African American Submitted Names

These names are a subset of American names used more often by African Americans. See also about African-American names.
gender
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Makiyah f African American (Modern)
Possibly a variant of Micaiah. It shares the same trendy sounds found in other names such as Kamiyah, Makai and Mekhi.
Maleka f South African, African American
Possibly a variant of Malika.
Malkia f African American (Rare)
From the Swahili word malkia meaning "queen", a derivative of Arabic مَلِكَة (malika) "queen" (making it a cognate of Malika). This name was borne by American painter Lucille Malkia Roberts (1917-2004).
Mandela m & f African American, Xhosa
Transferred use of the surname Mandela given in honour of Nelson Mandela, South African revolutionary hero and statesman... [more]
Mantan m & f African American
The name Mantan has appeared as a middle name and it may have come from the Irish and or English surname Manton.
Marcelletta f Italian (Rare), African American (Rare, ?)
Italian diminutive of Marcella making it the Italian cognate of Marcellette.... [more]
Markayla f African American (Modern)
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic element mar and the name Makayla.
Markeisha f African American (Rare)
Possibly a feminine variant of Marquis influenced by Keisha; also compare Marquita.
Markell m African American (Rare)
Transferred use of the surname Markell.
Markeyce m African American
Possibly a spelling variation of Marquis.
Markia f African American
Perhaps intended to be a feminine form of Marquis, probably modelled on the sounds found in other names such as Nakia, Shakia and Takia.
Markisha f African American (Rare)
Possibly a feminine variant of Marquis influenced by Kisha; compare Marquita.
Marquess m African American (Modern, Rare)
A marquess is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. See Marquis.
Marqueston m African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the name Marques with the popular suffix ton.
Marquetta f African American
Possibly a variant of Marquita.
Marsai f African American (Modern, Rare)
Perhaps derived from the French place name Marseille. This is borne by American actress and producer Marsai Martin (2004-).
Marshaun m African American
Combination of the prefix mar- and Shaun.
Marshayla f African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements mar, shay and la. Also compare Markayla.
Marshelle f African American, English (American)
Variant of Marchelle; perhaps intended to be a feminine form of Marshall, or possibly an invented name blending Marsha or the phonetic element mar with Michelle.
Marshey f & m African American (Rare)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements mar and shay, possibly influenced by names such as Marshall and Marshawn.
Martavious m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic element mar with the suffix -tavious from Octavius, sharing a sound with names such as Jaquavious and Marquavious.
Martell m African American (Modern)
in french, "martel" means "mallet" or "hammer"... [more]
Martika f English (American, Rare), African American, American (Hispanic)
From a diminutive of Marta. This name was popularized in the late 1980s and early 1990s by the American singer and actress Martika (1969-), born Marta Marrero to Cuban immigrants, whose stage name was also her nickname.
Marvell m African American (Rare)
Transferred use of the surname Marvell.
Mashawn f & m African American (Rare)
Possibly a combination of Masha and Shawn or, as a masculine name, a variant of Myshawn.
Mashayla f English (Modern, Rare), African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements ma, shay and la, or perhaps a blend of Michelle and Makayla - both of which are feminine forms of Michael.
Matasha f Russian (Rare), African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of names Masha and Natasha, or it is a combination of a prefix Ma and name Tasha.
Maurishka f African American (Rare)
Possibly a Variant spelling of Mariska... [more]
Maurkice m African American (Rare)
Variant of Marquis, the spelling possibly altered to resemble Maurice. Bearer Maurkice Pouncey (1989-) is an American football player.
Medgar m African American
A famous bearer is Medgar Evers, an African-American civil rights activist.
Mekele f African American (Rare)
From the name of the Ethiopian city, which is of uncertain meaning.
Mekelle f African American (Modern, Rare)
Variant of Mekele. This is one of transliteration of the city (see Mekele).
Mekole f African American
Combination of Mekhi and Nikole.
Memoir m & f English, African American
The 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.
Meosha f African American (Rare)
Perhaps an altered form of Moesha or Misha 2/Meisha.
Meshae f African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements mee and shay.
Micholas m African American (Rare)
Rhyming variant of Nicholas influenced by Michael (also, see Nichael and Micole)... [more]
Micole f English (American, Rare), African American (Rare)
Possibly an Anglicized form of Italian Micol, or perhaps an invented name based on Nicole.
Mikia f African American (Modern, Rare)
Invented name, possibly inspired by Mikki and Nikia. In the pronunciation /mɪ.'kaɪ.ə/, it may also be seen as a variant of Micaiah.
Million m African American (Modern, Rare), Ethiopian
From the English word million.
Minnijean f American (South, Rare), African American (Rare)
Combination of Minnie and Jean 2. This is borne by Minnijean Brown-Trickey (1941-), who was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine African-American teenagers who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957 after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional three years earlier... [more]
Miqal m African American
African American variant of Michael
Miquisha f African American (Rare)
Combination of prefix mi with Quisha.
Moesha f Popular Culture, African American (Modern), Jamaican Patois, Antillean Creole, South African
Invented name. It was used for the title character of the American television show Moesha (1996-2001), played by singer Brandy.
Monchelle f African American (Rare)
Possibly an invented name based on French mon ("my") and Michelle.
Montel m African American
Means "little mountain".
Montero m African American
From Spanish surname Montero, used as the occupational name for a beater or other assistant at a hunt (typically in the mountains).... [more]
Montez m & f African American
From the surname Montez meaning "mountains".
Montoya f & m African American
Transferred use of the Spanish surname Montoya (itself from the name of a Spanish town), used because of its similarity to LaToya and its initial sound (also found in names such as Montrell, Montel or Montez).
Montreal m English (Rare), African American
From the name of a Canadian city, whose name is a variant of "Mount Royal".
Montrezl m African American (Rare)
Variant of Montrez, which appears to be a blend of names such as Montrell and Cortéz... [more]
Montrice f & m African American (Rare)
Probably an invented name based on the sounds found in names such as Montrell and Patrice.
Muddy m English (Rare), African American
From the adjective used as a nickname for someone who is covered in mud. Famous bearers of this nickname ''Muddy'' include the American baseball player Muddy Ruel (1896-1963), and American singer and musician Muddy Waters (1913-1983).
Mufasa m Popular Culture, English (Modern, Rare), African American (Modern, Rare)
Name of a character in 'The Lion King' franchise, who is Scar's older brother, Sarabi's mate, Simba's father and Kiara and Kion's paternal grandfather and introduced as the King of the Pride Lands.
Myana f English (Modern, Rare), African American (Modern, Rare)
Either a variant of Myanna, a blend of Mya and Iyana or simply a combination of the popular phonetic elements my, ya and na.
Myika f African American
My mother's middle name was supposed to be this but spelt like Michael. So she change the spelling to this and now its mine.
Mykisha f African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the prefix my and Kisha.
Myrlita f African American (Rare)
Of unknown origin and meaning
Myrvinia f African American
Feminine variant of Mervin.
Myshawn m African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the phonetic element my and Shawn.
Nahshon m Biblical, Jewish, African American
From Ancient Hebrew נַחְשׁוֹן (naḥšôn) meaning "enchanter, diviner", itself from the word נָחַשׁ (nāḥaš) meaning "to whisper, to enchant".... [more]
Naiyma f African American (Rare)
Likely a variant of Naima.
Nakayla f African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements na, kay and la or possibly based on Mikayla.
Nakendra f African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the name prefix Na and the name Kendra.
Nakia m & f Popular Culture, African American
Briefly 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
Namari m & f African American (Rare), South African
Combination of the sounds found in names such as Jamari, Amari and Kamari.
N'anya f African American (Modern)
African American name possibly taken from the Igbo word n'anya meaning "love".
Naquan m African American (Rare)
Combination of the phonetic elements na and quan.
Nashawn m African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the popular name prefix na and Shawn.
Nashay f African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements na and shay, perhaps inspired by Shanae.
Nashon m African American (Rare)
Likely a variant of the biblical name Nahshon (perhaps via Naashon, the spelling used in the King James Version).
Natanya f & m English (Modern, Rare), African American (Modern), Hebrew (?)
Alternate transcription of Hebrew נְתַנְיָה (see Netanya), a modern form of Netanyahu (which was the name of three or four male characters in the Old Testament).... [more]
Natashay f African American (Rare)
Elaboration of Natasha using the popular phonetic element shay.
Natavia f African American (Modern, Rare)
Combination of the phonetic prefix na with the suffix -tavia from Octavia, probably modeled on Natalia.
Nathaniela f African American
Feminine for Nathaniel, also a variant of Nathaniella.
Natori f African American (Modern)
From the name of a 1995 Avon perfume, itself from the surname of designer Josie Natori (1947-). It might be regarded as a combination of the prefix na and the name Tori.
Natoya f African American, Jamaican Patois, English Creole
Possibly an invented name blending the popular phonetic prefix na and the name LaToya. It can be spelled Natoya or with a capitalized third letter as NaToya... [more]
Nautica f English (American, Modern), African American (Modern)
Likely based on the English word nautical, which is derived from Latin nauticus meaning "pertaining to ships or sailors", ultimately from Greek ναῦς (naus) "ship". Use of the name may also be influenced by the American clothing company Nautica.
Navia f African American (Rare)
Meaning unknown. Name used by actress Navia Robinson.
Nayocka f African American (Rare), Obscure
Possibly a variant of Nyoka.
Nayvadius m African American
This is the birth name of American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Future.
Necie f English, African American
Diminutive of Bernice, Denise and other names containing the sound nees.
Neferteri f African American (Rare)
Variant of Nefertari famously held by African-American Playboy model and actress Neferteri Plessy (1980-).
Negus m African American, Tigrinya
Means "king" in Tigrinya.
Ne'kiya f African American
Maybe a variant of Nekayah.
Nevaeh Tnes f African American (Modern, Rare)
Derived from the word heaven-sent spelled backwards.
Neysean m African American (Modern, Rare)
Possibly a combination of the popular phonetic element nay and Sean.
Nickia f African American (Rare)
Variant of Nakia. Also see Nikia.
Nickoya f African American (Modern, Rare)
Variant of Nicoya, which might be an invented name based on the sounds found in names such as Nicole, Nikia and Sequoia.
Niger m African American (Modern)
From the name of the African country
Nigeria f African American (Modern)
From the name of the African country.
Nikia f & m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements nee, kee and ya, inspired by Nikki and Nakia... [more]
Nikkia f African American (Rare)
Variant of Nikia, which is itself a variant of Nakia.
Nikuyah f African American
Unknown meaning. Nikuyah Walker is the first Black female mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia.
N'Kiah f African American (Modern, Rare)
Variant of Nakia, or else a combination of the phonetic prefix na with the name Kaya 2.
Novelette f African American (Modern, Rare)
Possibly an elaborated form of Novella, inspired by the English word novelette meaning "a short novel".
Nyana f English (Rare), African American (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements ny, ya and na, perhaps modelled on Ayanna.
Nyasia f African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic prefix ny and Asia 1. Also compare Nyasha... [more]
Nyikairah f African American
IT was first used by queen Elizibeth what she wanted Princess Kate to name her baby but she found out it was a boy
Nykia f African American (Rare)
Variation of Nikia with the phonetic elements ny, kee and ya or possibly influenced by Nike.
Nykira f African American (Modern, Rare)
Possibly a combination of the phonetic element ny and the name Kira 2.
Nyliah f African American (Modern, Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps an invented name based on similar-sounding names such as Nyah, Aaliyah and Nyla.
Nyoka f Popular Culture, African American, Jamaican Patois
The name of a character from two 15-part movie serials in the early 1940s: Jungle Girl (1941) and Perils of Nyoka (1942). The serials were based on the novel Jungle Girl (1932) by Edgar Rice Burroughs, in which the titular character was named Fou-tan... [more]
Omaria f African American
Feminization of Omarion.
Omarion m African American
Elaborated form of Omar 1.
Oneita f American (Hispanic, Rare, Archaic), African American (Rare)
Variant of Juanita influenced by the vocabulary word one.
Ontario m African American (Rare)
From the name of the Canadian province, or from the name of Lake Ontario (see the place name Ontario), which is probably derived from the Huron word ontarí:io meaning "great lake".... [more]
Orenthal m African American (Rare)
This given name is best known for being the first name of the retired American football player and actor O. J. Simpson, who was born in 1947 as Orenthal James Simpson. According to a 1968 interview with LIFE magazine, Simpson himself does not know the meaning and origin of his first name, telling the reporter that his aunt was the one who had named him and that she would only ever tell him that she had named him after a French or Italian actor.... [more]
Orma f African American, English
Allegedly from a Kenyan word meaning "free men." The Orma people live in Eastern Kenya along the lower Tana River. However, this name may be a feminine form of Ormond.
Oshae m & f African American
Perhaps 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-).
Oshay m African American
Transferred use of the surname Oshay.
Otisa f African American
A feminine form of Otis.
Ozell m & f African American
Transferred use of the surname Ozell.
Pandra f African American
Meaning unknown.
Pareise f & m African American (Modern, Rare)
American and English variant of Paris 1 or Paris 2.