This is a list of submitted names in which the gender is unisex; and the usage is African American.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Aijalon m & f Biblical, English (American, Rare), African American (Rare)From an Old Testament place name meaning "place of gazelles" in Hebrew (compare
Ayala). Aijalon or Ajalon was the name of several biblical locations, including the valley in Dan where the Israelites defeated the Amorites while the sun and moon stood still in answer to their leader Joshua's prayer.
Ajee f & m African American (Rare)From the brand of perfume called Ajee, which was introduced by Revlon in 1994. A known bearer is American runner Ajeé Wilson (1994-).
Azizi f & m African American (Rare), SwahiliMeans "treasure, rarity, something valuable; lover" in Swahili, derived from Arabic عَزِيز
(ʕazīz); compare
Aziz. A known (female) bearer is American model Azizi Johari (1948-), in whose case it is a pseudonym.
Chimere f & m African AmericanFrom the brand of perfume called Chimère, which was introduced by Prince Matchabelli in 1979. The French word
chimère means "chimera". This is the middle name of American R&B singer Ne-Yo (1979-), real name Shaffer Chimere Smith.
Cleotha m & f African American (Rare)This was borne by American singer Cleotha "Cleedy" Staples (1934-2013), a member of the Staple Singers musical group.
Dasani f & m African American (Modern, Rare)From the name of the bottled water brand
Dasani, itself inspired in the Latin word
sanus ("healthy"). This name was first recorded in the US in 1999, the year the brand was launched.
Deeown m & f African AmericanDeeown comes from the names Declan, Deecan, Owen and Wesley. It’s a name most commonly used by African Americans in the 1960s with three children being named Deeown from 1961-1965. No one has been named Deeown since 1992 when it suddenly disappeared.
Evangelise f & m African American, AfricanPossibly an invented name, a combination
Evangeline and
Elise. Another possibility is that it's taken from the British spelling of 'evangelize', which is the English word meaning "to preach the gospel".
Irie m & f Jamaican Patois, African AmericanIrie is used in the music and culture of Jamaica. The meaning is to have no worries or be at peace with everything around you. You hear the saying feeling Irie in many Regea songs.
Jodeci m & f African American, English (Modern)In the case of the R&B quartet which helped popularise the name in the early 1990s, it is taken from the names of its members, Joel "JoJo" Hailey, Donald "DeVanté Swing" DeGrate, Dalvin "Mr. Dalvin" DeGrate and Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey.
Kijana m & f Swahili, African American (Modern)Means "young person" in Swahili. This is the nickname of American football player Kenneth Leonard 'Ki-Jana' Carter (1973-), given to him by his mother, who was inspired by a minor character in the movie
Shaft in Africa (1973).
LaFrance f & m African American (Modern, Rare)A combination of the popular prefix
la- with the name of the European country,
France. It could possibly on occasion be transferred from the French surname, Lafrance.
Laquae m & f African AmericanLikely derives from the surname LaQaue, which is found in the United States. The surname has alleged roots in Germany but appears to be a variant of the Catalan surname Laqué (Llaqué). The surname Laqué possibly arose from a variant of Laquet (Llaquet), a topographic name from a diminutive of llac or ‘pond’... [
more]
Mantan m & f African AmericanThe name Mantan has appeared as a middle name and it may have come from the Irish and or English surname Manton.
Memoir m & f English, African AmericanThe word “memoir” itself means memory or remembrance. In the field of literature, a memoir is a collection of the events that happened in the author's life, tied together by a certain theme.
Nakia m & f Popular Culture, African AmericanBriefly charted on American popularity lists due to the short-lived television police drama series 'Nakia' (1974), which starred Robert Forster as a Navajo deputy sheriff. Since then, it has been used as an African-American name (both femenine and masculine), interpreted as a combination of the phonetic elements
na,
kee and
ya Oshae m & f African AmericanPerhaps a variant of
Oshea. This is borne by Oshae Brissett (1998-), a Canadian basketball player of Jamaican descent. A female bearer is American boxer Oshae Jones (1998-).
Savon m & f African AmericanOf uncertain origin, perhaps a combination of phonetic elements
sa and
von. It also coincides with the French word for "soap". This was the name of a character played by Ice Cube in the 1992 movie
Trespass.
Superior m & f African American, EnglishLate Middle English from Old French
superiour, from Latin
superior, comparative of
superus ‘that is above’, from
super ‘above’.
Syx m & f African American (Modern, Rare)Apparently derived from the English word
six, the spelling perhaps influenced by that of
Styx. This name was used by American singer-songwriter and rapper 6lack (real name Ricardo Valdez Valentine Jr.; 1992-) for his daughter born 2017.
Taurean m & f African American (Rare)From the English word that means "person born under the astrological sign Taurus" (see
Taurus). Use of the name has been inspired by the American actor Taurean Blacque (1941-2022), known for his role on the police drama television series
Hill Street Blues (1981-1987), who was born Herbert Middleton, Jr... [
more]
Tremaine m & f African American, CornishHistorically a Cornish surname meaning "stone settlement", derived from the Cornish 'tre', meaning a homestead or settlement, and 'men', meaning stone. ... [
more]
Tyjah m & f African, African American (Modern)Apparently means "smart" in one of the languages on the African continent. However, the name can also be derived from the name abbreviation (or initials)
T.J., which is typically pronounced as "tee-jay" and its pronunciation henceforth developed into a first name of its own right (
Teejay).
Yoruba f & m African American (Modern)It could be derived from the Yoruba word
Ori Obba "the Head King". This is the name of a West African ethnic group mainly inhabits parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Yoruba Richen (1972- ) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.