African American Baby Boy Names With Meanings

African American names are often invented or creatively-spelled variants of more traditional names. Some names are created using fashionable syllables, for example the prefixes La- or De- and the suffixes -ique or -isha. Punctuation marks like apostrophes and dashes are sometimes used (though infrequently).

The early names given to slaves were often taken from the Bible, from the work the slaves did, or from their owners’ last names. The slaves brought to the U.S. from Africa had to endure a number of brutal crimes against them, not the least of which was being stripped of the names they were given in their native countries.

It was only after the Civil War that African Americans were allowed to choose their own names. Many chose names that reflected their African heritage, such as names starting with “A” or “K”