Black Names, The Most Popular Names For African-American Babies

Black baby names celebrate the creativity, resilience, and cultural pride of the African diaspora, drawing on African roots, biblical tradition, and a distinctive modern African-American naming style that flourished from the 1960s onward. Whether your family traces back to Ghana, the Caribbean, or the American South, these Black baby names carry identity and strength in every syllable. You will find classic, ancestral, invented, and virtue-based picks all in one collection.

For boys, Malik means king in Arabic and rose with the rise of Black Muslim naming in the twentieth century. Jamal means beauty in Arabic and peaked in popularity during the 1990s. DeShawn blends a French De prefix with the English Shawn, a quintessentially creative Black American coinage. For girls, Aaliyah means exalted or ascending in Arabic, made iconic by the late singer. Imani means faith in Swahili and ties to the seven Kwanzaa principles. Zuri means beautiful in Swahili, a trending modern favorite.

Black baby names often draw from Arabic, Swahili, Yoruba, and biblical Hebrew, alongside inventive American creations with prefixes like La-, De-, Sha-, or Ty-. Many families also honor ancestors or civil rights heroes through their choice. Browse our African, African-American, Swahili, and Muslim collections for more inspiration, and pick a name that grounds your child in heritage, pride, and love.