I-N
IDOWU m & f Western African, Yoruba
Means “born after twins” in Yoruba.
IFE f Western African, Yoruba
Means “love” in Yoruba.
IFIOK m & f Western African, Ibibio
Means “wisdom” in Ibibio.
IGE f African, Yoruba
Means “born feet first” in Yoruba.
IMANI f & m Eastern African, Swahili, African American
Means “faith” in Swahili, ultimately of Arabic origin.
IME m & f Western African, Ibibio
Means “patience” in Ibibio.
INIOBONG m & f Western African, Ibibio
Means “God’s time” in Ibibio.
INYENE m & f Western African, Ibibio
Means “wealth” in Ibibio.
ITORO m & f Western African, Ibibio
Means “praise, glory” in Ibibio.
ITUMELENG m & f Southern African, Tswana
Means “joy” in Tswana.
KAGISO m & f Southern African, Tswana
Means “peace” in Tswana.
KAHINA f Northern African, Berber
Derived from Arabic الكاهِنة (al-Kahinah) meaning “the diviner, the fortuneteller”. This was a title applied to the 7th-century Berber queen Dihya, who resisted the Arab expansion into North Africa.
KAMARIA f Eastern African, Swahili
Swahili name, likely related to QAMAR.
KATLEGO m & f Southern African, Tswana
Means “success” in Tswana.
KAYIN m & f Western African, Yoruba
Means “celebrated child” in Yoruba.
KEFILWE m & f Southern African, Tswana
Means “I was given” in Tswana.
KIDIST f Eastern African, Amharic
Means “blessed” in Amharic.
KIRABO m & f Eastern African, Ganda
Means “gift” in Luganda.
KISEMBO m & f Eastern African, Tooro
Means “gift” in Rutooro.
KONDWANI m & f Southern African, Chewa, Tumbuka
Means “be happy, rejoice” in Chewa and Tumbuka.
KONJIT f Eastern African, Amharic
Means “beautiful” in Amharic.
KUMBUKANI m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “remember” in Chewa.
KUNTO f Western African, Akan
Means “third child” in Akan.
LELISE f Eastern African, Oromo
Feminine form of LELISA.
LERATO f Southern African, Sotho
Means “love” in Sotho.
LESEDI f Southern African, Tswana
Means “light” in Tswana.
LIMBANI m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “be strong” in Chewa.
LIMBIKANI m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “work hard” in Chewa.
LINDIWE f Southern African, Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swazi
Means “waited for, awaited” in Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi.
LISHAN f Eastern African, Amharic
Means “award” in Amharic.
LULIT f Eastern African, Amharic
Means “pearl” in Amharic.
LUMUSI f Western African, Ewe
Means “born face down” in Ewe.
LUNGILE f & m Southern African, Zulu, Ndebele
Means “correct, right, good” in Zulu and Ndebele.
MADALITSO m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “blessings” in Chewa.
MAKENA f & m Eastern African, Kikuyu
Means “happy one” in Kikuyu.
MANYARA f Southern African, Shona
Means “you have been humbled” in Shona.
MARIETJIE f Southern African, Afrikaans
Afrikaans diminutive of MARIA.
MARJANI f Eastern African, Swahili
Means “coral” in Swahili, originally a borrowing from Arabic.
MARYAMU f Western African, Hausa
Hausa form of MARYAM.
MASEGO f Southern African, Tswana
Means “blessings” in Tswana.
MASOZI m & f Southern African, Tumbuka
Means “tears” in Tumbuka.
MAVUTO m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “troubles, problems” in Chewa.
MAWUNYO m & f Western African, Ewe
Means “God is good” in Ewe.
MAYAMIKO m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “praise, gratitude” in Chewa.
MAYESO m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “test (from God)” in Chewa.
MBALENHLE f Southern African, Zulu
From Zulu imbali “flower” and hle “beautiful”.
MBALI f Southern African, Zulu
Means “flower” in Zulu.
MCHUMBA f Eastern African, Swahili
Means “sweetheart” in Swahili.
MEKLIT f Eastern African, Amharic
Means “gift to God” in Amharic.
METI f Eastern African, Oromo
Means “umbrella” in Oromo.
MINENHLE f & m Southern African, Zulu
From Zulu imini “day” and hle “beautiful”.
MIREMBE f Eastern African, Ganda
Means “peace” in Luganda.
MOJISOLA f Western African, Yoruba
Means “wake up to wealth” in Yoruba.
MONIFA f Western African, Yoruba
Means “I am lucky” in Yoruba.
MPHATSO m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “gift” in Chewa.
MPHO m & f Southern African, Tswana, Sotho
Means “gift” in Tswana and Sotho, a derivative of fa “to offer”.
MTENDERE m & f Southern African, Chewa
Means “peace” in Chewa.
MUDIWA f & m Southern African, Shona
Means “beloved” in Shona.
MUKAMI f Eastern African, Kikuyu
Possibly means “the one who milks the cows” in Kikuyu.
MUMBI f Eastern African, Kikuyu
Means “she who shapes” in Kikuyu. In Kikuyu mythology Mumbi was the wife of Gikuyu and the mother of his nine daughters.
MUNASHE m & f Southern African, Shona
Means “with God” in Shona.
MUTHONI f Eastern African, Kikuyu
Means “mother-in-law” in Kikuyu.
MWANAJUMA f Eastern African, Swahili
Means “born on Friday” in Swahili.
NAFULA f Eastern African, Luhya
Feminine form of WAFULA.
NAKATO f Eastern African, Ganda
Means “second of twins” in Luganda.
NALIAKA f Eastern African, Luhya
Means “born during the weeding season”, from Luhya liliaka meaning “weeding”.
NANJALA f Eastern African, Luhya
Feminine form of WANJALA.
NASIMIYU f Eastern African, Luhya
Feminine form of SIMIYU.
NDIDI m & f Western African, Igbo
Means “patience” in Igbo.
NEKESA f Eastern African, Luhya
Feminine form of WEKESA.
NEO f & m Southern African, Tswana
Means “gift” in Tswana, a derivative of naya “to give”.
NGOZI f & m Western African, Igbo
Means “blessing” in Igbo.
NIA f Eastern African, Swahili
Means “purpose” in Swahili.
NJERI f Eastern African, Kikuyu
Means “travelling one” in Kikuyu. Njeri (or Wanjeri) is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi in the Kikuyu origin legend.
NKECHI f Western African, Igbo
Short form of NKECHINYERE.
NKECHINYERE f Western African, Igbo
Means “what God has given” or “gift of God” in Igbo.
NKEMDILIM m & f Western African, Igbo
Means “let mine be mine” in Igbo.
NKIRU f Western African, Igbo
Short form of NKIRUKA.
NKIRUKA f Western African, Igbo
Means “the best is still to come” in Igbo.
NKOSAZANA f Southern African, Xhosa
Means “princess” in Xhosa.
NKRUMA m & f Western African, Akan
Means “ninth born child” in Akan.
NNEKA f Western African, Igbo
Means “my mother is supreme” in Igbo.
NNENNA f Western African, Igbo
Means “father’s mother” in Igbo. This name is sometimes given to a child when it is believed that she is a reincarnation of her paternal grandmother.
NNENNE f Western African, Igbo
Means “mother’s mother” in Igbo. This name is sometimes given to a child when it is believed that she is a reincarnation of her maternal grandmother.
NOMUSA f Southern African, Ndebele
Means “merciful” in Ndebele.
NONHLE f Southern African, Xhosa
From the Xhosa feminine prefix no- combined with hle “beautiful”.
NONTLE f Southern African, Xhosa
Variant of NONHLE.
NOSIPHO f Southern African, Zulu, Xhosa
From the Zulu and Xhosa feminine prefix no- combined with isipho “gift”.
NOSIZWE f Southern African, Xhosa
From the Xhosa feminine prefix no- combined with isizwe “nation”.
NOXOLO f Southern African, Xhosa, Ndebele
From the Xhosa and Ndebele feminine prefix no- combined with uxolo “peace”.
NSIA m & f Western African, Akan
Means “sixth born child” in Akan.
NSONOWA m & f Western African, Akan
Means “seventh born child” in Akan.
NTHANDA m & f Southern African, Tumbuka
Means “star” in Tumbuka.
NTOMBI f Southern African, Zulu
Means “girl” in Zulu.
NTOMBIFUTHI f Southern African, Zulu
Means “a girl again” in Zulu.
NTOMBIZODWA f Southern African, Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele
Means “only girls”, from Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele intombi “girl” and zodwa “only”.
NURU f Eastern African, Swahili
Means “light” in Swahili, ultimately from Arabic نور (nur).
NWANNEKA f Western African, Igbo
Means “my siblings are supreme” in Igbo.
NYAH f Eastern African, Swahili
Variant of NIA (2).
NYAMBURA f Eastern African, Kikuyu
From Kikuyu mbura meaning “rain”. This is the name of one of the nine daughters of Mumbi in the Kikuyu origin legend.
NYARAI f Southern African, Shona
Means “be humble” in Shona.
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