African Baby Names — Meanings From Living Languages

African-name search in English is still too often a mood: 'strong,' 'unique,' 'nature.' The continent is not a vibe. Yoruba, Swahili, Igbo, and dozens of other languages each have their own meaning systems, and borrowing a name because it sounds rare in Brooklyn is the opposite of respect.

This page leads with Yoruba-origin names in our catalog because that is a lane we can verify. From here, use the Swahili culture page as well. If a meaning is not attested, it does not belong on a birth certificate.