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I've always loved the sounds of African names. Lately I've indulged myself by researching some less common ones. I don't have connections to any African culture, so please forgive me if I misattribute language and countries of origin, or butcher meanings and pronunciation. If you can correct me, please do!

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I've also included some Arabic names because many African countries have deep ties to the language.

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Some girls names that I've found:

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Nadifa (born between two seasons, Somalian)
Ayomide eye-o-mee-day?
Chanya (?, Taita people of Kenya)
Thandiwe tahn-DEE-way
Dalila dah-lee-lah http://www.behindthename.com/name/dalila/submitted
Elshaday (possibly from biblical El Shaddai, Ethiopian)
Subira
Njemile n-jeh-MEE-lay (upstanding, Ngoni of Malawi)
Ismitta (N. African name for southern wind, meaning “daughter of the mountains of the moon")
Ramatulai rah-mah-too-LIE (?, Wolof people of Senegal)
Anisa
Thandeka http://www.behindthename.com/name/thandeka/submitted
Behati http://www.behindthename.com/name/bahati/submitted
Adila
Adeleke ah-DEL-leh-keh http://www.behindthename.com/name/adeleke/submitted
Malaika
Almaz ahl-MAHZ http://www.behindthename.com/name/almaz/submitted
Nekesa http://www.behindthename.com/name/nekesa/submitted
Ramla
Persinna (from Greek meaning "Persian woman," an Ethiopian queen in a Roman novel) http://www.behindthename.com/name/persinna/submitted

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Selam say-LAHM http://www.behindthename.com/name/selam/submitted
Nadira
Rehani ray-HAH-nee (Kiswahili word for “pledge”)
Najja nahj-JAH (second born, Baganda of Uganda)
Yasumini (possibly from Yasmin?, Ugandan)
Hadiya
Chiamaka shee-ah-mah-kah?
Noni NO-nee (?, short form of Muthoni, Kikuyu of Kenya)
Zuhura zoo-HOO-rah (?, Swahili)
Aziza http://www.behindthename.com/name/aziza/submitted
Opeyemi (I wish I knew how to pronounce this)
Fayola (good fortune walks with honor, Yoruba)
Aminata http://www.behindthename.com/name/aminata/submitted
Zinsa (twin, Benin)
Nkechi n-KAY-kee
Anuket http://www.behindthename.com/name/anuket/submitted
Sundiata (actually the name of a Mali prince, but I love this on a girl!) http://www.behindthename.com/name/sundiata/submitted
Omolara
Ajani http://www.behindthename.com/name/ajani/submitted
Zeinaba (Somalian, possibly derived from Zaynab)
Ayoka http://www.behindthename.com/name/ayoka/submitted
Nagesa nah-GAY-sah (born in the harvest season, Lugisu of Uganda)

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Which ones are your favorites? What African and Arabic names for girls do you like that I haven't listed? Are there any famous or semi-famous African women who you think would make good namesakes? I'm not worried about naming a child, so bring out your guilty pleasures!

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I'd also love to know if you have any reliable sources for researching African names. So much of the information about them on the internet is dubious.

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http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/177263

This message was edited 3/23/2017, 8:41 PM