African Dog Names

Abaro

Abayomi

A name of Nigerian origin meaning 'bringer of joy' or 'he who brings joy'.

Abea

Greek initials of Anatoli Industries S.A., an olive oil company

Abeni

Means "we prayed and we received" in Yoruba

Abiba

No documented meaning in the sources checked

Abiona

No documented meaning in the sources checked

Addo

East Frisian masculine name, perhaps from Proto-Germanic *attô, "father"

Adia

Adisa

Means "bundled up and set to dry" in Yoruba

Afi

A name of African origin meaning 'born on a Friday'

Afiro

Aja

A given name in Arabic, Danish, Sami and other languages; also a surname

Ajani

Yoruba, from à- + jà ("to fight") + ní ("to have"), literally "one fought for to have"

Akani

Recorded as a masculine given name in Tsonga

Akello

The name Akello means 'he who brings the harvest' in Luo, a language spoken in East Africa.

Akenna

Akima

Recorded as a given name in Russian and, rarely, Japanese

Akimu

Akinto

Akra

Alafia

A Yoruba word meaning 'peace' or 'serenity'

Amalou

Amoka

Arusha

Recorded as a feminine given name in Indian usage

Ashanti

African name meaning 'thank you' or 'the people who are not afraid.'

Askari

Askia

A given name recorded in African American and Indonesian use; also the title of the first ruler of the Songhai Askia dynasty

Ausha

Badou

Bako

A Hausa (Nigerian) name for a male child born after visitors arrived in the household

Ballou

Bano

The title of a leader or chief in some African cultures.

Bayo

Recorded as a masculine given name in Western African usage

Bazulu

Beja

English word for the Beja people, from Arabic بَجَا (bajā), from Bidhááwi

Biko

A word referring to an ancestor or a spiritual guide in certain cultures

Bikolo

Bok

Bolo

Recorded as a masculine given name in Indonesian; in English, a heavy machete

Bonga

A name derived from African languages.

Chaka

Recorded as a given name in Zulu and in rare African American use

Chipo

Means "gift" in Shona

Cimba

Dabo

Recorded as a masculine given name in American English

Dakarai

Means "rejoice" in Shona

Dayo

Means 'joy' or 'joyful' in some African languages

Dembe

Recorded as a given name in Eastern Africa

Deraja

Dimba

A nickname, borne by two Brazilian footballers

Dinka

Recorded as a feminine given name in Croatian, Macedonian and archaic Jewish use

Djalie

Djambo

Djola

Dudu

Portuguese diminutive of Eduardo

Duma

A Russian assembly with advisory or legislative functions

Fayola

African origin meaning 'wealthy' or 'successful'.

Femi

Love, affection in Yoruba

Gebi

Hasani

Albanian, formed from the name Hasan with the suffix -i

Hatia

From Swahili, borrowed from Arabic خَطِيئَة (khaṭīʔa)

Ikor

Ikoro

Ikota

Ilinga

A name of African origin meaning 'noble'.

Imana

The creator deity in traditional Banyarwanda and Barundi religion

Imani

Means "faith" in Swahili, ultimately from Arabic ʾīmān

Imilo

Isani

Recorded as a given name in modern English, used for girls

Iya

Meaning unknown; borne by Saint Ia of Persia, a 4th-century martyr

Jabari

Swahili, meaning "almighty, powerful", ultimately from Arabic jabbār

Jada

Elaborated form of Jade; also a Hebrew name meaning "he knows"

Jamar

Invented name, from the sounds of Jamal and Lamar

Jambo

A Scottish football nickname, from jam, short for Jam Tarts

Jengu

Water spirit in the traditional beliefs of the Sawabantu groups of Cameroon

Juma

Swahili word; its etymology is not fully documented

Jumoke

The name means 'a child that brings joy' in Yoruba.

Kabili

Kabora

Kadi

Short form of Katariina

Kalahari

Kalimo

Kalu

Igbo surname, a contraction of Kamalu, the name of a god of lightning

Kamara

A given name recorded in Malagasy and, rarely, in African American use

Kamari

Combination of the sounds found in names such as Jamari, Amari and Kamaria

Kamaria

Arabic, from qamar, meaning "moon"; also the root of the Comoros name

Kamau

A Kikuyu name of unknown meaning, given as an initiation name

Kamo

An African name meaning 'the one who brings joy'

Kanza

An African name meaning 'treasure'.

Karee

African American feminine given name; also a common name for the tree Searsia lancea

Karia

Ancient Greek given name (rare, archaic); Swahili, borrowed from Arabic qarya

Kasa

Not documented as a word with a meaning in the sources checked

Kasi

Southern Indian form of Kashi

Kazi

Means 'work' or 'effort' in Swahili

Keeba

Keisha

A female given name, possibly invented or based on the Hebrew Keziah

Kele

Recorded as a given name in Hawaiian, Hopi, Medieval Jewish and Brazilian Portuguese use

Kemba

Faroese word from Old Norse kemba; recorded as a given name in African and Malagasy

Keme

Recorded as a masculine given name in Algonquin

Kemi

Yoruba feminine given name; Finnish place name, from the river Kemijoki

Kenya

From the name of the African country Kenya, itself named for Mount Kenya.