Popular black names by gender
Filed Under Uncategorized | 6 CommentsFor today’s entry in Black Ghetto Baby Names, I would like to start a compendium of classically African American names, girl and boy. Each name’s link connects to an in-depth discussion on the name.
| WOMEN | MEN |
|---|---|
| ImaniA name that traveled the Arabian peninsula to reach us. | DeShawA name born of Scotland and black ingenuity. |
| EbonyDiscussion of a beautiful, thorny name. | DeAndreA black name rooted in Ancient Greece. |
| ShaniceAn original of African America. | MarquisA name’s travel from France to the diaspora. |
| AaliyahTragic black name from under the Arab sun. | DarnellA truly black name, from the gray British Isles. |
| PreciousA name for the beloved. | TerrellInherited from the slave masters, and made ours. |
| NiaDiaspirated from the Indian subcontinent. | MalikArab royalty, black loyalty, and a strong military leader. |
| DejaOubliette of a name for the unforgotten. | TrevonMashup from the british isles. |
| DiamondA most precious gem. | TyroneFrom a long line of lords. |
| AsiaFrom the ancient continent. | WillieA classic name of Black America. |
| AliyahAnother spelling of Aaliyah. | DominiqueAn Italian name, tracing back to the Caesars. |
| JadaNamed of the precious green stone. | DemetriusA religious scholar. |
| TierraCreature of the Earth. | ReginaldA black name, a king of the British. |
| TiaraNamed for a beautiful, bejeweled crown. | JamalArabic for “handsome.” |
| KiaraA mysterious name from the east. | MauriceFrom the warm south of France to the black diaspora. |
| JazmineNamed after Jasmine: a fragrant persian plant. | JalenA strong male name of unknown origins. |
| JasminAnother spelling of Jasmine. | DariusPowerful ancient Persian emperor. |
| JazminAnother spelling of Jasmine. | XavierAn old basque name, an intellectual. |
| JasmineThe original spelling of Jasmine. | TerranceA distinguished name from Europe |
| AlexusDescended from the Ancient Greek ruler. | AndreA french name descended from the ancient Greeks. |
| RavenFor the mysterious and intelligent bird. | DarrylAn old house from France and the British Isles. |
And thus concludes the list. How many of these would you consider “Black ghetto baby names”? For me, I don’t associate any of them with such a heinous title. In fact, immediately upon reading the list I was struck by the creativity and ingenuity of the minds that created these names. While usually our people are struck down in public for a lack of intellectualism, our ability to crunch the English language into meanings and syllables not previously imagined is I think unparalleled.
At the same time, and I will get into this in a future post, we must observe the fact that, from a vocational perspective, it’s dangerous for our children to go out into the job market with names like “Jamal”, “Tyrone”, and “Malik”. Studies have shown that of two men with identical resumes, one with a distinctive African American name and one without, the “Tyrone” of the pair will be eliminated. So when you’re naming your kids during this wonderful season of your life, I applaud your desire to seek a name that celebrates our culture. However, also please keep in mind that the child has to live with this name forever, for good or for ill.
This is the word from Black Ghetto Baby Names for this evening. Stay safe and curious as each wave of life passes you, coasts towards the horizon.
EDIT:
Some of my readers have questioned whether these names are actually “African American names.” The names in the list were the most frequently used mens and womens names among African Americans in the, I believe, 2000 US Census. From the standpoint of usage, this surely makes them “African American” names. However, my readers raised the reasonable point that these names have much longer histories than African America. This exact observation is the point of the site =). I hope you enjoy it.
Darius
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Welcome back to Black Ghetto Baby Names. Today, we would like to discuss the relevance of an ancient name that has only recently entered the African American subconscious.
The name Darius has become so common that many assume that the name it self may have originated from Africa, or the vagaries of African America. This assumption would be a great mistake. The name “Darius” is actually Persian, there were three kings of ancient empire called Achaemenid Empire, and all three kings were name Darius. The contains more mystery than one may think! The name Darius traces back all the way to 549 B.C. With Darius the Great also know as Darius I of Persia. Roman form of Achaemenid (Dareios), was the Greek form of the Persian name Dârayavahush, which was composed of the elements dâraya “to possess” and vahu “good”. Several ancient kings of Persia bore this name, including Darius the Great who invaded Greece but was defeated in the Battle of Marathon.
Today there are many famous African Americans that are name Darius. One of them being Darius LaVar Miles. Darius Miles is a great NBA player who plays for the Portland blazers, he is a amazing 6foot 9, living up to the majesty of the name! Another big shot would be Darius McCrary many may have heard of this name from the very popular show “Family matters” or his popular move “Mississippi burning”
If I were to write a list of notables named Darius, the list would extend for miles large. In today’s society the name has been adopted and many African American family’s choose to name their kids Darius as it stand for “Being great”. There is Darius Rucker and Darius Walker, Darius Washington, Darius Danesh this is just a little list of famous African Americans that choose the name Darius. There are many more, which just proves the point that the name Darius is greatly used in today’s black society, and carries a wealth of history and meaning.
If you found this post interesting, I hope you’ll check out our list of popular black names for similar posts on other historically black names.
Darryl
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Hello and welcome back to Black Ghetto Baby Names, where we will be discussing the baby name “Darryl,” long associated with African America but steeped in the history of Europe.
Depending on who or where you research, the name Darryl is either from the Old English or Old French. It is most often a boys name although it is on occasion used for a girl, most notably Daryl Hannah, the movie actress. Over the last decade, this name ranks 372 on the list of boys names. However, in 2003, it only managed to reach 695 out of 1000.
According to the French, they were the first to use the name in the 11th century. It is from the town of Airelle. The French would put a ‘D’ in front of the town name signifying from the town of. So, D’Airelle, as first used, meant from the town of Airelle. When the French invaded England, they brought the name with them.
In English, the name became Deorling meaning dearly beloved, and darling. This name may be spelled several ways, Darell, Daryl, Darryl, and Daryll. There are a number of famous Darryl’s that you could chose to name your son or daughter after. If you are a baseball nut, then of course, it would be Darryl Strawberry. If you like music, it would be Daryl Hall. Hockey lovers might choose to name their future NHL star after Darryl Sittler or Darryl Sutter and football fans would choose Darryl Stingley. Then again, if you named your little girl Daryl, they would forever be tied to that beautiful actress with fins instead of legs. This might not be one of your best parenting choices.
Daryl is not among some set of “black ghetto baby names”, it is a name that resonates with the ages of European love. When you choose your child’s name, remember that you are giving them a name for life, a name that should show individuality and thought. Good luck when naming your new bundle of joy, for he or she represents the future of black America.
If you found this post interesting, I hope you’ll check out our list of popular black names for similar posts on other historically black names.
Ebony
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Tonight at Black Ghetto Baby Names, we will talk about a beautiful name that resonates with our dark-skinned people: Ebony.
Ebony is a name often given to girls, particularly those of African-American descent. It became most popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, and was one of the 500 most popular names during that time.
There are two possible origins for the name. Some argue that it is English in origin and means “deep, black wood,” like the ebony tree. Some disagree, maintaining that the name is actually Egyptian in origin, and is derived from the word hbnj, which means “black.“Three varieties of spelling are popularly offered for this name. They include: Ebony, Ebonee, Eboni. Another, similar name, Ebonique, is held to be derived from the same source and equivalent in meaning. Other, less common, spellings include Ebbony, Ebone, Eboney, and Ebonni.
Of particular interest to the readership of Black Ghetto Baby Names, the popular news show 20/20 recently did a survey regarding the “whiteness” or “blackness” of a name and how that name related to a person’s employment prospects. In this project, they created 22 pairs of resumes and sent these to job employers. One resume in each pair was attributed to the owner of a “white” name, while the other was attributed to the owner of a “black” name. One of the 22 “black” names used by the surveyors was Ebony.
Each resume was exactly the same except for the jobseeker‘s name. In every instance, recruiters selected the “white” sounding name to download 17 percent more often than “black” sounding names. What significance does this have for black parents preparing to name their child? It might be important to evaluate the reasons for selecting a name. Shakespeare once declared, “What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would sound as sweet. . . .” Apparently, not all prospective employers share this view. Parents need to weigh both the benefits and the potential drawbacks of the names that they give their children.
I am feeling bittersweet now at the face of a beautiful name and the ugly consequences for the wonderful child that carries it. Ebony is a fine name, and I hope and sincerely believe that it will be no detriment for our children in the future days over the next hill. Good night, and don’t forget to look at our list of popular black African American names to continue this journey through culture with us at Black Ghetto Baby Names.
DeShawn.
If you found this post interesting, I hope you’ll check out our list of popular black names for similar posts on other historically black names.
Xavier
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Today at Black Ghetto Baby Names we will be discussing a name of great proud and an institution of the Diaspora: Xavier.
The male name Xavier is French, Arabian, and Spanish, in origin (the Basque region). It is derived from the name Javier, and is still pronounced the same in some parts of the world. The name means “bright”, “splendid”, and “new house.” Variations of the name Xavier include Xaviero, and Zavier (an alternate spelling).
In the last decade, the name has been growing in popularity, not just in the United States, but also in Australia and Canada. It rose from about 200th place in popularity to about 50th place. One possible rise could be the release of the X-Men movies, starring Patrick Stewart, as Professor Xavier (we here at Black Ghetto Baby Names are big fans of the XMen).
Most people bearing the name Xavier are of Spanish descent, for example, Xavier of Parma, a duke of Spain, Saint Francis Xavier, a missionary who spread Christianity to China, India, Japan, and other places in Asia, in the sixteenth century, Xavier Becerra, a California representative, and Xavier Nady, a baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
However, there are notable Xaviers in the community as well. Xavier McDaniel is a retired basketball player who played on the Sonics, Suns, Knicks, Celtics, and Nets. Also of African descent is German soul singer Xavier Naidoo. Other things to be named Xavier include the Xavier University of Louisiana, an African-American college. It is ranked number one in the nation for awarding African-American students Bachelor’s degrees in life sciences, physical sciences, and physics. It also ranks first in placing African-American students into medical school. Another college with a similar name is Xavier University of Cincinatti, named after the Jesuit Saint.
The name Xavier has a strong tradition in the community, and if you carry this name I urge you to proudly shine forth the scholastic excellence which your name portends. I hope you have enjoyed this trip through the name Xavier, and please remember to visit the Black Ghetto Baby Names list of most popular African American names before you go to sleep on this evening of evenings, where we may just wonder through the starlight about the role of our people in the eye of God.
DeShawn.
If you found this post interesting, I hope you’ll check out our list of popular black names for similar posts on other historically black names.
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