Overview
Searching for cute or epic black baby names for your little bundle?
We’ve got you covered with several trendy, classic, and powerful black name options – both girl names and boy names included.
There are so many inspiring ideas from the heroes of the black community, such as the name “Martin” after Martin Luther King Jr.
Another is the girl name “Latifah” after the multi-awarded actress Queen Latifah.
Below are 190+ choices with meaningful definitions to help you find the perfect name for your baby.
Some categories included are:
- Mythical names
- Badass names
- Spiritual & biblical names
- Unisex & non-binary names
- Names that mean love
- Names that mean grace & beauty
The Best Black Baby Names
The Most Popular Names For Boys & Girls
- Aaliyah (Hebrew and Arabic girl name) – Popular girl name meaning “exalted and lofty”
- Abigail (Hebrew; girl) – Biblical girl name meaning “father’s joy”
- Aiden (Gaelic, Celtic, and Irish boy name) – Tough male name meaning “little fire”
- Alicia (Swedish and Spanish girl name) – “Noble”
- Ciara (Gaelic and Irish girl name) – “Black” or “black-haired girl”
- Ebony (Latin, Egyptian, and Greek girl name) – “Deep black wood”
- Hector (Greek, Spanish, and Italian boy name) – “Holding fast”
- Jane (Hebrew and English; girl) – “God is gracious,” “well-born,” or “noble”
- Jasmine (Persian; girl) – “Gift from God”; Disney princess name in the “Aladdin” movie
- Noah (Hebrew; boy) – Biblical boy name meaning “to rest”; ranks #2 in the most popular names for boys in the US (1)
Trendy & Modern Black Baby Names
- Brianna (English; girl) – “High and noble” or “resolute and strong”
- Caspar (Persian; boy) – “Keeper of the treasure”; a variant of the adorable ghost name “Casper”
- Destiny (Latin and English; girl) – Word name meaning “destiny” or “fate”
- Eli (Hebrew and African American; boy) – “Ascended,” “uplifted,” or “my God”
- Jayden (African American and Hebrew; boy) – “Thankful one”
- Layla (Latin, Old English, Hebrew, Arabic, Scandinavian, and Greek name; girl) – “Dark,” “night,” or “daughter of the night”; also spelled as “Laila”
- Malik (Arabic boy name) – “King”
What Are Good & Classic Black Names?
- Anastasia (Greek; girl) – “Resurrection”
- Aurelia (Latin; girl) – Vintage girl name meaning “golden”
- Autry (Old English and French; boy) – Classic boy name meaning “noble strength”
- Daniella (Hebrew and Italian girl name) – “God is my judge”; feminine form of “Daniel”
- Herold (Scandinavian and German boy name) – “Be a warrior” or “to rule”
- Lysander (Greek boy name) – “Liberator”
- Maurice (Greek; boy) – “Dark-skinned”
Beautiful Black Baby Names
- Aberash (African girl name) – “Giving off light” or “shining”
- Adah (Hebrew; girl) – “Beautiful ornament”
- Banou (Turkish, Swahili, and Persian; girl) – “Princess,” “lady,” or “little sister”
- Caleb (Hebrew; boy) – “Faithful,” “devotion to God,” or “servant of God”
- Taraji (Swahili – African; girl) – “Hope and faith”
- Tiana (Latin, Slavic, and Russian girl name) – “Princess” or “fairy queen”
Powerful & Strong Black Baby Names
- Alonzo (Latin and Italian name; boy) – Powerful boy name meaning “ready for battle” or “noble”
- Amira (Arabic and Indian; girl) – “Princess”
- Andor (Norse, Latin, and Scandinavian boy name) – “Brave” or “eagle”
- Armani (Italian, Persian, and Hebrew; unisex name) – “Warrior”
- Assad (Arabic and Persian; boy) – “Lion”
- Diamond (Latin and English; girl) – “Brilliant gem” or “invincible”
- Everett (Old English boy name) – “Brave as a wild boar”
- Khalan (Hebrew, Brazilian, and Thai name; boy) – “Strong warrior” or “brave”
- Malikah (Arabic and Sindhi – ancient Indo-Aryan; girl) – “Queen”
- Moses (Egyptian; boy) – “Delivered from the water”
- Oduda (African; girl) – “The black one” or “powerful”
Mythical Black Baby Names
- Apollo (Greek; boy) – “Destroyer”; Greek god of medicine, music, and poetry
- Jupiter (Latin and Roman; boy) – Mythical name meaning “the supreme god”; Roman king of the gods
- Kassandra (Greek and Latin; girl) – “To excel,” “she who entangles men,” or “shining upon man”
- Kiyana (African American, Jamaican, Persian, Latin, and Iranian; girl) – “Divine,” “deity,” or “heavenly”
- Maya (Greek, Spanish, Hebrew, and Indian; girl) – “Illusion”; the earth mother and the Greek goddess of spring, or after civil rights activist Maya Angelou
Badass Baby Names
- Alexandra (Greek; girl) – Badass girl name meaning “defender of men”; feminine variant of “Alexander” and the nonbinary name “Alex”
- Caesar (Latin, Greek, and Roman; boy) -“Long-haired”; badass boy name after the ancient Roman conqueror Julius Caesar
- Shuri (African and Japanese girl name) – “Valiant”; after the genius sister of King T’Challa in the “Black Panther” and “Avengers” movie series
Spiritual & Biblical Names For Boys & Girls
- Abraham (Hebrew; boy) – Old Testament biblical name meaning “father of multitudes”
- Azuriah (Hebrew; boy) – Spiritual name meaning “Yahweh has helped”
- Elijah (Hebrew; boy) – “My God is Yahweh”
- Isaiah (Hebrew; boy) – “Yahweh is my salvation”
- Rebekkah (Hebrew, Greek, and Semitic; girl) – “To bind” or “captivating”
Unique Names For Black Boys & Girls
- Adaliya (German and Hebrew; girl) – Unique girl name meaning “the noble one”
- Ardashir (Persian; boy) – Rare boy name meaning “the best king” or “one who rules with the truth”
- Brangwen (Welsh; girl) – Rare girl name meaning “dark and pure” or “blessed raven”
- Juhainah (Arabic; girl) – Gothic name meaning “darkness at the end of the night”
- Keenan (Hebrew and Irish; boy) – “Little ancient one” or “possession”
Cool Black Names For Boys and Girls
- Justus (Latin; boy) – Cool boy name meaning “justice” or “a disciple of Christ”
- Keon (Hebrew and Irish name; boy) – “God is gracious”
- Murphy (Irish and Gaelic; boy) – “Sea warrior”
- Nina (Russian, Hebrew, Babylonian, and Spanish; girl) – “Little girl” or “priceless one”
Gender-Based African-American Baby Names
What Should I Name My Black Baby Girl?
- Aniyah (African American; girl) – “Grace”
- Keysha (African American; girl) – Nature name meaning “cinnamon tree”
- Lacresha (African American and Latin; girl) – “Wealth, “succeed,” or “prophet”
What Are Cute Black Guy Names?
- Ahmed (Persian and Arabic; boy) – Cute boy name meaning “highly praised” or “constantly thanks God”
- Booker (African American and Old English; boy) – “Someone who works with books” or “scribe”
- Elliott (Hebrew, Greek, Scottish, and Gaelic; boy) – “Yahweh is my God”
- Khalil (Arabic; boy) – “Friend”
Unisex & Nonbinary Black Baby Names
- Ahadi (Swahili – African; unisex) – “Keeping a promise” or “with much promise”
- Jalen (African American; gender-neutral name) – “Thankful”
- Jordan (Hebrew and Greek; unisex) – “To flow or descend”
Black Baby Names With Beautiful Meanings
What Name Means Beautiful Black?
- Lela (Kishwahili – African; girl) – “Black beauty”
Black Baby Names Meaning “Love”
- Chikondi (African; girl) – “Love”
- Kendi (African; gender-neutral) – “The loved one”
- Rudo (Shona – African; boy) – “Love”
Black Baby Names Meaning “Grace” & “Beauty”
- Abanbanu (Persian and Iranian; girl) – “Beautiful girl”
- Alheri (Nigerian and Hausa – African; girl) – “Grace”
- Amara (Nigerian, Sanskrit, and Italian; girl) – “Grace,” “everlasting,” or “to love”
- Aoife (Irish and Gaelic; girl) – “Beautiful,” “joyful,” or “radiant”; pronounced as “eeh-fah”
- Caoimhe (Irish and Gaelic; girl) – “Beautiful,” “precious,” or “gentle”; pronounced as “kee-vah”
- Delilah (Hebrew and Arabic; girl) – “Beautiful,” “delightful,” or “romantic”
- Jamal (Arabic and Somali – African; boy) – “Beauty (or handsome)” or “grace”
Inspiring & Famous Black People Names
- Beyoncé (French Creole; girl) – “Beyond others”; after American singer-songwriter Beyoncé
- Darius (Latin and Greek; boy) – “Possessing goodness” or “rich and kingly”; after the powerful Persian ruler Darius the Great
- Denzel (Cornish; boy) – “From the high stronghold” or “the wild one”; after American actor Denzel Washington
- Kofi (Akan – African; boy) – “Born on a Friday”; after Kofi Atta Annan, the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize winner
- Rihanna (Welsh, Celtic, and Irish; girl) – “Great queen” or “bunch of sweet basil”; after Barbadian singer and actress Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty)
- Serena (Latin, Greek, and Spanish; girl) – “Serene” or “calm”; after American former tennis player Serena Williams
- Zendaya (Shona – African; girl) – “Be thankful”; after American actress Zendaya (born Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman)
Nature-Themed Black Baby Names
- Abeba (Amharic – Ethiopian and Semitic – West Asian; girl) – “Flower”
- Aveline (Medieval English and French girl name) – “Little hazelnut tree”
- Ayanna (Swahili, Hebrew, and Native American girl name) – “Beautiful flower”
- Dahlia (Arabic and Hebrew; girl) -”Gentle”; flower name
- Deborah (Hebrew; girl) – “Bee”
- Jonah (Hebrew; boy) – “Dove”
- Mbalenhle (Zulu – African; girl) – “Beautiful flower”; pronounced as “mee-bah-len-leh”
- Nimbus (Latin; boy) – “Dark cloud”
Exotic Black Baby Names From Around The World
- Amaya (Japanese name; girl) – “Night rain” or “mother city”
- Andres (Greek boy name) – “Brave”
- Aqsa (Arabic girl name) – “Intelligent”
- Behrouz (Persian and Arabic boy name) – “Prosperous”
- Charna (Yiddish – West Germanic and Hebrew; girl) – Exotic girl name meaning “black” or “dark”
- Joaquin (Hebrew; boy) – “Established by God”
- Mandisa (Zulu – African girl name) – “Sweet” or “brings happiness with her presence”
Music-Themed Black Baby Names
- Chantelle (French name) – Musical girl name meaning “to sing” or “stony”
- Viola (Latin; girl) – “String musical instrument” or a name that means “purple”
Black Baby Names From A To Z
Black Baby Names Starting With A
- Alastair (Gaelic, Scottish, Greek name; boy) – “Defender of humanity”
- Aleesha (Spanish, Swedish, Sanskrit, and German girl name) – “Protected by God”
- Amena (Arabic and Greek; girl) – “Faithful,” “safe,” or “honest”; Muslim name after The Prophet Muhammad’s mother
- Antonne (Latin and Etruscan – Italian girl name) – “Priceless one” or “worthy of praise”
- Arran (Scottish; girl) – “Island dweller”
Black Baby Names Starting With B
- Bahija (Arabic; girl) – “Happy” or “glowing with health and freshness”
- Behnam (Persian; boy) – “Reputable” or “honorable”
- Bonanle (African; girl) – “One who finds wealth at home”
- Bruna (German, Italian, and Latin; girl) – “Dark brown hair” or “brown armor”
- Bryson (Gaelic and Irish boy name) – “Nobleman’s son”
- Busta (American; boy) – “Friend”; variant of “Buster”
Black Baby Names Starting With C
- Carter (Irish and English boy name) – “Transports goods by cart”; after Carter G. Woodson, the educator and philosopher also known as the “father of black history”
- Cosette (French and Latin; girl) – “Victorious” or “something small and tiny”
Black Baby Names Starting With D
- Dakotah (Native American; unisex) – “Friends” or “allies”
- Dalila (Swahili and Tanzanian – African; girl) – “Delicate and gentle”
- Daran (Gaelic and Old English boy name) – “Great”
- Dijon (Hebrew and French boy name) – “God is gracious”
- Dominique (Latin and French girl name) – “The Lord’s day”
- Dontrell (Italian boy name) – “Lasting” or “gift of God”
Black Baby Names Starting With E
- Eliana (Hebrew, Latin, and Greek girl name) – “God has answered” or “daughter of the sun”
- Emmett (Hebrew, English, and German name; boy) – “Universal,” “truth,” or “powerful”
- Eshe (Swahili – African) – “Life and energy”
Black Baby Names Starting With F
- Farrell (African American and Irish name; boy) – “Heroic,” “man of courage,” or “superior man”; also spelled as “Pharrell”
- Fayola (African; girl) – “One who walks with honor”
- Frida (Armenian, Norse, and German girl name) – “Peaceful” or “beautiful”
Black Baby Names Starting With G
- Gabrielle (Hebrew and French name; girl) – “God is my strength”; feminine form of “Gabriel”
- Gemma (Latin and Italian name; girl) – “Precious jewel”
- Godrell (African American and Arabic; boy) – “Related to God” or “old and wise”
Black Baby Names Starting With H
- Hakeem (Arabic; boy) – “Wise”; Muslim name after one of Allah’s attribute names
- Hassan (Arabic; boy) – “Good,” “handsome,” “one who does good,” or “benefactor”
- Halima (Arabic; girl) – “Gentle,” “patient,” “mild-mannered,” or “generous”
Black Baby Names Starting With I
- Imani (Arabic, Swahili, and African American; girl) – “Faith”
- Iridessa (Latin; girl) – “Colorful” or “just like a rainbow”; also a Disney name after a fairy in the “Tinkerbell” series
- Ishmael (Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish boy name) – “God will hear”
- Israel (Hebrew name; boy) – “He who struggles with God”
Black Baby Names Starting With J
- Jabari (Swahili – African; boy) – “Brave one,” “courageous,” “someone who brings consolation,” or “comforter”
- Jada (Hebrew; girl) – “Gemstone jade”
- Jaheem (Jamaican, Hebrew, and African American; boy) – “Dignified,” “raised,” or “king of the moon”
- Jamila (Arabic; girl) – “Lovely”
- Jeremiah (Hebrew and Irish; boy) – “May Jehovah exalt”
- Josiah (Hebrew; boy) – “God has healed”
Black Baby Names Starting With K
- Kadeesha (Arabic; girl) – “Expressive and outgoing nature” or “trustworthy and well respected”
- Kalifa (Arabic, Somali – African, Turkish, and Persian) – “Successor,” “leader and ruler,” or “holy and chaste”
- Kalisha (African American, Arabic, and Latin; girl) – “Great joy,” “lucky,” or “solid rock”
- Kayla (Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Old English, and Irish girl name) – “Pure,” “slender,” or “crown of laurel”
- Kimbel (Welsh, Celtic, and African American; boy) – “War leader,” “warrior chief,” or “royal courage”
Black Baby Names Starting With L
- Ladonna (African American, Hebrew, and Spanish girl name) – “The lady”
- Laikin (African American; boy) – “From the lake”
- Lamonte (African American, Old Norse, and Gaelic; boy) – “Man of law”
- Lemarcus (African American; boy) – “Warrior”
Black Baby Names Starting With M
- Maura (Irish, African, Latin, Celtic, Spanish, Italian, English, Greek, and Scots Gaelic; girl) – “The black one” or “dark-skinned”
- Melantha (Greek and African; girl) – “Dark flower”
- Muna (Arabic and Native American; unisex) – “Desires” or “wishes”
Black Baby Names Starting with N
- Nevaeh (American; girl) – “Heaven”
- Nia (Gaelic, Swahili, and Welsh; girl) – “Luck,” “bright,” “goal,” or “purpose”
- Niles (English, Gaelic, and Irish; boy) – “Champion”
Black Baby Names Starting With O
- Omari (Swahili – African; girl) – “God the highest”
- Orpheus (ancient Greek name; boy) – “Darkness of the night”
Black Baby Names Starting With P
- Pankaja (Sanskrit; boy) – “Born of mud”
- Penelope (Greek; girl) – “Weaver”
Black Baby Names Starting With Q
- Quanesha (African-American; girl) – “Singing” or “life”
- Quinn (Irish, Scottish, Celtic, and Gaelic; boy) – “Wise counsel”
Black Baby Names Starting With R
- Rafael (Hebrew, Portuguese, and Spanish boy name) – Angel name meaning “God has healed”
- Rashon (Latin and English; boy) – “God is gracious”
Black Baby Names Starting With S
- Shamayla (Hindi and Somali – African; girl) – “Dark beauty,” “gifted and talented,” or “brave and strong”
- Shanice (Hebrew; girl) – “God is merciful” or “God is gracious”
- Simone (Hebrew; girl) – “Tranquil”
Black Baby Names Starting With T
- Tamara (Arabic; girl) – “Date palm”
- Tanisha (African American, English, and Hausa – African; girl) – “Ambition,” “gifted by God,” or “worthy of praise”
- Tiara (Latin, French, Dutch, Portuguese, and German; girl) – “Jeweled headdress”
- Treyvon (African American; boy) – “Divine power”
Black Baby Names Starting With U
- Umar (Arabic; boy) – “Thriving” or “flourishing”
- Uriah (Hebrew; boy) – “Yahweh is my light”
Black Baby Names Starting With V
- Vance (Old English; boy) – “Marsh”
- Vihaan (Hindu and Sanskrit; boy) – “Dawn”
Black Baby Names Starting With W
- Wamuiru (Kenyan – African; girl) – “Dark-skinned beauty”
- Warren (Old English and Middle English; boy) – “To protect”
Black Baby Names Starting With X
- Xavier (Basque – ethnic French and Spanish; boy) – “New house”
- Xhafer (Albanian; boy) – Water name meaning “stream”
Black Baby Names Starting With Y
- Yaniv (Hebrew; boy) – “He will prosper”
- Yaroslava (Ukrainian and Russian name; girl) – “Glory,” “energetic,” or “fierce”
- Yehuda (Hebrew; boy) – “Praise”
Black Baby Names Starting With Z
- Zahra (Arabic; girl) – “Bright” or “sparklingly bright and beautiful”
- Zedrick (Greek; boy) – “God is just”
- Zuri (Swahili and Hebrew; girl) – “Beautiful” or “good”
FAQs
What Are The Most Common Themes In Black Baby & African-American Names?
- Nature names
- Religious and spiritual names
- Strong and powerful names
- Warrior names
Are There Any Black Baby Names I Should Avoid?
Some ‘ugly’ black names you might want to avoid:
- Azazel (Hebrew; boy) – The fallen angels’ leader
- Azrael (Hebrew; boy) – An angel of death
- Desdemona (Greek; girl) – “Of the devil,” “ill-fated one,” or “misery”
- Lilith (Hebrew and Akkadian; girl) – “Night monster”
Popular & Trending Baby Name Lists
- Rare baby names for girls
- Biblical girl names
- Country boy names
- Rare boy names
- Classic boy names
- Arabic boy names
- Girl dog names
- African girl names
- Names that mean fire
- Names that mean sun
- Twin names for boy and girl
- Baby names for 2023
- Androgynous names
- Greek god and goddess names
- Boy cat names
- Witchy names
- Middle names for boys
- Powerful boy names
- One-syllable girl names
You can also find ideas from the top 15 baby name generators.
References
(1) https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
