50 popular Black baby names (2024)

We used data from Georgia, Texas, Virginia, and New York City to create our compilation of popular Black baby names. These two states and one city are the few places in the country that break down name popularity by race.

Many common baby names in the United States are equally popular across races and ethnicities, but some names have special relevance and appeal for parents of Black babies. Read on for some of the most popular Black baby names.

20 Black baby girl names

Aaliyah

Aaliyah means "exalted" in Arabic. For decades, Aaliyah has been in the top 100 baby girl names in the U.S. and among BabyCenter parents.

Ava

In Virginia, Ava was the most popular name given to African American baby girls in 2023. Ava has disputed origins, but one theory is it's a variation of Eve, a Hebrew name meaning "living."

Destiny

Although the name Destiny isn't rooted in a specific religion, it's often associated with faith and spirituality. Destiny comes from the Latin word destinata and means "the power of fate" or simply "fate."

Dream

In New York City, Dream was a top name for Black baby girls in 2023. The name indicates something of unreal beauty or perfection.

Essence

Essence has Greek origins and can mean "life," "being," or "existence." The name dropped off the national most-popular baby names list in 2008, but has still remained a top-listed name for Black baby girls in Georgia.

Faith

Faith is a popular name with a spiritual significance. On a national level, Faith has been a top girl's name since 1900. And in New York City, Faith landed on the most common girls name list for African American girls.

Imani

Imani is a girl's name found in Arabic and African languages, including Swahili. It means "belief" or "faith" and has the variants Iman and Imaan. More girls have the name Imani, but boys have been given the name, too.

Jada

Jada is a short and sweet name, but full of meaning: It means "he knows" in Hebrew, and it's related to the gemstone Jade.

Kehlani

Kehlani comes from a Hawaiian word meaning "sky" or "heaven."

Jasmine

The name Jasmine has been making its mark, repeatedly landing on the national list of popular girls names, since the 1970s. Jasmine is a type of flower noted for its fragrance and aesthetic appeal.

Laila

Laila comes from an Arabic word that means "night" or "dark."

Maya

Maya has complex origins. It means "dream" or "illusion" in Sanskrit and "courage" in Maori. It also has Latin roots as an alternate version of Maia, a Roman fertility goddess whose name may be rooted in a Latin word meaning "great."

Naomi

Naomi comes from Hebrew and means "pleasantness." Naomi is also a caring, prestigious figure in the Bible.

Naya

Naya's origins are uncertain, but it could be a variant of the name Nia, which means "purpose" in Swahili or "brightness" and "beauty" in Welsh. It could also be inspired by Maya.

Nevaeh

It must be the unique meaning of Nevaeh that attracts so many parents – it's the word "heaven" spelled backward. Nevaeh is a fairly new name – it dates to 2001, when musician Sonny Sandoval bestowed the name on his daughter.

Nova

Nova comes from the word "new" in Latin. It also refers to a star that appears as a sudden, bright light that gradually fades into the night sky.

Serenity

Serenity means the state of being peaceful, calm, and tranquil. It's rooted in the Latin word serenus, which means "calm, clear, and unclouded," and was a word that referred to the weather.

Olivia

Olivia remains a top pick for girls, and this was true for African American baby girls in Georgia in 2023. The name comes from Latin and means "olive tree."

Skylar

Skylar is a variant of the name Schuyler, which comes from a Dutch word meaning "scholar." It's a name that denotes intelligence and wisdom – but is also reminiscent of clear blue skies.

Zuri

A Swahili name that means "beautiful," Zuri has been steadily rising in popularity since 2010.

20 Black baby boy names

Amare

Amare may come from the Arabic name Ammar, which means "one who lives a long life." It could also be tied to the Spanish word amar, meaning "to love."

Amir

Amir is an Arabic word meaning "prince," "leader," or "chief."

Anthony

Anthony comes from the Roman name Antonius, but the name is so ancient its meaning has been lost to time.

Bryce

Bryce stems from an Old English word that means "speckled." It was often associated with people with freckles. Today, that meaning no longer applies, as the name is given to baby boys of all skin tones.

Caleb

Caleb is an important Biblical figure in the Old Testament. (Moses sends Caleb to spy on the ancient civilization of Canaan to determine whether to claim the land for the Israelites.) The name is thought to come from a Hebrew word meaning "dog" – meant as a compliment in this context because of dogs' loyalty.

Carter

Carter was originally an Irish last name meaning "someone who transports goods by cart" – but it's caught on a first name for baby boys. For Black parents, the name holds special meaning because of Carter G. Woodson. Woodson, the African American son of slaves, was an educator and philosopher who founded the precursor to Black History Month and has been called the father of Black history.

Cory

Cory is an alternate spelling of Corey, which comes from the Old Norse name Kori and has uncertain meaning.

Elijah

Elijah is a biblical name referring to a Hebrew prophet. (In the Old Testament, God performs miracles through Elijah, including bringing a boy back to life.) The name means "Yahweh is God" in Hebrew.

Jaxon

Jaxon is a variant of Jackson, which started off as a last name in England. It simply means "son of Jack."

Jayden

Jayden is a modern name that likely comes as a combination of Jay and Hayden. It's also spelled Jaeden, Jaiden, Jaidon, Jadon, and Jaden (as in Jaden Smith, the actor, musician, and son of Hollywood power couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith). This name is popular among Black parents – as are the similar names Jace and Jayce.

Kairo

Often inspired by the capital city of Egypt, Kairo comes from an Arabic word meaning "victorious."

King

This regal boy's name started making baby name charts in 2015. King has been a top-charting name for African American baby boys in states like Georgia for several years.

Levi

Levi is one of the many ancient biblical names that have withstood time. Rooted in Hebrew, this name means "associated."

Major

The name Major signals power and strength, which is why parents may be drawn to this name. The word major is rooted in a Latin word meaning "great."

Malik

Muslim names like Malik have been popular in the Black community since the 1960s, when several prominent African American celebrities took Muslim names to reflect their African heritage or religious beliefs (Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to name a few). Malik means "owner" or "king" in Arabic.

Micah

Micah is a spiritually inspired name that means "who is like God?" in Hebrew.

Nehemiah

Nehemiah means "God comforts" in Hebrew and is the name of a minor Old Testament prophet.

Nolan

Nolan is the anglicized version of an Irish surname rooted in the Gaelic word nuall, which means "chariot-fighter" or "champion."

Prince

Even though the name Prince has been around as a given name since the early 1900s, it's still a unique name to give to your little boy. While its modern meaning is "son of the king," Prince originates in the Latin word princeps, which means "first person," as in "ruler" or "chief," and is the same root of the word "principal."

Xavier

Xavier is a Spanish name that comes from an old Basque place name that means "the new house."

10 gender-neutral Black baby names

Aubrey

Aubrey means "elf power" and is a nod to German mythology. In New York City, Aubrey was a top name for African American baby girls. Aubrey also regularly lands on popular name charts for boys.

Genesis

The name Genesis is often inspired by biblical tradition – Genesis is the first book in the Bible and is an account of the creation of the world. It's rooted in a Greek word that means, fittingly, "origin" or "creation."

Jordan

Jordan means "to flow down" in Hebrew. It's also a river in the Middle East that has major religious significance. (According to the Bible, the River Jordan is where Jesus was baptized and where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land.)

Kai

One meaning of the gender-neutral name Kai is "sea" in Hawaiian. Kai is also a nickname for European names like Gerhard and Klaus.

Kyrie

Kyrie is a unisex name, but is more common for boys. It comes from the Greek word kyrios and means "lord."

Legend

The meaning of the name Legend is clear – and it's a name any parent would want their child to live up to. Currently it's used more for boys than girls, but it's a unique name befitting any gender. Legend seems like an unusual name – but it's actually been climbing the charts in recent years and is almost in the top 100 baby names for boys on the Social Security Administration's list. (Grammy award winner John Legend may be at least partly responsible.)

London

Baby names inspired by locations are popular across the board – and on the lists of popular names for Black baby girls, Brooklyn, Madison, Savannah, and London all make the cut. While the name London is inspired by the city of the same name in England, London can also mean "place at the great river." More girls than boys have the name London, but it's gender neutral.

Royal

This regal baby name was more popular among baby boys in Georgia in 2023, but the name is also given to baby girls. Royal is rooted in a Latin word that means "pertaining to a king."

Tyler

Tyler stems from an English word meaning "tile maker." Originally more common as a last name, today the name is given to girls and boys as a first name.

Zion

Zion comes from the Hebrew word Tsiyon. In the Bible, Zion refers to a hill in Jerusalem, the city itself, and the land of Israel. The meaning of Zion evolved to mean a utopian homeland, a place of freedom, unity, and peace.