100+ African Girl Names 2026 (With Meanings)

African Girl Names: Choosing the right name for your baby girl is a special and significant experience, and African baby names will add culture, history, and deep meaning to your child’s name.

Names have special weight and significance throughout Africa’s diverse continent.

Names are, of course, chosen for many reasons, including ancestry or heritage of virtues; even the natural world is repeatedly referenced in names in Africa, and the blessings and hope for a child’s future mean a great deal.

Whether you are looking for smooth sounds, powerful meanings, or curious origins, African baby girl names are a fantastic way to celebrate tradition and heritage.

The intent of this post is to share a collection of remarkable African baby girl names, and the meaning of each name provides you with ideas for naming your baby girl.

African Girl Names

Abeni – “We asked for her” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Adama – “Earth” or “soil” (West African)

Adaeze – “Princess” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Amina – “Trustworthy, faithful” (Hausa, Nigeria)

Amara – “Grace” or “mercy” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Ayana – “Beautiful flower” (Ethiopian)

Binta – “With God” or “God’s gift” (Hausa, Nigeria)

Chiamaka – “God is beautiful” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Dalila – “Gentle” or “delicate” (Swahili)

Eshe – “Life” or “energy” (Swahili)

Fatima – “Captivating” (Arabic influence, widely used in Africa)

Fola – “Honor or respect” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Ifunanya – “Love” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Imani – “Faith” (Swahili)

Jamila – “Beautiful” (Arabic origin, common in Africa)

Khadija – “Early baby” or “premature child” (Arabic origin)

Kesi – “Born when father was in trouble” (Swahili)

Lulu – “Pearl” (Swahili)

Makena – “Happy one” (Kikuyu, Kenya)

Nia – “Purpose” (Swahili)

Ngozi – “Blessing” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Nyah – “Purpose” (Swahili)

Oba – “Queen” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Oluchi – “God’s work” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Penda – “Love” (Wolof, Senegal)

Sade – “Crowned” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Tandiwe – “Beloved” (Ndebele, Zimbabwe)

Zuri – “Beautiful” (Swahili)

Amara – “Eternal” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Aziza – “Beloved” or “powerful” (Arabic origin)

Bongiwe – “We are grateful” (Zulu, South Africa)

Chidimma – “God is good” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Dalila – “Tender” (Swahili)

Ebele – “Mercy” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Farai – “Rejoice” (Shona, Zimbabwe)

Gugu – “Precious one” (Zulu, South Africa)

Hasina – “Virtuous” (Swahili)

Ife – “Love” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Jendayi – “Thankful” (Shona, Zimbabwe)

Kia – “Season’s beginning” (Swahili)

Lela – “Black beauty” (Swahili)

Mirembe – “Peace” (Luganda, Uganda)

Nahla – “Drink of water” or “water in the desert” (Arabic, common in North Africa)

Oluwafemi – “God loves me” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Penda – “Love” (Wolof, Senegal)

Rafiki – “Friend” (Swahili)

Sanaa – “Work of art” (Swahili)

Thandiwe – “Beloved” (Zulu, South Africa)

Umoja – “Unity” (Swahili)

Vuyiswa – “Joy” (Xhosa, South Africa)

Wairimu – “She who brings happiness” (Kikuyu, Kenya)

Xoliswa – “Peace” (Xhosa, South Africa)

Yewande – “Mother has returned” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Zanele – “We are enough” (Zulu, South Africa)

Abena – “Born on Tuesday” (Akan, Ghana)

Asha – “Life” or “hope” (Swahili)

Barika – “Blessing” (Swahili)

Chipo – “Gift” (Shona, Zimbabwe)

Dalia – “Gentle” (Swahili)

Esi – “Born on Sunday” (Akan, Ghana)

Faduma – “Captivating” (Somali)

Galia – “Wave” (Berber)

Hawa – “Eve” (Arabic, common in Africa)

Inaya – “Care” or “protection” (Swahili)

Jalia – “Greatness” (Swahili)

Kendi – “Loved one” (Kikuyu, Kenya)

Lela – “Night” (Swahili)

Malaika – “Angel” (Swahili)

Nandi – “Sweet” (Zulu, South Africa)

Oma – “Grace” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Penda – “Love” (Wolof, Senegal)

Rudo – “Love” (Shona, Zimbabwe)

Safi – “Pure” (Swahili)

Tatu – “Third born” (Swahili)

Uzo – “The way” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Winta – “Desire” (Eritrean)

Xena – “Guest” or “stranger” (Berber)

Yara – “Small butterfly” (Tupi origin, used in Africa)

Zahra – “Flower” or “shining” (Arabic origin)

Abidemi – “Born during father’s absence” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Bakari – “Noble promise” (Swahili)

Chinara – “God receives” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Deka – “Wanderer” (Somali)

Efua – “Born on Friday” (Akan, Ghana)

Fola – “Honor or respect” (Yoruba, Nigeria)

Gina – “Valley” (Berber)

Hadia – “Gift” (Swahili)

Imara – “Strong” (Swahili)

Jalia – “Greatness” (Swahili)

Kahina – “Prophetess” (Berber)

Lindiwe – “Waited for” (Zulu, South Africa)

Malaika – “Angel” (Swahili)

Nia – “Purpose” (Swahili)

Onyeka – “Who is greater than God?” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Pumla – “Be quiet” or “peace” (Zulu, South Africa)

Rethabile – “We are happy” (Sotho)

Sanaa – “Art or work of beauty” (Swahili)

Thabisa – “Bring joy” (Xhosa, South Africa)

Uzoamaka – “The road is good” (Igbo, Nigeria)

Zola – “Quiet/tranquil” (Zulu, South Africa)