Here’s the real meaning of your African name

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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