The world of African baby girl names is vast and varied.
A continent that is bigger than China, India, the U.S., and Europe combined â itâs no wonder there is such richness and depth when it comes to naming its children.
Born from a long line of different naming traditions, African girl names and meanings often have an interesting connection to one another.
In various places in Africa, for example, babies are named based on what was happening in the family when they were born.
The Xhosa girlâs name Phumsa, for example, meaning âgive people some restâ, may be given to a baby who brings some comfort after a period of hardship.
The name Lindiwe, also of Xhosa origins, is a girlâs name meaning âwaited forâ and might be given after a long line of boys has been born.
Across the continent, babies are also named after the days they were born (Adwoa would be born on a Monday), the order of their birth in the family (Alaba is a Yoruba name meaning the second child after twins), or characteristics they may someday embody (the Swahili Barika means successful.)
One thingâs for sure is that African girl names tend to come with a whole lot of history â and tracing those roots can help you make the most meaningful choice for your baby.
So, next question:
What are some African girl names that will be a good match for your new arrival?
Why donât we start here:
In this article: đ
- What is the African word for princess?
- What are African names for girls?
- West African girl names
- East African girl names
- South African baby girl names
- Northern African girl names
- African American girl names
What is the African word for princess?
Well, that depends on what language youâre speaking, but here are some of our favorites from various places:
- Jahzara: (Ethiopian)
- Urbi: (Egyptian)
- Shahina: (Arabic)
- Nkosazana: (Xhosa)
- Adaeze: (Igbo)
What are African names for girls?
And now, letâs go on a whirlwind journey around the continent and beyond.
Weâve divided these beautiful African girl names into the regions where they are perhaps best known â but we now live in a world where names travel far and wide.
You might find these names cropping up all over the globe.
Before we explore region by region, letâs kickstart your quest for the perfect African girl name by narrowing down to specific meanings:
What African girl name means blessing?
Your babe is a gift â we say shout it from the rooftops!
Here are some sweet African girl names to capture your sentiments:
- Yumna: Meaning âgood fortuneâ in Swahili.
- Masego: Meaning âblessingsâ. Once a rare name stateside, Masego is now making waves as the stage moniker of American musician Micah Davis.
- Madalitso: A gender-neutral Southern African name meaning âa blessed personâ.
- Ashanti: Meaning âgratitudeâ. It may not mean âblessing,â but this Ghanaian name will no doubt leave baby feeling appreciated.
- Blessing: Meaning, well, there you have it.
What is the African name for Angel?
Say no more:
- Malaika: Meaning âangelâ. A popular Swahili name, Malaika stems from the Arabic word malak.
What African girl name means queen?
We love this energy for your future leading lady.
How about:
- Nala: Meaning âqueenâ or âsuccessfulâ. Made all the more famous for mini millennials everywhere with The Lion King. đŚ
- Thema: A Ghanaian girlâs name meaning âqueenâ.
- Sade: In the Yoruba language, Sade means âhonor earns a crownâ. Not exact but a fine encouragement for your daughter to err towards respect, high morals, and higher achievements. đ Not to mention a fitting tribute to the Nigerian-British singer. đľ
What African girl name means sun?
How to celebrate this new light of your life?
Weâve got you:
- Kianga: Meaning âsunshineâ or âray of lightâ. âď¸
- Addae: Meaning âmorning sunâ. Technically Addae is an African boyâs name, but if it fits, why not?
- Nomalanga: We love the vibrant disposition of this Zulu name. It means âsunnyâ. đ
What African girl name means happiness?
And finally, for the joyful little spirit bringing so much positive energy into your home, how about:
- Makena: Meaning âthe happy oneâ.
- Keitumetse: Meaning âI am happyâ. đ
- Thabisa: Meaning âto bring joyâ.
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West African girl names
West Africa is rich in diversity, between the various tribes, cultures, and landscapes.
Itâs vastness is made up of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha.
And amongst this eclectic part of the continent are a wealth of African girl names and meanings:
- Abeni: Meaning âa girl who is prayed forâ. â¨
- Ada: Meaning âfirstborn daughterâ. Can also be considered a short form of the German girlâs name Adelaide, meaning ânobleâ.
- Alaba: A Nigerian name meaning âsecond child after twinsâ.
- Amara: As an Igbo name, Amara means âgrace and mercyâ. đđ˝
- Amma: This Ghanaian name means âborn on a Saturdayâ.
- Ameyo: Another West African name meaning âborn on Saturdayâ.
- Bamidele: Meaning âfollow me homeâ in the Yoruba language.
- Chidinma: Meaning âGod is goodâ.
- Chimamanda: Meaning âmy God will not failâ. Made famous by the Nigerian writer and storyteller Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. đ
- Efua: Meaning âborn on Fridayâ. Ghanaian in origin.
- Esi: Meaning âborn on Sundayâ. Another renowned writer to make our list: Esi Edugyan. đ
- Habiba: An Arabic name popular in North Africa, it means âbelovedâ.
- Ife: Meaning âloveâ. â¤ď¸
- Izara: Meaning âstarâ or âpart of a treeâ. A name that grows on you.
- Kehinde: A short form of Omokehinde, meaning â the second-born twinâ.
- Mariama: A variation of the Arabic name Maryam meaning ârebelliousâ or âbitterâ. Related to Mary, Miriam, and Marie.
- Monifa: This Egyptian name means âluckyâ.
- Oluchi: A Nigerian name meaning âGodâs workâ.
- Taiwo: Meaning âthe first twin to taste the world.â Adorable.
East African girl names
East Africa includes Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, RĂŠunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Somaliland, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Home to Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, East Africa is flush with dramatic landscapes and incredible wildlife.
And in the midst of its impressive geography, youâll find an abundance of arresting African girl names.
Hereâs some of our favorites:
- Aberash: Meaning âgiving off lightâ.
- Asha: Meaning âalive and wellâ. Pure and simple.
- Barika: A Muslim girlâs name meaning âbloomâ or âsuccessfulâ.
- Chiumbo: This sweet Kenyan name means âsmall childâ.
- Hibo: Meaning âgiftâ. đ
- Imani: A Swahili baby name meaning âfaithâ.
- Kamaria: Meaning âmoonâ in Swahili. đ
- Abeba: Meaning âflowerâ. đź
- Kessie: Meaning âcassia treeâ. A variation of the Hebrew girlâs name Keziah.
- Nia: Meaning âbrightâ or âpurposeâ in Swahili.
- Ramla: Meaning âfortune tellerâ.
- Rehema: Meaning âcompassionâ. đ
- Shani: Meaning âmarvelâ or âwonderousâ.
- Taraji: Meaning âhopeâ.
- Zahara: Meaning âfloweringâ in Arabic. đˇ
- Zuri: Meaning âbeautifulâ.
- Winda: Meaning âhunterâ.
South African baby girl names
Think: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Famously called the Rainbow Nation, South Africa is known for the diverse cultures and religions that make up this alluring region.
With its fusion of cultural influences, youâll find no shortage of unique South African girl names and meanings:
- Anele: Meaning âenoughâ or âlast bornâ.
- Kaya: A popular Zulu name meaning âhomeâ or ârestful placeâ. đ
- Lerato: Meaning âloveâ or âsong of my soulâ.
- Mandisa: Meaning simply âsweetâ. đŻ
- Mpho: Meaning âgiftâ. đ
- Nandipha: Meaning âGodâs giftâ.
- Oratile: Meaning âoriginâ.
- Palesa: Meaning âflowerâ. đ
- Puleng: Meaning âout in the rainâ.
- Sibongile: Meaning âwe are thankfulâ.
- Thandiwe: Meaning âloved oneâ.
- Tsholofelo: Meaning âhopeâ.
- Siphesihle: Meaning âa beautiful giftâ.
- Zola: A popular name in South Africa meaning âcalmâ or âpeacefulâ.
Northern African girl names
Stretching from the Atlantic shoreline to the Red Sea in the East, Northern Africa geographically includes Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.
Here lies the vast Sahara Desert, the Nile River, tumbling ancient ruins, and traces of diverse ruling empires.
Arabic is the majority language in North Africa, which youâll see reflected in its most popular girl names:
- Abdallah: Meaning âservant of Allahâ.
- Abiba: Meaning âthe beloved oneâ.
- Aicha: Meaning âalive and wellâ.
- Alkebu-lan: Known as the oldest indigenous name in Africa, Alkebu-lan may mean âmother of mankindâ.
- Anipe: Meaning âdaughter of the Nileâ.
- Ayaan: Meaning âwide-eyedâ. đš
- Cleopatra: An iconic name forever tied to Egypt, Cleopatra is actually Greek in origin and means âglory of the fatherâ.
- Fatima: Meaning âcaptivatingâ or âone who abstainsâ.
- Hafsah: Meaning âyoung lionessâ.
- Hasana: Meaning âbeautifulâ or âfairâ.
- Khadija: Meaning âearly babyâ, ârespectedâ, or âtrustworthyâ.
- Panya: Meaning âcrowned in victoryâ.
- Kahina: Meaning âthe divinerâ.
- Nafeesa: Meaning âpreciousâ or âvaluableâ.
African American girl names
And finally, here are some names that have special significance in our American corner of the African diaspora:
- Aaliyah: Meaning âexaltedâ or âhighbornâ.
- Aniyah: Meaning âGod favorsâ.
- Ava: Meaning âbirdâ, âlifeâ, or âvoiceâ. And a tribute to Ava DuVernay. đŹ
- Breonna: Meaning ânoble oneâ.
- Chantelle: From the French name Chantal, which means âstoneâ.
- Destiny: Meaning âfateâ.
- Ebony: Meaning âdeep black woodâ.
- Essence: Meaning âauraâ or ânatureâ.
- Gabrielle: Meaning âGod is my strengthâ.
- Gayle: Meaning âmy father is joyâ, from the Hebrew name Abigail.
- Keisha: Meaning âcassiaâ or âcinnamonâ. A variation of the Hebrew Keziah.
- Kiara: A global name meaning âlightâ, âlittle dark oneâ, or âclearâ. Your choice mama.
- Makeba: A tribute to the inimitable South African singing sensation Miram Makeba.
- Nevaeh: As in âheavenâ spelled backward.
- Nia: Meaning âgoalâ or âpurposeâ. Eyes on the prize.
- Rihanna: Want a badass name for a girl? Look no further than this Welsh name, meaning âgoddessâ or âgreat queenâ.
- Shanice: Meaning âGod is mercifulâ.
- Toni: Meaning âbeyond praiseâ. An inspiring name made famous by American Novelist and author of Beloved, Toni Morrison.
- Yolanda: Meaning âviolet flowerâ.
- Zari: Meaning âgoldenâ.
Our list of African names for girls is far from extensive.
With a continent as vast, varied, and vibrant, the sheer amount of monikers Africa boasts is immeasurable.
So make sure you tap into our additional list of 100 African baby names.
Donât worry mama, the right name will come to you.
Just ask the moms on Peanut.