Browse Submitted Names

Oghenegaren m & f Western African, Urhobo
Means "God is great" in Urhobo.

Olabisi f & m Western African, Yoruba
Means "joy is multiplied" or "salvation increases" in Yoruba, composed of the element õlà "salvation, that which saves, cause of salvation" combined with bi-si "to multiply, increase, replenish"... [more]

Oladele m Western African, Yoruba
Means "wealth has come home" in Yoruba.

Olayide f & m Western African, Yoruba
Means "wealth rolled in" in Yoruba.

Olujide m Western African, Yoruba
Means "the prominent one, the leader" in Yoruba.

Oluwafisayo m & f Western African, Yoruba
Means "God has added to my joy" in Yoruba.

Oluwakemi f Western African, Yoruba
Means "God cares for me" in Yoruba.

Oluwateniola m & f Western African, Yoruba
Means "God spread the mat (or rug) of wealth" in Yoruba.

Oluwatomiwa m & f Western African, Yoruba
Means "God searched for me" in Yoruba.

Omonefue f Western African, Edo
Means "the child is more than weight" in Edo language.

Omoruyi m & f Western African, Edo
Means "son of glory" or "child is one's glory" in Edo language.

Omosigho f Western African

Onyemechi m & f Igbo, Western African
Means "who knows tomorrow?" from Igbo onye "who", ma "knows" and echi "tomorrow".

Ornicar m Popular Culture, Western African (Rare)
From the phrase Mais où est donc Ornicar? that is a mnemonic of the French coordinating conjunctions. The phrase is also the title of a movie and part of the French Chuck Norris fact Chuck Norris knows where Ornicar is.

Osaretin m Western African, Edo
Means "God is strength" in Edo language.

Osatohamwen m & f Western African, Edo
Means "the mercy of God is upon me" in Edo language.

Otiko f Western African
The given name of the Ghanaian politician Otiko Afisa Djaba.

Oulemata f Western African
Mali name

Oulimata f Serer, Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown. Also compare Oulemata.... [more]

Oumarrou m Western African
Western African transcription of عمر (see Omar).

Oumou f Western African
Means "latecomer" in Bambara.

Ousman m Western African
Form of Uthman used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.

Ousmanou m Western African
Form of Uthman used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.

Ousseynou m Western African
Form of Husayn used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.

Ovo f & m Western African
Likely related to Owo.

Pape m Western African, Wolof

Papiss m Western African (Rare)

Pathé m French (African), Western African
Transferred use of the surname Pathé.

Pathïr m Western Yugur
Means "hero" in Western Yugur.

Prah f Western African
Used in Ghana, West Africa among Akan peoples. Shortened form of the name of the river spirit Bohsum-Prah. Usually used together with Nana: Nana-Prah.

Quame m Western African (Rare), African American (Rare)
Variant of Kwame.

Quessie f Western African (Rare)
Senegal?

Rahinatou f Western African

Ramatoulaye f Western African

Rasidatou f Western African
Form of Rashida used in parts of French-influenced West Africa.

Rendhel m Western African
Possibly a variant of Randall.

Rïnjin f Western Yugur
Means "precious, jewel" in Western Yugur.

Rokhaya f Western African
Form of Ruqayyah used in parts of western Africa (particularly Senegal).

Ruqaiya f Western African

Saadiya f Western African, Indian (Muslim)
Form of Sa'dia used in Western Africa and India.

Sadatu f Western African
Name of Liberian Orgin

Safiatou f Western African
Form of Safiyyah used in western Africa.

Safiétou f Western African
Variant of Safiatou.

Saïdou m Western African
Form of Sa'id used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.

Sainabou f Western African
Form of Zaynab used in Gambia.

Sakura m Western African (?)
Mansa Sakura, sixth mansa of the Mali Empire, was a famous bearer.... [more]

Salamatou f Western African
Variant of Salamatu.

Sale m Western African, Hausa
Hausa form of Salih.

Salifu m Western African

Salihu m Western African, Hausa
Hausa form of Salih.

Salimata f Western African
Form of Salima used in parts of western Africa.

Saliou m Western African
Form of Salih used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.

Saloum m Arabic, Western African
Alternate transcription of Arabic سلوم (see Salum).

Samb m Western African
Senegalese name

Samba m Western African, Fula
Senegalese Fula name used to denote a second-born son.

Samory m Western African

Ṣàngó m Western African
Yoruba spelling of Shango.

Saran f Western African, Manding, Jula
Means "joy" in Jula.

Satou f Western African
Short form of Isatou.... [more]

Sayouba m Western African

Seidu m Western African

Seinabo f Western African (Expatriate, ?)
Variant of Sainabou.

Seko m & f Western African
child of the sun

Sélom m Western African
Komi Sélom Klassou is Prime Minister of Togo.

Selom m & f Western African
A Western African name used for both genders.

Selorm m & f Western African, Ewe
Means "God loves me" or "divine love" in Ewe.

Senam m & f Western African

Senyo m Western African

Serval m Western African
Directly taken from the name of the African cat species.

Sethina f Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown. This name is predominantly used in Ghana.

Seyna f Western African (Rare)
Shortened form of Seynabou.

Seyni m Songhai, Western African
Meaning unknown.

Shango m Western African
The name of a fire god in the traditional Yoruba religion.

Shola f Western African

Shuaibu m Western African, Hausa
Hausa form of Shuaib.

Sia f Western African, Manding

Siaka m Western African
Siaka, meaning ''chief'', was the one who made the tribes in primarily West Africa. In old culture every family had to name at least one son Siaka.

Sihon m Western African
Masculine name often found in Burkina Faso & neighboring regions.

Sirlord m Western African
Probably composed from the English words sir and lord.

Sogolon f Western African

Somtochukwu f & m Western African, Igbo
Means "praise God with me" in Igbo.

Sona f Western African
Meaning unknown.... [more]

Souleymanou m Western African
Form of Sulayman used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.

Soumaïla m Western African
Form of Isma'il used in parts of French-influenced western Africa (particularly Mali).

Sroda f Western African
Means "respect".

Sukhïr m Western Yugur
Means "water dirt" in Western Yugur.

Sunusi m Western African, Hausa
Variant of Sanusi.

Sutjis f Western Yugur
Means "milk malachite" in Western Yugur.

Tacko m Western African, Serer

Tahirou m Western African
Western African elaboration of Tahir.

Tahiru m Western African

Tallo m Western African

Tamaralaifa f & m Western African, Ijaw
Means "there's none like God" in Ijaw.

Tamunotonye m & f Western African, Ijaw
Means "God's will" or "God's favour" in Ijaw.

Tari f & m Western African, Ijaw
Means "love" in Ijaw.

Taweh m Western African
Means "go there!" in Vai, spoken in Liberia.

Tawia f Western African (Archaic)
Tawia mean "born after twins"

Thierno m Western African

Tidiane m Western African
From a French word used to refer to a follower of Tijaniyyah, a Sufi order that originated in Northern Africa.

Tidjani m Arabic (Maghrebi, Gallicized), Western African (Gallicized)
Variant spelling of Tijani.

Tiébilé m Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown. A notable bearer of this name is the Malian politician Tiébilé Dramé (b. 1955).

Tiécoro m Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown. Notable bearers of this name include the Malian soccer player Tiécoro Keita (b. 1994) and the Malian soldier Tiécoro Bagayoko (1937-1983), who was once the director of Mali's national security service.

Tiécoura m Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown; it might possibly be related to Tiécoro.... [more]

Tiéman m Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown. A notable bearer of this name is the Malian politician Tiéman Coulibaly (b. 1967).

Tiémoko m Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown, but likely of Senufo origin.... [more]

Tiémoué m Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown. A notable bearer of this name is the French soccer player Tiémoué Bakayoko (b. 1994), whose family originates from Ivory Coast.

Tiéna m Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown. A notable bearer of this name is the Malian politician Tiéna Coulibaly (b. 1952).

Tijani m & f Arabic (Maghrebi), Hausa, Western African, Nigerian
From Arabic تِيجَانِ (tījāni) meaning "crowns".

Tijjani m Western African, Hausa
Variant of Tijani.

Tiri f & m Western African, Ijaw
Means "outsider" in Ijaw.

Toure f & m Western African (Gallicized, Rare)
Unaccented form of Touré.

Touré f & m Western African (Gallicized, Rare)
From the surname Touré, possibly a French form of Soninke tùùré "elephant".

Tuburuode m Western African, Ijaw
Means "they have moved northward" in Ijaw.

Tutu m & f Western African, South African
Means "cliff dweller".

Tyjani f & m Western African (Rare)
Variant of Tijani.

Umoh m & f Western African, Ibibio
Means "wealth" in Ibibio.

Unisa m Western African
Borne by Unisa Bangura (1987-), a Sierra Leonean footballer.

Uwaila f & m Edo, Western African
Means "prosperity is never late" in Edo/Bini, from uwa (wealth/prosperity) and ila (has no delay)

Valsero m Western African
Created from Serval by inverting the order of syllables.... [more]

Varney m & f English (Rare), English (African), Western African
Transferred use of the surname Varney. It is mainly used in Liberia.

Vosgeparan m Armenian (Western)
Means "golden rain", from Ոսկե (vosge) meaning "gold" combined with Persin باران (baran) meaning "rain"

Watna m Western African
Means "let's go" in Balanta, spoken in Guinea Bissau.

Yaghjis f Western Yugur
Means "butter malachite" in Western Yugur.

Yambo m Western African
A famous bearer was Yambo Ouologuem (1940–2017) a Malian writer. Possibly from the Dogon language.

Yamoussa m Western African

Yandé f Serer, Western African
Meaning as of yet unknown. A notable bearer of this name was the Senegalese singer Yandé Codou Sène (1932-2010), who belonged to the Serer ethnic group.

Yankoï m Songhai, Western African
Meaning unknown.

Yany m & f Western African
Named from the Kingdom of Yany in Gambia, a diminutive of Yanimarew.

Yaounou m & f Western African

Yarra f & m Western African, Yoruba, Arabic (Maghrebi), Northern African
Means "child" in Yoruba, Nago and Kanga, spoken in Northern and Western Africa.

Yawa f Western African, Ewe
Means "born on Thursday" in Ewe.

Yawo m Western African, Akan
Means "born on Thursday" in Akan. It is tipically given to a boy born this day.

Yaya m Indonesian, Western African
Indonesian form of Yahya as well as the form used in parts of western Africa.

Yengiga f Wolof, Western African

Yenpape m Manding, Western African

Yevkine f Armenian (Western)
Western Armenian form of Yevgineh

Yezo m Fula, Western African
A name used by the Fula people, who are the largest ethnic group in Western Africa and the Sahel.

Yins'iñjis f Western Yugur
Means "silver apricot malachite" in Western Yugur.

Yma f Western African, Manding
Manding and Susu form of Mary.

Yobe m Western African

Yognon f French Creole, Western African

Yome m Western African

Youssou m Western African

Youssouf m Western African
Form of Yusuf chiefly used in parts of French-influenced western Africa.

Youssoupha m Western African
Variant of Youssouf.

Yunusa m Western African, Hausa
Hausa form of Yunus.

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

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

Zakari m Western African, African American (Modern)

Zakoi m Songhai, Western African
Meaning unknown.

Zale m Western African (Rare, ?)
Unknown meaning. It has seen some use in Senegal.

Zalissa f Western African

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).

Zié m Western African
Likely means "first" in one of the Senufo languages, as the name is traditionally given to the first-born son.... [more]

Zinabu f Western African
Western African form of Zaynab.

Zmrukhd f Armenian (Western)
Western Armenian transcription of Zmrukht.