African Submitted Surnames

African names are used on the continent of Africa, covering a wide number of languages. See also about African names.

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Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.

Jacob Nigerian

Jacqueline Eastern African

Jali South African

Jalloh Western African
Probably a derivative of Arabic Jalil.

Jalloh Western African, Fula
Variant of Diallo primarily used in Sierra Leone.

Jallow Western African, Fula
Variant of Diallo primarily used in Gambia.

Jawara Manding (Anglicized)

Jedou Western African
Found in Mauritania.

Jepkemei Eastern African

Jeptoo African, Kenyan

Jericho African
Directly taken from the place name Jericho.

Jeyi Shona
Porcupine. Wamambo. Strong, Courageous, Joyful and loving.

Jim Nigerian

Jima Ethiopian

Jlassi Arabic (Maghrebi), Berber
From the name of an Tamazight (Berber) tribal confederation in Tunisia; the name could be from Arabic إِخْلَاص (ʾiḵlāṣ) meaning "sincerity, devotion, loyalty" or of unknown Berber meaning.

Jock Eastern African

Jomana Northern African

Jonah Western African

Jonn Nigerian

Jonnie Nigerian

Jood South African

Joof Serer
The surname Joof (English spelling in Gambia) whit its derivatives Juuf / Juf (Seereer proper) or Diouf (French spelling in Senegal and Mauritania) is a Senegambian surname found amongst the Seereer people of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania... [more]

Jophrey African

Jose Eastern African

Joshua Nigerian

Joumana Northern African

Jozi Hlubi (?), African
A Hlubi word referring to a sword or spear mkonto,mkhonto,lerumo

Juma Swahili, Arabic
From the given name Juma.

Junior Eastern African

Justine Eastern African

Juuf Serer

Kaba Western African, Manding
From a Mandinka clan name perhaps derived from the name of a village in southern Mali.

Kabamba Kongo

Kabila Luba, Central African

Kadi Northern African, Arabic (Maghrebi)

Kahari African

Kahinu Eastern African, Ge'ez, Amharic, Tigrinya, Swahili, Somali, Malagasy
Means "clergyman" in several Eastern African languages, originally denoting someone who was a clergyman (see the given name Kahinu).

Kaikai Manding

Kailand South African

Kaili African

Kainda Kongo

Kaite African

Kalaba African, Southern African, Tonga
Means "forgetful person".

Kamalandua Central African

Kamara Western African
Used in Sierra Leone.

Kambonde Southern African
Common in Namibia especially.

Kamoni Kongo

Kamugisha Eastern African

Kanazoé Mossi
Not available.

Kansa Western African

Kansiime Kiga
The surname of a certain Anne.

Kaphiri Southern African

Karaboué Ivorian, Western African

Karene Western African

Karuli Indian, Southern African

Karusha African

Kashafali Central African

Kasongo Central African
A Congolese surname derived from the town with the same name, located in the Maniema Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Kassie Western African

Kassoma Central African

Kasumu African

Kat Dutch, Frisian, South African, Jewish
Means "cat", a habitational name for someone who lived by a sign depicting a cat, or a nickname for someone who somehow resembled a cat, perhaps in agility or an independent nature.

Katamba Bemba
A surname of the Bemba tribe meaning "small wave". To the Lozi tribe, it means "fishing net".

Katongo Southern African

Kayana Central African

Kayla Eastern African

Kazah Nigerian (Anglicized, Modern)

Kebre African

Keita Western African

Keli African

Kellerman South African

Kellu Nigerian

Kemba Eastern African

Kenam Southern African

Kendi African

Kevin African

Khalfani African

Khalif Somali
Somali form of Khalifa.

Khamoqane Sotho

Khelif Northern African, Arabic (Maghrebi)

Khotlele Sotho

Khumalo Zulu, Ndebele, South African
Zulu and Ndebele clan name meaning "descendant of the fish tribe".

Ki Western African

Kibo Central African

Kibuuka South African

Kiden African

Kihoro Kikuyu
Of uncertain Meaning.

Killmonger African
The name (last name) of the villain in Black Panther, played by Michael B. Jordan.

Kilonzo Eastern African
Meaning unknown.

Kimachu Eastern African, Swahili

Kimani Eastern African

Kimba Luba
Best known as the international given name of a certain Tezuka character.

Kimoto Central African

Kimpembe Central African

Kimutai Eastern African

Kinda Southern African

Kindiki Meru, Eastern African
Kindiki has no known meaning.

Kingibe Kanuri, Nigerian
Meaning unavailable.

Kione African

Kiplangat Eastern African

Kiplimo Eastern African

Kiprono African

Kirwana African

Kissa Eastern African

Kitsusu Kongo
The surname of a notable Congolese musician whose real first name was Philemon.

Kitumaini Central African, Swahili
Means "little hope" in Swahili, a diminutive of tumaini meaning simply "hope". It is mostly found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Koala Western African

Kodjo Ewe
From the given name Kodjo

Koech Eastern African

Koffi Ewe
From the given name Koffi

Kofi Akan
From the given name Kofi

Koko Arabic (Egyptian), Eastern African

Kollie Western African

Kolver South African

Kombayi African (Rare)

Komboïgo Mossi
Not available.

Kondi Kongo, Vili
Of uncertain meaning.

Koné Western African

Kongo Kongo
From Kongo meaning "hunter". This surname could also be from places named "Kongo".

Konkwo Igbo
"Boy born on Nkwo"

Kopo Southern African

Kotton South African

Koty African

Kotze Afrikaans

Koulibali Manding, Western African
variant of Coulibaly.

Kpodo Western African

Kporaro Nigerian (Rare)
The name Kporaro translates into the English language as "PROGRESS" (literally Kpo which is "Go", Ra which is "OF" and Aro which is "FRONT" in which case the Ra implies "For" or "Of" thus Kporaro is literally "Go Of Front" or more properly "Move Forward")... [more]

Krestos Ge'ez
Ge'ez form from Greek given name Christos 1, used as a surname of several Ethiopian emperors.

Kuban Northern African, Nubian
Unknown Nubian surname.

Kubwa Swahili
From Swahili meaning "large".

Kukundakwe Eastern African

Kumalo Zulu, Ndebele, South African
Variant of Khumalo.

Kuminga Central African

Kunaya Kongo

Kure Nigerian

Kutuna African

Kuzai Southern African

Kwelagobe Southern African

Kwemoi Eastern African

Kwemto Central African

Kwi Central African

Ky Western African

Kyagumbo Shona
Meaning unknown.

Kyei African
Ghanaian surname that is derived from the Akan language. It means "greatness" or "to become great" in English.

Kyekyeku Akan
Meaning unknown.

Kyeremaa Western African

Laalaa Northern African

Ladie African

Lady Western African

Lalika African

Later Northern African

Lavvy African

Leanya South African

Lebakeng Sotho

Lebna Ethiopian
Means "spirit, essence" in Amharic.

Ledama Maasai
Of uncertain meaning.

Ledwaba Southern African, South African, Zulu
From Zulu meaning "rock".

Lekae African

Lekika African (Rare)

Lemara African

Lennet South African

Letesha South African

Letheo Tswana

Levas African

Likay African

Like Southern African

Lil Western African

Lime African

Limo African
Most common in Kenya.

Lo Western African

Lokedi Eastern African

Lombard French, English, South African
French and English cognate of Lombardi, or derived from the given name Lambert. A famous bearer of this name was the American actress Carole Lombard (1908-1942), born Jane Alice Peters.

Lonah African (Rare)

Londo Western African
Kissi surname of unknown meaning.

Lotso Southern African

Loumou Central African

Louw Afrikaans
Louw is a surname that has pre 7th century Germanic origins. It is a Dutch/Flemish variant on the word Lowe, meaning Lion.

Lubega Eastern African

Luckhoff South African

Lucky Nigerian

Lukaku Central African, Luba

Lupondo South African

Luter South African

Luxon South African
Transferred use of the surname Luxon.

Luyimbazi Eastern African
This name is given to males belonging to 'Nkima' (Monkey) clan in Buganda kingdom, Uganda.

Lwando Southern African

Lyambo Eastern African

Lyata African (Rare)

Lynda African

Lynx Southern African, English
Meaning "lynx" in English.

Lynxtrans Western African

Lyuka African

Madhubuti Swahili
A notable bearer is Haki R. Madhubuti, a writer.

Madia South African

Mafanela South African

Magombo Swahili, African, Swazi (Rare)
Meaning unknown, possibly related from the fore name of the same name. It means "leaves" (verb) in Swahili.

Magondu Kikuyu

Mahalah African
zambian (tumbuka) name meaning intelligent. "mwana wa mahalah" means intelligent child

Mahamadou Western African
From the given name Mahamadou.

Mahamat Western African, Thai (Muslim)
From the given name Mahamat.

Mahlangu Southern African, Ndebele, Zulu
Derived from Ndebele hlangula meaning "assist, help, remove (from danger)" or Zulu isihlangu meaning "shield".

Maïga African

Mainu Western African

Majaga Southern African

Majange Shona
Meaning unknown.

Majoly Central African

Makabu Central African, Luba

Makale African

Makalo African

Makaya Central African, Kongo (?)

Makélélé Central African, Lingala (Gallicized)
Gallicized form of Makelele. A notable bearer is the French former soccer player Claude Makélélé (1973-).

Makelele Central African, Lingala
Means "noises" in Lingala, possibly a nickname for a noisy person.

Makgantai Tswana

Makgwakae Tswana

Makina African

Makonnen Eastern African, Amharic
Derived from the given name Makonnen.

Makory Eastern African

Malala Malagasy, Central African

Mamadou Western African
From the given name Mamadou.

Mambo Southern African
Mambo is a surname of the Kaonde tribe, meaning: danger. A warning to would be detractors.

Mami Northern African

Mandingo African

Mandisa South African

Mané Western African, Manding
From the name of a Mandinka clan, meaning uncertain.

Manfred Eastern African

Mangawa Southern African

Mangle Indian, African

Manu Western African, Akan
Means "second-born child" in Akan.

Manyasha African (Rare)

Maouloud Western African
Derived from Arabic مولود‎‎ (mawlud) meaning "born, newborn", used to refer to the مولد (Mawlid) observance of the birth of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (chiefly Mauritanian).

Marais French, Afrikaans

Maré French, Afrikaans

Maree Afrikaans, French, English

Mariam Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Bengali, Somali, Amharic
From the given name Maryam.

Mariera African

Mariko Western African

Marindi South African

Mário Portuguese, Central African

Maro African

Marole South African

Martha Central African

Masakadza Southern African, Zimbabwean

Masalela South African

Masamvu Shona

Mashashane Ndebele (Rare), Pedi (Rare)

Mashiani Southern African

Masine African

Masiwa African

Masiye Chewa
Means "orphan" in Chewa language.

Masona African

Masondo Southern African, Zulu
Derived from Zulu amasondo meaning "wheels".

Masseu Central African

Massia African

Masuge Southern African

Matadi Western African

Mathema Ndebele
The Mathema people mostly inhabit the Northern Matebeleland in Zimbabwe, however their clan names are linked and related of those other Nguni clans. These are as follows: ... [more]

Mathema Shona
Meaning unknown.

Mathenge Swahili

Matins Nigerian, Portuguese

Matshu Central African

Matuidi Central African

Mawe Central African

Mawere Shona
Meaning unknown.

Maxamed Somali
Somali form of Muhammad.

Maygan Eastern African

Mayombo Central African

Mazigh Arabic (Maghrebi), Berber
Derived from Arabic أَمَازِيغ (ʾamāzīḡ) the Arabic designation for the Berber (Amazigh) people of North Africa. The word itself is ultimately of Tamazight origin, from Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ (Amaziɣ) of disputed meaning; in modern Central Atlas Tamazight, it means “free-man”.

Mba Central African

Mbabazi Eastern African
A Bantu Uganda surname meaning 'grace' or 'kindness'.

Mbah Central African, Nigerian

Mbaia Central African

M'bala Central African
Derived from the given name Mbala. This surname is borne by French comedian, actor and political activist Dieudonné M'bala M'bala (1966-).

Mbangwa Shona
Meaning unknown.

Mbappé Central African (Gallicized)
Borne by French professional footballer Kylian Mbappé (1998-), whose father is from Cameroon.

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