25 Top African Girl Names

African girl names are plentiful. There are many beautiful names for girls that are of African origin that are worth considering.

Across the continent, many names with a variation of great meanings are worthy contenders.

But in this article, we narrow down our 25 favorite African girl names for you to consider.

Abena

This name is one of Ghanaian origin. Abena is one of those African girl names that you will expect to hear of often when it comes to Ghanaian names.

Abena means “born on Tuesday”. So, if you are looking for a name that denotes something specific like this about the birth of a baby girl, this one is for you.

Day names are a common thing in some cultures in Ghana. And they are usually very beautiful names too.

Abena is definitely a simple and gorgeous sounding name we recommend for girls.

Adaeze

Adaeze is another gorgeous option when it comes to African girl names.This name originates in Nigeria.

This name is specifically of Igbo origin. It means “king´s daughter”.

This is definitely a name to choose if you are going for a very powerful and regal name for girls.

One thing about this name is some may be confused as to how to pronounce it because of its spelling,

But like most other African names, it is phonetic and you pronounce every syllable.

This name is very beautiful and has a strong meaning and we very much champion it.

Adwoa

Another choice for African girl names that denote a day of birth is Adwoa.

Adwoa is a common name in Ghana, Togo, Benin and the Ivory Coast. The name means “born on Monday”.

Adwoa is a very beautiful but simple name for a girl. It is easy to pronounce as well as spell.

The name is also associated with a certain kind of energy in Ghanaian culture. Girls with this name are known to be nurturing, loving and strong.

This is name is certainly one of our favorites.

Andile

Moving on to a name from Southern Africa, Andile is a great name for a girl.

Andile is a common name in South Africa, Namibia as well as Zimbabwe when it comes to African girl names.

In Zulu and Ndebele, the name means “abundance”. It is commonly chosen for girls as a show of joy for the increase of female children in a family.

This very positive connotation to the name makes it a very beautiful name to choose for a girl.

The name is also phonetic and sounds very beautiful to say out loud.

Binah

This name is another great choice for African girl names. Binah originates from West Africa and is a very beautiful name to give a girl.

Binah means “intelligence/understanding”. It is derived from the Hebrew language.

This name is short, sweet, and easy to spell. It’s meaning is also very positive and can be a good omen for a child,

This name is definitely a very good name when it comes to African girl names.

Chipo

This is another great name for girls that originates in Southern Africa.

Chipo is a common name in Zimbabwe that comes from the Shona language. It means “gift”.

This name is very beautiful because it shows an appreciation for the child that is given this name.

When it comes to African girl names, Chipo is one of the loveliest ones,

This name is definitely one of our favorites.

Danai

Another beautiful name that derives from the Shona language is Danai.

This name means “love one another” and this makes it one of the most beautiful African girl names to have.

You may have heard of this one before as it is very common. The famous actress Danai Gurira who is known for her role in Black Panther is of Zimbabwean origin and she takes a lot of pride in having this name.

The name is a very strong and meaningful name to give a girl and it is definitely one of our favorites.

Dayo

Keeping up with African girl names that have beautiful meanings, Dayo is a great example.

Dayo is a name that originates in Nigeria and it means “joy arrives”.

This is such a beautiful connotation and it is a name that often denotes happiness for the arrival of a child in a family.

Dayo is a common name that you may hear of often. And it is very easy to spell and pronounce.

Of all the African girl names out there, this is one of the best.

Eniola

This name is another beautiful Nigerian name for girls. This name is Yoruba and it means “wealthy person”.

This is a lovely name when it comes to African girl names because it is a name that is associated with good financial luck.

The name is not necessarily exclusive to girls as it is a gender-neutral name. But you will find that for both genders, it is a well-liked name.

It is also beautiful in how it sounds and is easy to spell. You can’t go wrong with this name choice.

Fatima

Moving on to African girl names common in the Northern part of Africa, Fatima is a great name.

This name is actually of Arabic origin and is used in many Muslim countries in Africa, the middle east and other parts of the world.

In countries specifically like Sudan, Egypt or Morocco you will find the name Fatima is used widely.

This name means “chaste/motherly”. The name’s history dates back to it being given to the daughter of the prophet Muhamad.

This makes it a very important and respected name in many Muslim families in Africa and elsewhere.

Gugulethu

This Southern African name is another one when it comes to African girl names.

Gugulethu is a very popular name in South Africa and Zimbabwe. The name comes from the Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele languages of this region.

Gugulethu means “our treasure”. Which is a very beautiful thing to refer to a girl as when they are bron.

Girls with the name Gugulethu are often referred to as Gugu for short.

Haseena

Another name on the list of African girl names associated with Islam is Haseena.

Haseena is a very beautiful name that you find being commonly used in parts of Northern Africa.

It originated from Arabic as many Muslim names have. The name means “beautiful/pretty”.

This is a very simple and nice meaning that makes Haseena a great name for a girl.

Imani

Moving on to African girl names from Eastern Africa, Imani is a very beautiful choice of name.

This name is a Swahili name that means “faith”. Imani is a common name in countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi.

It is a name that is very easy to spell and pronounce and it sounds very beautiful.

If you are looking for a common African name for a girl that has a beautiful connotation, this is definitely a good one to choose.

Khadija

Another popular African girl name of Arabic origin is Khadija, Khadija is a popular name in African countries where Islam is a popular religion.

In Islam, Khadija is a very respected name. This is because it was the name of the first wife of the prophet Muhammad.

The name has dual meaning. It can mean “early baby” or it can mean “trustworthy”. For a baby born prematurely, Khadija is a commonly chosen name.

But for the second meaning, it can also be good to give to a girl regardless of when she was born.

This name is definitely a lovely name we appreciate.

Lerato

When it comes to African girl names from Southern Africa, Lerato is one that is very popular.

This gorgeous name originates from the Tswana language of Botswana, It means “love/beloved”.

This gorgeous name is not only reserved for girls but it is common for a girl to have this name in Botswana, South Africa and other Southern African countries.

The lovely meaning of the name is what makes it one of our favorite African girl names.

Not to mention, the name sounds so beautiful when spoken too.

Malaika

Another popular and gorgeous African name for a girl is Malaika. Malaika originates from Swahili and it is a common name in Eastern Africa.

This name means “angel”, making it one of the best names on the list when it comes to meaning.

Although the name is Swahili, it is actually derived from an Arabic word of the same meaning.

Malaika is a name that also sounds very beautiful when spoken out loud. And it is also easy to pronounce and to spell.

This definitely is one of the best African girl names to have.

Nala

Some may not know this, but the name Nala does not only exist in the Lion King movies.

In the movies, the name belonged to the lion princess character and this made it popular around the world.

But the name Nala is actually popular in parts of Eastern Africa like in Tanzania and was before the movies. The meaning of the name is “queen”.

It is a very powerful name to give to a girl because of its regal meaning. The name is also very simple and simultaneously beautiful.

Oluchi

A great African girl name of Nigerian origin in Oluchi. This name originates from the Yoruba language.

The meaning of Oluchi is “work of God”. This is a lovely meaning and it makes it a great name to give to a girl.

A lot of religious people who especially believe that children are a gift from God like this name a lot.

You can expect to hear this name a lot in Nigeria as it is pretty popular.

Puleng

Another popular name on the list of African girl names that has become even more popular because of a character is Puleng.

Puleng is a South African name pf Sotho language origin and it means “in the rain”.

You may have heard of this name as it belongs to the main character of the Netflix show “Blood & Water”.

This name has a very unique meaning that some may not really have any strong feeling towards. But it does sound great and generally has positive connotations.

Sade

This name is definitely one you may have heard a few times in your life. Sade is a Yoruba name that is very popular and beloved.

The name can often confuse people when it comes to how to pronounce it, but it is not very hard. The pronunciation is “shah-day” and it is a name that sounds very beautiful.

This name means “honor earns a crown”. This makes it a very good name for a girl as it connotes good virtues and power.

The name is often associated with the famous Nigerian-British singer Sade Adu, who is more commonly referred to mononymously as just Sade.

This is definitely one of our favorite African girl names.

Sibongile

Sibongile is a lovely name of Southern African origin. This name comes from two languages common in Southern Africa.

In Zulu and in Ndebele, Sibongile means “we are thankful”. This is a beautiful meaning for a name.

The name is often chosen for a girl to express gratitude for her birth into a family.

The name is most popular in South Africa and Zimbabwe. But some girls in other countries nearby have this name.

Sibongile is sometimes confused with another similar name, Sinqobile. But this name is slightly different and it means “to conquer”.

Taiwo

Another great Yoruba name is Taiwo. This name is unique because it is often given to the oldest of a set of twins.

This name is not especially reserved for girls. It is a unisex name.

Taiwo means “taste the world” in Yoruba. This is a very rich and special meaning to attach to a name.

With a name like this, a girl is expected to have great experiences in the world from the time she is born.

For how special this name is, it is one of our favorites.

Zahara

This name is another lovely Swahili name. Zahara is one of those African girl names you have likely come across a few times.

Zahara means “flower/to shine” in Swahili. Many in the world know of this name as it is the name of famous actress Angelina Jolie’s daughter.

This name sounds gorgeous and has such a beautiful meaning that you cannot help but love it.

Zola

This beautiful African girl name is of Xhosa origin and is very popular in parts of Africa.

The name Zola means “calm/peace” in Xhosa. It is very common in South Africa.

This name can also be found in parts of Africa that are further north such as Congo where it has a similar meaning.

Zola is a very simple name to spell and pronounce. And the sound is effortlessly pretty.

For a girl, Zola is definitely a nice name to choose.

Zuri

The last name on our list of African girl names is a Swahili name that is not only sounds beautiful but literally is.

Zuri translates directly to “beautiful” from Swahili. Because of this, it is the simplest popular name to choose for a beautiful girl.

The name is used in Eastern parts of Africa. It is also commonly used by some African-Americans to celebrate their roots in Africa.

Zuri is a very lovely name that we appreciate when it comes to African girl names.

Best African Girl Names, Final Thoughts

Beautiful African girl names are endless. From A to Z and regardless of which part of Africa you look at, there are plenty of gorgeous name for girls that originate from there.

Hopefully, this list has given you a few ideas for which beautiful African girl names you can choose.

And hopefully these lovely names continue to become more and more popular.

If you’re look for more names, check this guide on African American girl names. We also have a list of African boy names.