The sounds of African names for boys and girls are as soft as the breeze. Baby names and their meanings date back to the dawn of time. African baby names and their meanings often reflect nature, such as rivers or the south wind. Some describe qualities such as honor, beauty, and strength.
Ghanaian baby names often indicate the day the baby was born. Others say in what order the baby was born, such as firstborn, secondborn, thirdborn, and so on.
African baby names come from over a hundred languages and thousands of dialects. Baby names are often influenced by other languages such as Arabic, English and French. African baby names come from Swahili, Kiswahili and Yorba. There are Amharic, Xhosa, Ibo, Twi, Dinka, Kikuyu, Ewe, and many others.
Let’s look at some of these beautiful names.
African girl names and their meanings
1) Aisha – (Swahili and Arabic) meaning “Life”
2) Nuru (Swahili) meaning “Light”
3) Bibi (East African) meaning “Daughter of a King”. Also a Kiswahili name meaning “Lady”.
4) Wub (Amharic from Ethiopia) meaning “Beautiful”
5) Fola (Nigerian Yorba) meaning “Honour”
6) Ismitta (North Africa) which means “Daughter of the Mountains and the Moon”. This is the name of the south wind
7) Gzija (Ewe from Ghana) meaning “He who is at peace”
8) Isis (Arabic) meaning “The goddess Isis, guardian of the Nile River”. Isis was worshiped in Egypt and in the ancient Kingdom of Meroe, in present-day Sudan.
9) Deka (Somali) meaning “One who pleases”
10) Lulu (Swahili and Arabic) meaning “Precious”
African baby names
1) Simba (Swahili and Kiswahili) meaning “Lion” and “Strong”
2) Rafiki (Kiswahili) meaning “Friend”
3) Xola (Xhosa) which means “Stay in peace”
4) Habib (Swahili and Arabic) meaning “Beloved”
5) Kofi (Akan, from Ghana) which means “Born on Friday”
6) Ghali (Kiswahili and Arabic) meaning “Precious”
7) Idrissa (from Senegal and Gambia) meaning “Immortal”
8) Mensah (sheep, from Ghana) meaning “third born man”
9) Kojo (Ashanti of Ghana) meaning “Born on Monday”
10) Kito (Swahili) meaning “Precious”
African boy and girl names and their meanings tell a story. The story continues as the parents leave their homeland of Africa and travel the world.
