31 African-American Boy Names with Meanings

Every African-American boy name below comes with its meaning or origin — and 1 of the 31 names include the native spelling, drawn from Wikipedia. Jump to a letter, or play the duel game: choose between two names at a time until your personal top 10 remains.

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A C D J L O R T

African-American boy names starting with A

AntuanAntuan is an African-American English given name associated with Antoine and Anthony.
AntwanAntwan—a variant of the French name Antoine—is a male given name commonly used among African Americans.
AntwaunAntwaun is an African-American English given name associated with Antoine and Anthony in use in the United States. Notable people with this name include the following people.
AntwoineAntwoine is a given name. Notable people with the name include: Antwoine Hackford (born 2004), English footballer Antwoine Sanders (born 1977), American football player Antwoine Womack (born 1978), American football player
AntwonAntwon is an African-American English given name associated with Antoine and Anthony in use in the United States. Notable people with this name include the following people.
AntwoneAntwone is an African-American English given name associated with Antoine and Anthony in use in the United States. Notable people with this name include the following people.
AntwuanAntwuan is a given name.

African-American boy names starting with C

CuffeeCuffee, Cuffey, or Coffey is a first name and surname recorded in African-American culture, believed to be derived from the Akan language name Kofi, meaning "born on a Friday".

African-American boy names starting with D

D'AndreD'Andre is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: D'Andre Bishop (born 2002), Antiguan association football forward D'Andre Goodwin, American football wide receiver and assistant college football coach D'Andre Hill (born 1973), American…
DashaunDashaun or DaShaun is an English-language masculine given name, a combination of the element da with the given name Shaun, meaning 'God is gracious', and is often found among African Americans. It is related to the given names Deshaun and DeShawn.
DeAndreDeAndre, Deandre, De'Andre or Deandre' is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
DequanDequan or DeQuan is a masculine given name that can either be of English-language or Chinese origin. The English-language given name is often found among African Americans.
DeSeanDeSean or Desean is a given name. People with the name include: DeSean Bishop (born 2004), American football player DeSean Jackson (born 1986), American football player Desean Terry, American actor Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, better known as YoungBoy Never Broke…
DeshaunDeshaun or DeShaun is a masculine given name which may refer to: Deshaun Davis (born 1996), American football player Deshaun Fenwick (born 1999), American football player DeShaun Foster (born 1980), American football coach and former player DeShaun Dupree…
DeShawnDeShawn is a first name, common among the African-American community. The name adds the French prefix "de-" to the name Shawn.
DeshonDeshon is a given name and surname. Notable people with the name include:
DeshunDeshun is a given name. Notable people with the name include: Deshun Deysel (born 1970), South African mountaineer and businesswoman who participated in the South African Everest Expedition, 1996 Deshun Jackson, American streetball player Xiu Deshun (born…

African-American boy names starting with J

JabariجبارJabari is a masculine given name, derived from Swahili, ultimately from Arabic, that is most commonly given to African-American boys. It is also an Arabic surname.
JaquanJaquan or JaQuan is a given name. Notable people with the given name include: JaQuan Bailey (born 1997), American football player Jaquan Brisker (born 1999), American football player JaQuan Hardy (born 1997), American football player Jaquan Johnson (born…

African-American boy names starting with L

LanceLance is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
LaQuanLaQuan or Laquan is a given name. Notable people with the name include: Laquan McDonald (1997–2014), American teenager murdered by the police LaQuan McGowan (born 1993), American football player LaQuan Nairn (born 1996), Bahamian long jumper LaQuan Smith…

African-American boy names starting with O

OrlandoOrlando is a masculine given name, originally an Italian form of the given name Roland.

African-American boy names starting with R

RahsaanRahsaan is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: Rahsaan Bahati (born 1982), American racing cyclist Rahsaan Johnson (born 1978), American basketball player Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935–1977), American jazz multi-instrumentalist Rahsaan…
RashaanRashaan is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: Rashaan Evans (born 1995), American football player Rashaan Fernandes (born 1989), Dutch footballer Rashaan Gaulden (born 1995), American football player Rashaan Jackson (born 1973),…
RashanRashan is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: Rashan Charles (1996/1997 – 2017), British man who died during a police arrest Rashan Gary (born 1997), American football player Rashan Peiris (born 1982), Sri Lankan cricketer
RashaunRashaun is a masculine given name. Notable people with the given name include: Rashaun Agee (born 2000), American basketball player Rashaun Allen (born 1990), American football player Rashaun Broadus (born 1984), American basketball player Rashaun Freeman…
RashawnRashawn is a masculine given name. Notable people with the given name include: Rashawn Dally (born 1997), Jamaican-American football player Rashawn Griffin (born 1980), American visual artist, educator Rashawn Jackson (born 1987), American football player…
RoshonRoshon is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: Roshon Fegan (born 1991), American actor, rapper and dancer Roshon Gittens (born 2002), Barbadian footballer Roshon Primus (born 1995), Barbadian cricketer Kevin Roshon Samuels…

African-American boy names starting with T

TrayvonTrayvon is a male given name.
Tre'ShaunTre'Shaun or Tre'shaun is an English-language masculine given name, a combination of the popular element tre and the name Shaun, which means "God is gracious". It is often found among African Americans.
TyroneTyrone is a male given name of Irish origin. The name originates from the toponym County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, which in turn derives from the Irish language Tír Eoghain ("land of Eoghan").

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Frequently asked questions

How many African-American boy names are in this list?

This list has 31 African-American boy names, from Antuan to Tyrone, and 1 of them include the native spelling. Every entry comes with its meaning or origin, sourced from Wikipedia.

What are some well-known African-American boy names?

Well-documented African-American boy names include DeSean, Deshaun, Rashaan, Antuan and Rashawn. Scroll the list above for the meaning and origin of each one.

How do I choose the best African-American boy name?

Reading a list only gets you so far — comparing names head to head is faster. Play Name Duel with this set: it shows you two African-American boy names at a time, and your choices eliminate names round by round until your personal top 10 remains.