotho, Tswana, Southern African
Derived from Sotho joala, meaning "alcohol". This name refers to the fact that the mother drank alcohol during pregnancy.
Joas m Ethiopian (Germanized)
German transliteration of Iyoas.
Jobe f & m Igede
Means "give thanks" in Igede, spoken in Nigeria. Alternative meanings are "gratitude" or "be grateful".
Joesoef m Indonesian, Afrikaans (Rare)
Indonesian variant transcription of Jusuf (based on Dutch orthography) and Afrikaans form of Joseph.
Johani m Nyakyusa
Nyakyusa form of John.
Johanika f Afrikaans (Rare)
Diminutive of Johanna (compare Johanneke).
Johnson m English, Eastern African
Transferred use of the surname Johnson.
Joikea f African
Means "joy" in the Nuer language.
Jojo m Akan
variant of Kwadwo
Jok m Dinka, African Mythology
Dinka God of Rain.
Jolette f English, Afrikaans
Likely a combination of the name Jo and the suffix -lette.
Jomarie f Afrikaans
Contraction of Johanna Maria.
Jomo m African (Rare)
Jomo Kenyatta was the first Prime Minister and President of Kenya.
Jona m Croatian, Serbian, Swedish, Norwegian (Rare), Sorbian, Afrikaans
Croatian, Serbian, Sorbian, Afrikaans and Scandinavian form of Jonah.
Jonase m Sotho
Sesotho form of Jonah.
Jonathena f South African, American
Feminine form of Jonathan, possibly influenced by Athena.
Jonnie m Afrikaans
Diminutive of Johan.
Jopie m & f Dutch (Rare), Afrikaans
Diminutive of Joop for men and of the related name Johanna for women.
Jorica f Dutch (Rare), Afrikaans
Feminine form of Joric.
Jorika f Dutch (Rare), Afrikaans
Feminine form of Jorik.
Josephy f Chewa
Variant of Joseph.
Joshi m African
Means "galloping" in Swahili.
Josua m German, Afrikaans, Swedish, Romansh
German, Afrikaans, Romansh and Swedish form of Joshua.
Joswa m Nyakyusa
Nyakyusa form of Joshua.
Jua m & f Swahili
Means "sun" in Swahili.
Juané f Afrikaans
Feminine variant of Juane.
Juba m Berber
Juba I was a King of Numidia. He was the son and successor to King of Numidia Hiempsal II. Juba was the father of King of Numidia and later Mauretania Juba II
Jugurtha m History, Berber
Means "the greatest" in Berber.... [more]
Jumoki f & m African, Yoruba, Nigerian
Jumoki which in Nigerian means "everyone loves the baby". There is a dog on youtube named Moki, which is short for Jumoki.
Jutka f Hungarian, Dutch (Rare), Afrikaans (Rare)
Originally a Hungarian diminutive of Judit and a Dutch diminutive of Judith, occasionally used as a given name in its own right.
Jwana f Sotho
Sotho form of Johanna.
Kaakyire m Akan
Means "last born" in Akan.
Kaari f Eastern African (Rare), Ameru
The name kaari is a name popular used among the Ameru (Meru) community of Kenya. The name is given to a child named after a younger sister of one of the parents. It is especially given by the grandparents... [more]
Kabanga m Luba
Means "the second-born or youngest twin" in Luba.
Kabena f & m English, African
Allegedly a form of Kwabena. While this name seems to be used exclusively as a masculine name in Africa, in English-speaking countries it is predominantly used as a feminine name.
Kabilibili m Chewa
Means "plush green vegetation" in Chewa.
Kabinda m & f Luhya
Derived from the Luhya word binda meaning "to enclose doorway with posts". This name is traditionally given to the last child.
Kabwe m & f Southern African
"A small rock or stone." Opposite name: Chibwe
Kadiatu f Western African
Western African form of Khadija.
Kadidia f Western African
Form of Khadija used in parts of western Africa.
Kadidiatou f Western African
Form of Khadija used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.
Kadihungila m Kaguru
Means "surprised" in Chikaguru.
Kadoa f Kassena
Means "born on a rainy day" in Kasem.
Kaedabi m & f Akan
Means "remember the past" in Akan.
Kaffe m & f Western African, Akan
Variant of Kofi.
Kafi f & m African, Muslim
means "sufficient" and "quiet"
Kaggwa m Ganda
second child (boy) after twins
Kagisoyame m Tswana
Means "my peace" in Setswana.
Kagwala f Kassena
Means "woman who behaves like a slave raider" in Kasem.
Kahena f Berber, History
Variant of Kahina.
Kahinu m Eastern African, Ge'ez, Amharic, Tigrinya
Means "clergyman" in Ge'ez and other Ethiopic languages.
Kaïna f Berber, French
French variant spelling of Kahina.
Kaito m & f Igbo
Means "let us glorify God" in Igbo.
Kaitochi f Igbo
The name originates from the Igbo tribe in the Eastern part of Nigeria, West Africa. It means "let us praise God"; referring to the Christian God.
Kakanyo m & f Tswana
Means "thought" in Setswana.
Kaku m Akan
Variant of Akua.
Kakuju m Nyakyusa
Means "ficus tree" in Nyakyusa.
Kalala m & f Luba
Kalifa f Somali
Means "chaste, holy" in Somali.
Kalindabwalo m Nsenga
Kalinda is guard or watchman,... [more]
Kalkidan f Amharic
Amharic for "promise", root words "qal" (ቃል) meaning word, and "kidan" (ኪዳን), meaning covenant, from the Ge'ez language
Kallamu m Hausa
Kallamu means Musa in Hausa
Kalu m Igbo (Rare)
Kalu is a shortened name of, or derived from; Kamalu or Kamanu, the deity of thunder. Kamalu is an important deity in the traditional belief system of the people of many subethnic Igbo people (an ethnic group of southeastern Nigeria)... [more]
Kaluwa f Swahili
Means "forgotten one" in Swahili.
Kamanyi m & f Lunda
Means "prosperity from hard work" in Lunda.
Kambeu m Shona
Kambeu means "little seed". This name may be given to a child who was very small at birth
Kambondoo m Dagbani
This is one of the death prevention names among the Dagbamba. When a woman gave birth up to three to four times and each time she give birth the children die. To prevent this names like this is given to a child to prevent it from dying.
Kamfunti m & f Lunda
Means "the one who has come back" in Lunda.
Kamharida f Igbo
Means "may I not fall" in Igbo