Black baby names for boys that are popular among those with African heritage come from a variety of different cultures. Many names are derived from British, Muslim, and African languages.
Some of the most popular names have influences from biblical, family traditions or the names have symbolic meanings. After all, America is a diverse country with a rich culture that should be embraced.
See if our list of popular black boy names gives you some inspiration for the name of your little one.
In this article
Unique And Cute Black Boy Names
A
Ahmod – A variation of the Arabic name Ahmed and it means ‘highly praised.’
Assad – Another variation of an Arabic name. This time Assad and it literally translates to a lion.
Autry – A name of French origin and it means ‘noble strength.’
B
Booker – Of English origin and it means ‘scribe.’
Busta – A variation of the American name Buster, meaning ‘friend.’
C
Calvin – A name of Latin origin and it means ‘bald.’
Caleb – This name has Hebrew origin and it means ‘faithful.’
Cassius – A Latin name that means ‘narcissistic or vain.’
Chante – This is a French word for sung. The word is derived from the Latin word Cantare which means ‘to sing.’
Clayton – The name comes from the Old English surname meaning ‘clay settlement.’
Craig – A name with Scottish, Welsh, and Irish origin. It means ‘from the rocks.’
D
Dijon – A name of both French and Hebrew origin and it means ‘God is gracious.’ It is also the name of a city in France.
Dontrell – This is a variation of an Italian name Donte. The name is of Italian origin and it means ‘lasting.’
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E
Eli – Originated in Hebrew and it means ‘ascended, uplifting, or high.’
Eldrick – The name has English origin and it means ‘old or wise ruler.’
Emmett – Of Hebrew, German and English origins meaning ‘universal.’
Ervan – A Breton name and it’s a variation of the French name Yves meaning yew.
G
Garlan – With French origin and it means ‘wreath or prize.’
Glover – This is an English occupational name and it means ‘glove makers and sellers.’
Godrell – An African American name with no clear meaning except that it refers to someone related to God.
H
Hassan – A name of Arabic origin and it means ‘handsome.’
Hosea – Hebrew in origin and it means ‘salvation.’
I
Ian – A name of Scottish origin and it means ‘God is gracious.’
Iker – With Spanish origins and it means ‘visit.’
Isiah – A variation of the name Isaiah with Hebrew origins and it means ‘God is my savior.’
J
Jaheem – Of Jamaican origin and it means ‘raised or dignified.’
Jermaine – A name of French origin that means from Germany.
Joaquin – An abbreviation of the Hebrew name Jehoichin which means ‘established by God.’
K
Keenan – With both Irish and Hebrew origins, the name has multiply meanings. In Irish, it means little ancient one and in Hebrew, it means ‘possession.’
Keon – It has origins in both Irish and Hebrew. This name has the same meaning as Ian, God is gracious.
Kofi – Derived from the African-Swahili name Kobe meaning ‘tortoise.’
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L
Laiken – This African American name is a variant of the word lake. It means ‘from the lake.’
Lucius – A biblical name with origins in Latin. It means light and the biblical reference of the name means luminous.
M
Marquis – A unique name with English origins. It originally came from a title meaning a nobleman ranking below a duke and above an earl or a count.
Martell – Of German origin and it means ‘warrior of Mars.’
Murphy – A name of Irish origin and it means ‘descendant of Sea warrior.’
N
Nimbus – A name of Latin origin and it means ‘rainstorm or dark clouds.’
O
Orion – A character from Greek mythology, Orion was the son of Poseidon and a hunter. It is also a rising star.
Orpheus – With Greek origins and related to Orphne, which means ‘darkness of the night.’ According to Greek mythology, Orpheus was a poet and musician who went to the underworld to retrieve his wife Eurydice.
Otis – The name has German, Old English, and Greek roots. The English and German meaning of the name is prosperity and wealth. But in Greek, it means ‘keen of hearing.’
R
Rasheed – A name of Arabic origin and it means ‘wise or prudent.’
Rufus – A cute name of Latin origin and it means ‘red-headed.’
S
Sabah – With Arabic and Turkish origin, it means ‘morning.’
T
Tyrus – A name of American origin and it’s a combination name of Tyrone and Cyrus. It is a biblical name meaning strength, rock, or sharp.
W
Warren – The literal meaning of this name is to protect.
Wyclef – A name of English origin and it means ‘dweller of the white cliff.’
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X
Xenon – This unique name has Greek origin and it means ‘guest or foreigner.’
Y
Yogi – A name popularized by Yogi Bear and it means ‘a spiritual guru.’
Z
Zephan – Of Hebrew origin meaning prized possession of God.
Popular Black Boy Names
A
Andre – A name of French origin and it means ‘manly.’ It is a form of the name Andrew.
Antoine – Of Latin origins and it means ‘priceless or flower.’
C
Cornell – This is not just the name of the Ivy League school in New York. The name is of Latin origin and comes from the name Cornelius which means ‘horn colored.’
D
Darius – This name has Persian roots and it means ‘good.’
Darnell – A name with English origins and is seen as a unisex name although it is predominantly seen as a male name. It was rarely seen at the beginning of the 20th century, but began growing in popularity during the 1950s.
Daryll – It is a form of Daryl and the name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and it means ‘dear or beloved.’ This is a name that will surely be on the rise after its use in the popular TV series The Walking Dead.
DeAndre – With its origins in Scottish and it meaning ‘manly.’ It seems to be a popular name amongst athletes such as DeAndre Jordan and DeAndre Hopkins.
Demetrius – Although a popular boys name its roots are feminine. The name is of Greek origins and it means ‘goddess of fertility.’ Many parents are inspired to use this name from places such as Shakespearean plays A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cleopatra. There is also a character called Demetrius in Disney’s Hercules.
Deshawn – With origins in Irish and it means God is gracious the name is an extension of Shawn. This name peaked in the late 1990s and then steadily declined until 2015 when its popularity began to grow.
Dominique – A name of French origin and means of the Lord. Although more commonly used as a girl’s name, it actually started out as a male name.
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H
Hakeem – A popular Arabic name that is often used for black boys. It is a form of the name Akeem and it means ‘wise, healer, or physician.’ The name gained huge popularity in 1988 possibly due to the variation being used in the 1988 film Coming to America starring Eddie Murphy.
J
Jalen – This is another name that is a combination name, it comes from James and Lenore. James is a form of the Hebrew name Jacob and means one who follows. While Lenore is of French origin and it means ‘light.’
Jamal – Another name that has Arabic origins and it means ‘beauty.’
Jayden – This is another combination name and is a fusion of Jay and Hayden. Jay is of English origin and means to rejoice while Hayden has both English and Celtic origins and it means ‘fire.’
L
Leroy – Of American origin and it means ‘king.’
M
Malik – A name of Arabic origin and it means ‘master or king.’
Marcel – Derived from the name Marc that means ‘warlike.’ It has Latin origins.
Maurice – A name of Greek origin and it means ‘dark-skinned.’
P
Peter – This is a popular name in general and has Greek origins. The name means rock and also has some biblical connotations due to Peter being one of the 12 apostles and the pillar of the Catholic Church.
R
Reginald – A name of Teutonic origins and it means ‘king.’
Roscoe – With Scandanavian roots and it means ‘from the deer forest.’
T
Terrell – This is a strong name with English origins. It means strong-willed and has been around since before the 20th century.
Terrence – The name is a variation of the name Terence and has Latin roots. It means ‘tender, gracious, or good.’
Treyvon – A name that is a combination of Trey and Devin. As it is a combination name it does not have its own meaning but Trey comes from Old French and Latin and means ‘the three.’ While Devin means ‘divine.’
Tyrone – The name comes from Greek origins and has two meanings – land of Owen and a young soldier. It peaked in popularity in the 1970s.
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W
Willie – With Germanic origins and meaning resolute protector.
X
Xavier – This name has Latin origins and biblical meaning. It means savior.
Z
Zaire – A name of African origin and means deep and intense, like a winding river.
The Final Thought
There are hundreds of great black names to use for baby boys. Many don’t quite translate into our modern world. Many of them symbolize strong character traits and a good moral compass.
Whichever name you decide on will be perfect for your little one setting them up for a great life. Happy hunting!
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