There are so many options for naming your black son, and it can be tough to find the perfect one.
But don’t worry, we’re here to help.
We’ve compiled a list of the best names for black boys, so you can choose the perfect one for your little one.
Whether you’re looking for something unique and original, or something more traditional, we’ve got you covered.
How Do African Americans Name Their Babies?
African American parents often put a lot of thought into naming their babies.
Historically, black baby boy names were often inspired by African-American culture.
After all, African-Americans have been pivotal in shaping America and played a large part of American history.
However, in today’s world, black parents often draw inspiration from a variety of sources.
Many new parents want their children to have names that are unique and meaningful to the black community, but that also fit in well with today’s society.
As a result, black baby naming can be a complex and personal process.
Ultimately, though, it is up to each parent to decide what name is best for their baby boys.
Popular African American Baby Names for Boys – A B C
Abram
Abram is a Hebrew name that means “exalted father”. It is a classic name that continues to be popular even in modern times.
Aiden
Aiden is a name of Irish origin, and it means “little fire” or “fiery one”. It is a variation of Aodh, the Celtic god of sun and fire, and is one of many names that mean fire.
Aman
Aman is an Arabic name that means “peace.” It’s an elegant name for black boys.
Amir
The name Amir is an Arabic word meaning “commander” or “prince”.
Amos
The name Amos is a Hebrew name of a biblical prophet of Jewish culture and means “borne by God” or “carried by God”.
Andre
Andre is a French form of the name Andrew, which is derived from the Greek name Andreas, meaning “man” or “manly”.
Asad
Asad is an Arabic name that means “lion”.
Autry
The name Autry is of French origin and is a variation of the name Antoine, which is a French form of the name Anthony. The name Autry means “priceless one” or “noble strength”.
Booker
Booker is a name of English origin, meaning “one who makes books”. It can also be a surname. It’s a popular baby boy name in the African-American community.
Brandon
Brandon is a unique name of English origin, meaning “broom-covered hill”.
Bruce
Bruce is a unique name of Scottish origin, coming from the term French de Brus or the Latinized form Brucius, with a French meaning of “from the brushwood”.
Bryson
The name Bryson is a boy’s name from the English word ‘bryson” meaning “son of a nobleman”.
Caleb
Caleb is a Hebrew name that means “faithful” or “devoted”. It can also be translated to “wholehearted”.
Calem
The name Calem is related to Columba which has Latin origins meaning “dove”, a symbol of peace.
Carter
The name Carter is of English origin and means “one who uses a cart.” It can also be a last name.
Cassian
Cassian is a name of Latin origin, and it means “curly-haired”. It might have originated from the Roman family name Cassianus which means “empty and vain”.
Chante
The name Chante is a French baby name. In French, the meaning of the name Chante is “singer”. The French word is derived from the Latin word Cantare which means “to sing”.
Chike
Chike is an African name that means “God’s power”“.
Clark
Clark is a name of English origin that comes from a surname. It has a Latin meaning of “clerk” or “scribe”.
Curtis
Curtis is a name of English origin, derived from the Old French name Curt or the Latin name Curtius, both of which are derived from the word curtus, meaning “short” or “cut off”.
African American Baby Names for Boys – D E F
Dakota
Dakota is a Native American name meaning “friendly” or “allies”.
Damien
The name Damien is of French origin and means “to tame”.
Darius
Darius is a Persian name that means “possesses a lot” or “rich and kingly”.
Darnell
Darnell is a name of English origin, and it means “hidden nook”.
Daryl
The name Daryl is a masculine name of English origin, meaning “from Airelle”.
Demetrius
Demetrius is a name of Greek origin, meaning “belonging to Demeter”. Demeter is the Greek goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility.
Deshawn
The name Deshawn is a variant of the name Shawn, which is of Irish origin. The name Shawn is a diminutive of Sean, which is the Irish form of John. The name John is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, which means “Yahweh is gracious”.
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, in the Burgundy region. It is the capital of the Côte-d’Or département. The name Dijon comes from the Latin name “Divio,” meaning “sacred wood.” It has another beautiful meaning of “God is gracious”.
Efrem
Efrem is a Hebrew name that means “fruitful”.
Emmett
Emmett is a name of various origins but regardless of the language, all share the same meaning which is “universal” or “whole”.
Elijah
Elijah is a Hebrew name that means “Yahweh is my God”. This name appears in the Old Testament.
Finneas
The name Finneas is of Irish origin and means “fair”.
African American Baby Names for Boys – G H I
George
George is a name of Greek origin, meaning “farmer”.
Gerald
Gerald is a name of Germanic origin, meaning “rule of the spear.”
Grant
The name Grant is of English and Scottish origin, and it means “great” or “large.”
Hakeem
Hakeem is of Arabic origin that means “wise” or “judicious”.
Hamed
Hamed is an Arabic name that means “praised” or “commendable”.
Hasan
The name Hasan is a Arabic name that means “good” or “handsome”.
Henry
Henry is a name that means “home ruler” in German. The name Henry is derived from the Germanic name Heimirich, which is composed of the elements heim, meaning “home”, and ric, meaning “ruler, power”.
Iker
This African American baby name is of Spanish origin, and it means “visitation.”
Isaiah
Isaiah is a Hebrew name that means “Yahweh is salvation”.
African American Baby Names for Boys – J K L
Jamal
Jamal is an Arabic name that means “beauty” or “handsome.”
Jayden
Jayden is a modern, unisex name. It is a combination of the letters J and Aiden. It is a popular name for baby boys in the United States. However, it might have Hebrew origins with a meaning of “God has heard”.
Joaquin
Joaquin is the Spanish form of the Latin name Joachim, which ultimately derives from the Hebrew name יוֹחָם (Yochanan) meaning “YHWH has been gracious”.
Jordan
The name Jordan is a Hebrew name and it means “flowing down.” It is also a name of a river in the Middle East. In biblical texts, the River Jordan is where Jesus was baptized and where early Israelites crossed into the promised land.
Justus
The name Justus is a Latin name that means “upright” or “just”.
Khalan
Khalan is a name of Arabic origin, meaning “strong warrior”, we have lots of warrior names here or for strong boy names see here.
Kimbel
Kimbel is a name of Welsh and Germanic origins, meaning “warrior chief”.
Keenan
Keenan is an Irish name meaning “ancient” or “old”. This name also has its roots in the Old Testament. Keenan is a Hebrew name that means “possession”.
Lucius
Lucius is a biblical name with a Latin meaning of “light” or “illumination”. It is also the name of a Roman gens or clan.
African American Baby Names for Boys – M N O
Martell
Martell is a name of French origin. It is a variation of the name Martin, which is derived from the Latin name Martinus, meaning “of Mars” and the Latin word “martellus,” which means “hammer.”
Marquis
Marquis is a French title of nobility, ranking just below a duke. The word marquis comes from the Old French marchis, meaning “borderland ruler” or “border official”.
Michael
The cool name Michael has Hebrew origins and means “who is like God”.
Nathan
Nathan is a Hebrew name that means “he gave”. In the Old Testament, Nathan is a biblical name of a prophet and also the name of one of King David’s sons.
Nolan
Nolan is an Irish surname that comes from the Old Irish name Ó Nualláin, which is derived from the word nuall, meaning “noble”.
Orion
Orion is a Greek word and it means “mountain man” or “mighty hunter”. He is also a character in Greek mythology.
Orpheus
Orpheus has Greek origins. He is a figure from Greek mythology who was known for his musical abilities. He was able to charm animals and even rocks with his music.
Otis
The name Otis has an English and German meaning of “wealthy” or “prosperity”.
African American Baby Names for Boys – P Q R
Paul
Paul is a name derived from the Latin name Paulus, which itself was derived from the Greek name Παῦλος (Paulos). The name Paul means “little” or “humble” in Latin, and “willing” or “desire” in Greek.
Percival
Percival is a name of Welsh origin. It is a variant of the name Peredur, which was borne by a knight in Arthurian legend. The name Percival means “piercing the valley”.
Quentin
The name Quentin is a French name that means “fifth”. It is derived from the Latin word ‘quintus’, which means “five”.
Rasheed
Rasheed is an Arabic name that means “rightly guided” or “wise”.
Rashon
Rashon is a unisex name of Arabic origin that means “head of the household”. It also has a Latin and English meaning of “God is gracious”.
Reginald
The name Reginald is derived from the Latin name Reginaldus, which is a combination of the words “rex”, meaning “king”, and “gnarus”, meaning “knowing”.
Ronald
Ronald is a Scottish form of the Scandinavian name Ragnvaldr, which is derived from the Old Norse elements region, meaning “advice”, and valdr, meaning “ruler”.
African American Baby Names for Boys – S T U
Samuel
The name Samuel is a Hebrew name that means “God has heard”. This name appears in the Old Testament. It is one of the most popular baby names.
Sebastian
The name Sebastian is a Latin name that means “from Sebaste”. Sebaste was the name of a town in Asia Minor, which is of Greek origin meaning “venerable” or “revered” (sebastos).
Terrell
The name Terrell is a unisex name, meaning it can be given to either a boy or girl. The name Terrell is of English and French origin, and it means “puller”.
Treyvon
The name Treyvon is a modern variant of the name Trevor, which is of Welsh origin. The name Trevor is derived from the Welsh word trefor, meaning “large village”.
Tyrone
Tyrone is a masculine name of Irish origin. It is derived from the Old Irish name Tír Eoghain, meaning “land of Owen” or “land of the Yew tree”, and refers to the county of Tyrone in Northern Ireland.
Tyson
The name Tyson is of English origin and means “son of Tysen”.
Udo
Udo is a name of Germanic origin, meaning “wealth, fortune”.
African American Baby Names for Boys – V W X
Vance
Vance is a name of English origin, meaning “marshland”.
Victor
Victor is a Latin name meaning “conqueror”.
Vincent / Vince
Vince is a short form of the Latin name Vincentius, which means “conquering”.
Virgil
Virgil is a Latin name that means “staff bearer”. It is derived from the Latin word virga, meaning “wand, staff, branch”.
Warren
Warren is a name that originates from the Old French word “warrene”, which means “animal enclosure”. Its English meaning is “to protect”.
Xavier
The cute name Xavier is a boy’s name of Arabic, Basque origin meaning “new house or bright”.
African American Baby Names for Boys – Y Z
Yasir
Yasir is an Arabic name that means “easy” or “facilitator”.
Yusef
Yusef is an Arabic name that is the Arabic form of the name Joseph.
Zephan
Zephan is a Hebrew name meaning “watchful” or “prized possession”.
Zion
The name Zion originates from the Hebrew word for a hill in Jerusalem which was a sacred site for the Israelites. The meaning of the name Zion is “highest point” or “the most exalted”.
Conclusion on the Best Black Baby Boy Names
Whether you are looking for a unique and timeless name or something more modern, we have got you covered.
We hope that you have found our list of some of the best and popular African American baby names helpful and that you will love the perfect name for your baby boy.
