African-American baby girls are often given names that have special meanings.
Many parents choose names that reflect their African heritage, while others opt for names that are traditional for African-American names.
Still, others choose to name their African-American daughters after iconic black women, such as Rosa Parks or Maya Angelou.
Whatever the reason for choosing a particular African-American name, it is important to ensure that it is a good fit for your African-American daughter.
After all, she will be carrying this name with her throughout her life when she reaches adulthood and become an adult African-American woman.
If you take the time to choose a beautiful African American name that is both meaningful and stylish, you can be sure that your African-American baby girl will make a positive impression wherever she goes.
The Exciting Challenges of Choosing the Best Black Baby Girl Names for Your Baby Girl
Naming your child is one of the most important things you’ll ever do as a parent. And for many parents of black baby girls, it’s especially important to choose a name that celebrates their heritage and culture.
Furthermore, black girls are beautiful. There’s no denying that. So why not give them names that reflect their beauty?
We have compiled a list of some of our favorite black baby girl names, in case you’re looking for ideas too!
Whether you’re naming your own daughter or simply browsing for inspiration, these prettiest black girl names and some funny nicknames are sure to bring beauty and happiness as well as African American meaning into your lives. Enjoy!
Black Baby Girl Names – A to C
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Origin: It is a black girl name that means “exalted” in Arabic. Its origins can be traced back to the Arabic word ‘al-ilah,’ which translates to “The God.” It means “to the highest point” or “the most exalted.”
Abigail
Abigail is a Hebrew name that means “my father is joy” or “father of exaltation.” It can also be translated to mean “gives joy.” It is a popular baby girl name found in the Old Testament.
Alexandra
Alexandra Origin: The name Alexandra is a feminine variant of the masculine name Alexander, which is derived from the Greek name Alexandros. The name Alexandra means “defender of mankind”, “protector of humanity”, or “helper of mankind”.
Alexis
The unisex name Alexis is of Greek origin and the Greek meaning of Alexis is “helper; defender”. It is also a popular boy name.
Alicia
Alicia is a Spanish and English variant of Alice, which is a diminutive of the Germanic name Adalheidis, meaning “noble kind”. It is a popular name among African-American women. One of the famous women with this name is singer-songwriter Alicia Keys.
Alina
Alina is a Russian and Romanian diminutive of the Latin name, meaning “bright, beautiful” or “noble”.
Althea
Althea is a name of Greek origin, meaning “healing”. Althea was the name of the Queen of Calydon in Greek mythology.
Alyssa
The name Alyssa is of Greek origin and has a Greek meaning of “rational”.
Ayah
Ayah is an feminine name with an Arabic meaning “sign” or “miracle.”
Bonanle
The name Bonanle is of Yoruba origin, and has an African meaning of “born on a lucky day.”
Brianna
Brianna is a feminine name that is a variant of the name Briana. The meaning of Brianna is “strong, honorable, and virtuous woman”. Brianna is of Celtic and Irish descent.
Chantelle
The name Chantelle is of French origin, and it means “song”.
Daughterly Names for Black Girls – D to G
Daniella
The name Daniella is a feminine variant of the name Daniel, which is derived from the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) and a Hebrew and Italian meaning “God is my judge”.
Deborah
The name Deborah has a Hebrew meaning of “bee”.
Destiny
Destiny Origin: The name Destiny is of English origin. It comes from the Latin term “destinare” with a Latin meaning “to determine” or “fate”.
Diamond
Diamond is one of the most popular African American names. The name Diamond originates from the English word diamond, which ultimately comes from the Greek word “adamas” meaning “unbreakable” or from the Latin term “diamas”. It an English meaning of invincible and can also mean brilliant gem.
Dominique
Dominique is a unisex name, meaning it can be given to either a boy or a girl. The name Dominique is the French form of the name Dominicus with a Latin meaning “of the Lord”.
Ebony
Ebony is a name that has been used for both boys and girls. It is of English origin, and the meaning of Ebony is “black wood”. It also comes from the Greek word “ebenos” which means “dark wood tree”. It has the same English meaning as the word ebony.
Eduwa
Eduwa is a name of African origin that means “the first born of twins”.
Efua
Efua is a name of Ghanaian origin that means “born on Friday”.
Emily
Emily is a name derived from the Latin term aemulus, meaning “rival”.
Esea
The name Esea is of Hebrew origin and it means “God is salvation”.
Eshe
Eshe is a name with Swahili meaning of “life.”
Eve
Eve is a name that has many different origins and meanings. One origin is the Hebrew name Chava, which means “life” or “living one”. Another is the Latin name Eva, which means “giver of life”.
Eze
Eze is a name of Hebrew origin that means “God is strong”.
Fahari
Fahari is a name that means “splendid”, “magnificent”, “brilliant”. It is an adorable name for black baby girls.
Fashola
The name Fashola is an African name of Yoruba origin. It means “God has done this”.
Faye
Faye is a name of French origin that means “fairy” or ” elf”.
Felicia
Felicia is a name derived from the Latin term felix meaning “happy” or “lucky”. An adorable name for black girls.
Floretta
Floretta is a diminutive form of the name Florence, which is derived from the Latin name Florentius or the French name Florent. The meaning of Floretta is “flowering” or “in bloom”.
Folade
Folade is a Yoruba name for black girls that means “honor confers a crown.”
Gemma
Gemma is a Latin name meaning “gem” or “jewel”.
Genny
Genny is a diminutive of the name Jennifer, which is of English origin and means “white wave” or “fair one”.
Gerda
Gerda is a feminine variant of the name Gerhard, which is derived from the Germanic elements “geri,” meaning “spear,” and “hard,” meaning “brave, hardy, or strong.”
Ginika
Ginika is a name of Nigerian origin. It’s a black girls’ name which means “one who is precious”.
Gaynell
Gaynell is a black girls’ name of unknown meaning. It could be a variant of the name Gaylene or a combination of the names Gayle and Nell.
Glenette
Glenette is a name of Scottish origin. It is a diminutive form of the name Glen, which means “narrow valley”.
Geraldine
Geraldine is a feminine form of the name Gerald, which is of Germanic origin and means “rule of the spear.”
Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn is a Welsh name that means “white, fair, blessed ring”.
Goitsemedime
This name is of African origin and it means “God is with us”.
Pretty Names for Black Girls H to L
Hadiyah
Hadiyah is an Arabic name that means “guide to righteousness”.
Halima
Halima is a cute black girl name with an Arabic meaning that roughly translates to “gentle” or “patient.”
Halle
Halle is a name of Scandinavian origin that is derived from the word “hala” with a Scandinavian meaning of “heroine”.
Haqikah
Haqikah is an Arabic name that means “truthful” or “sincere”.
Hasanati
Hasanati is a name that means “good deeds”.
Hasna
Hasna is an Arabic name that means “beautiful” or “good looking”.
Hayfa
Hayfa is an Arabic name that means “slender” or “of a beautiful body.”
Imani
Imani is a name meaning “faith”. It can also be given as a short form of the Arabic name Aiman, which means “lucky”. It is also used as a male name.
Imara
Imara is a Swahili name that means “resilience” or “fortress”.
Inge
The name Inge is a Scandinavian diminutive form of the name Ingvar, which is itself a form of the Old Norse name Yngvarr. The meaning of the name Inge is “protector of Ing” or “forefather of Ing”.
Ilham
Ilham is an Arabic name that means “inspiration” or “intuition”.
Irene
Irene is a name of Greek origin, and the meaning of Irene is “peace”.
Issa
Issa is an Arabic name that means “God is salvation”.
Iyabo
Iyabo is a Yoruba name that means “mother returned” or “the joy of a mother who has her child back.”
Iza
Iza is a diminutive of the name Isabel, which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning “my God is an oath” or “my God is abundance”.
Jada
Jada is a modern, short and sweet name that has several possible origins and meanings. One origin is the Hebrew name יָדָה (yadah), meaning “to know, to acknowledge”. Jada can also be a diminutive of the name Jade or a variant spelling of the name Jadia. It might have come from the gemstone jade. It is a name of a famous person – Jada Pinkett Smith.
Jamila
Jamila is a cute name for your little princess with Arabic origin that means “beautiful.”
Jasmine
Jasmine Origin: It is a cute name of Persian origin, and the meaning of Jasmine is “gift from God”. Jasmine is derived from the Persian word yasamin, meaning “gift from God”.
Jayla
Jayla is a modern name, derived from the Arabic name Jala, meaning “to be high, or to ascend”.
Jordan
Jordan is a unisex name, meaning it can be given to either a boy or girl. It originates from the Hebrew name Yarden, with a Hebrew meaning of “flowing down” or “descending”. It is also the name of a river in the Middle East.
Kalisha
Kalisha Origin: The name Kalisha is of Indian origin, and it means “prosperity, success”.
Kiara
Kiara is a name of Italian origin, and has an Italian meaning of “black” or “dark”.
Laila
Laila is a Hebrew word with Arabic origins that means “night.” One of the famous bearers in pop culture with this name is Laila Ali, daughter of boxing great Muhammad Ali.
Lashawna
Lashawna is a modern English name. It is a combination of the names Shawna and La-.
Lulu
Lulu is a diminutive of the name Louise or Luisa. It can also be used as a standalone name. Lulu is of German origin and means “famous warrior”.
Charming Names for Black Girls – M to P
Madison
Madison is a name that comes from an English surname meaning “son of Maud”.
Makayla
Makayla is a variant of the name Michaela and Micaela. It means “who is like God?”
Malaika
Malaika is a Swahili name that means “angel”. It also came from the Arabic word “Malak” which also means “angel”.
Maura
Maura is a sweet name that has multiple origins. One origin is Irish, and the meaning of the name is “dark-skinned.” Another possible origin is Latin, and the meaning of the name is “moor.”
Nevaeh
Nevaeh is a modern African American girl for black baby girls. It is “heaven” spelled backward.
Nia
Nia is a Welsh name meaning “bright” or “lustrous.” It is also a short form of the name Aneirin, which was the name of a 6th-century Welsh poet.
Olive
Olive has Greek origins, meaning “olive tree”. The olive tree is a symbol of peace and prosperity.
Oprah
The name Oprah is a combination of the Irish name Órfhlaith and the English word “opera”. It is also derived from the Hebrew word for gazelle.
Precious
The name Precious is of English origin and means “of great value”.
Cute Names for Black Girls – Q to U
Rebekah
The name Rebekah is Hebrew in origin, and it means “to tie or bind”. This name is found in the Old Testament.
Retta
Retta is a diminutive of the name Henrietta, which is the feminine form of the German name Heinrich, meaning “home ruler”. It also has a Latin meaning of “house owner” or “lord of the manor”
Sarafina
Sarafina is a name of Italian origin. It is a diminutive form of the name Seraphina, which is derived from the biblical name Seraphim, with a Hebrew meaning “fiery ones” or “burning ones”.
Semira
Semira is of Hebrew and African origin, with a Hebrew meaning of “the highest heaven”. It also has an African meaning of “fulfilled”. It’s a lovely name for your little girl with an equally beautiful meaning.
Serenity
The name Serenity is derived from the Latin word ‘serenus’ which means clear, tranquil, or serene.
Shanice
The name Shanice has a Swahili meaning of wonderful.
Sydney
The name Sydney originates from the Old English word sidan meaning “wide” or “broad”.
Tanisha
The name Tanisha is a diminutive of the Russian name Tatiana, which is in turn derived from the Latin name Tatius. The meaning of Tanisha is “fairy queen”. Tanisha also means “ambition” in Sanskrit and “born on a Monday” in Hausa, a language in West Africa.
Taylor
The name Taylor is a unisex name, meaning it can be given to either a boy or girl. The name Taylor is derived from the Old French tailleur, meaning “tailor”.
Tiana
The name Tiana is of Slavic origin and its meaning is “fairy queen”.
Tiara
The name Tiara is of Latin origin and it means ” headdress, crown “. Perfect name for your little girl to make her feel royal.
Sweet Names for Black Girls – V to Z
Valerie
The name Valerie is a Latinized form of the Old Norse name Valgerðr, which meant “strong, healthy, and vigorous.”
Viona
The name Viona is of Latin origin and it means “life”.
Venus
Venus is the same name of the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It could possibly be of Latin origin, meaning “love, desire” or the name Vera, meaning “faith.”
Vivian
The name Vivian is a Latin name that means “lively” or “full of life”. It is also a variation of the name Vivienne, which is derived from the Latin word “vivus” meaning “alive”.
Yadra
Yadra is a name of Arabic origins that means “luck” or “fortunate.”
Yalissa
The name Yalissa is of Spanish origin and it means “light”.
Yetunde
Yetunde is a Yoruba name that means “honor confers a crown”.
Yolanda
The name Yolanda is of Spanish origin, and it means “violet flower”.
Yvonne
The name Yvonne is a French feminine given name. It is derived from the Germanic name Ivon, which is a variation of the name Yvon.
Yvette
The name Yvette is a French feminine given name. It is the feminine form of the name Yves, which ultimately derives from the Germanic name Ivon or Ivo.
Zahair
Zahair is a unique baby name with the Arabic meaning of “shining bright”.
Zaire
The name Zaire is of African origin and means “river”.
Zarya
Zarya is a Russian name meaning “dawn”.
Zelda
Zelda is a name of Hebrew origin that means “shadow” or “night.”
Zenah
Zenah is a name of Arabic origin that means “grace” or “beauty”.
Zoe
Zoe is a name of Greek origin that means “life”.
Zuri
Zuri is a name of Swahili origin that means “beautiful”.
Adorable and Funny Nicknames for Your Little Princess
Here’s our list of charming and sometimes funny black girl nicknames.
Amazing
Angel Face
Banana Boo
Biscuit
Bon Bon
Brownie
Chocolate Bunny
Cinnamon Girl
Confessor
Cookie
Cookie Monster
Cutie Pants
Doll Baby
Forever Amiga
Fruit Salad
Honey Pie
Huggalump
Kit Kat
Kitty Cat
Lady Bug
Lady Luck
Little Mama
Love Scooter
Mamacita
Mini Me
Mon Amour
My Beautiful Nerd
My Buttercup
My Only Love
Nibbles
Peachy Pie
Peanut
Punkin
Queen of My Heart
Rose
Schmoopy
Sheba
Shmoopsie Poo
Shorty
Sista
Sugams
Sugar
Sweet Baby
Sweet Lips
Sweetsie
Temptress
Tootsie Pop
True Love
Westie
Wild Rose
Take Away on Adorable Names and Best Nicknames for Black Girls
Whether you are looking for a traditional name or something more unique, we hope that our list of African American names for black baby girls as well as black girl nicknames will help you find the perfect name for your little one.
We also include the names of some of the most iconic black women. If you need some more inspiration, be sure to check out our list of funny nicknames for black baby girls.
We wish all the best to expecting parents as they prepare to welcome their new bundle of joy into the world!
