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.

Mokrani Berber, Northern African, Arabic (Maghrebi)
Either from the given name Mokrane or derived from El Mokrani, a town in Algeria.

Molly African

Mombeshora Shona
Meaning unknown.

Mone Western African

Monke Western African

Monkey Nigerian

Montsho South African

Mooketsi South African

Moolman Afrikaans

Mopantokobogo Zulu
From Zulu meaning "big man".

Morais Portuguese, Central African

Moriba Manding
Etymology Unknown.

Moshi Eastern African

Moticoe Tswana (Rare)

Motlatso African

Mouambako Central African

Moukagni Western African

Moula Northern African, Arabic (Maghrebi)

Moustapha Western African
From the given name Moustapha.

Moyo Shona
Meaning unknown.

Mpofu Southern African

Mprah African

Mpungu Kongo
Means ‘gorilla’ in Yombe and ‘creator’ in its relative Ntandu.

Mrefu Swahili
From Swahili meaning "tall, long".

Msuya Swahili

Muddy Eastern African

Mudzuri Shona
Meaning unknown.

Mufaro Shona
Mufaro means "Joy, happiness". It is a name of rejoicing

Mujiba African

Mukendi Central African

Mukwakwami Southern African

Munaye Ethiopian

Mundi African

Munga Southern African

Munisi Eastern African
Found in Tanzania.

Munissi Eastern African
Variant of Munisi.

Munkdmbwe Southern African

Musah Western African

Mushiranzigo Eastern African

Mushohwe Shona
Meaning unknown.

Musumbu Central African

Mutambo Luba
It means "forest" in Songye and Tshiluba, but can also mean "supreme ruler" in Tshiluba.

Mutema Southern African

Mutia Eastern African, Maasai
A Kenyan Maasai surname known mostly in the West as the name of a certain fictitious escarpment, which appears infrequently in old Tarzan Films.

Mutombo Kongo

Mutoni Eastern African

Muziki Swahili
From Swahili meaning "music". Possibly an occupational name for a musician.

Muzorewa Shona
Meaning unknown.

Mvuezolo Central African

Mwalimu African

Mwamba Bemba

Mwaruwari Shona
Meaning unknown.

Mwepu African

Mweushi African
salute to a king or chief spokesman.literally means "your excellency" or "your majesty". and is usually followed by another name and not used alone.

Nadie African

Nagoli Southern African

Naidoo South African, Indian (Expatriate)
Variant of Naidu used by South Africans of Indian descent.

Nakaayi Eastern African

Nakathila Southern African, Ovambo

Nala South African

Namkoisse Central African, Eastern African (Rare)
Meaning unknown.

Nanyondo Eastern African

Naomi Melanesian, Nigerian, Swahili

Nashua South African

Nassor African

Nazari Swahili

Ndakara Central African

Ndawanah African

Ndiaye Western African

N’diaye Western African

Ndicka Western African

Ndlovu Southern African, Ndebele, Zulu
Derived from Ndebele or Zulu indlovu meaning "elephant".

Ndong Central African

N’dong Western African

Ndori Southern African

Ndour Western African

N’dri Western African (Rare)
The meaning behind N’Dri is “ Nearby the river “

Ndungu African

Ndzengue Central African (?)
Unknown. One notable bearer of the surname is Fahd Richard Ndzengue Moubeti, a Gabonese professional footballer.

Nel Afrikaans

Nemour Northern African, Arabic (Maghrebi)

Nenganga Central African

Nenge Tiv
Means, "see".

Nengomasha Shona
Meaning unknown.

Ngabu Central African, Kongo

Nganga Central African

Ngazu Central African

Ngele Tswana

Ngo Central African

Ngoy Central African
Means "lion" in Baluba cultures, identifying someone from a warrior or hunting family.

Ngozi Igbo
From the given name Ngozi.

Nguite Central African

Ngumba Kongo
From Kongo meaning "mountain".

Niang Western African, Wolof
Refers to a member of the Deme, a Wolof clan whose symbol is the donkey.

Nikala African

Nikobimeze Eastern African

Nimbo African

Ninga Central African

Njie African
It means path finder. It is an African surname only 11 people in the UK have this surname

Njoku Nigerian, Igbo

Nkalubo Ganda

Nkenge Kongo

Nkomo Xhosa (Modern, Archaic), Zulu (Modern, Archaic)
Southern African, Nguni Nomadic meaning "Dairy/Milk Cow or Southern African long-horn Cow".

Nkosi Southern African, Zulu, Chewa
Derived from Zulu and Chewa inkosi meaning "chief, king".

Nkrumah Western African
It is of Akan origin meaning "Great".

Nkurunziza Eastern African
Burundian surname meaning "good news". It is also the most common surname in the country.

Nogo Mossi
Not available.

Nombeko South African

Noor Arabic, Urdu, Somali, Bengali, Persian
Variant transcription of Nur.

Nouken Central African, Cameroonian

Nsenga Central African

Nshimirimana Central African
Means "I thank God" in Burundian.

Nto Nigerian

Ntsako South African

Ntsimango African, South African

Nua African
Means "second daughter" in African.

Nunes South African (Anglicized, Archaic, Expatriate)
An English South African Surname.

Nuur Arabic, Somali
From the given name Nuur.

Nwaloka Nigerian

Nwankwo Igbo
From the given name Nwankwo.

Nwaoloko Nigerian

Nwude Igbo
The surname Nwude is likely of Igbo origin, a major ethnic group in Nigeria. In the Igbo language, Nwude (or Nwodi) can be a combination of two elements:... [more]

Nyandeng African

Nyasi Swahili
From Swahili meaning "grass, grassland".

Nyirenda African

Nyona African

Nyong’o Luo
Best known as the surname of a certain Lupita.

Obaro Nigerian

Obi Nigerian

Odei African

Odendaal Afrikaans
Afrikaans form of Odenthal.

Oderasak Yoruba (Rare)
It is Yoruba mispronunciation of the the name Oscar. It was a middle name that became a last name.

Odetoyinbo Igbo

Odhiambo Eastern African, Luo
East African surname derived from the given name Odhiambo meaning “born in the evening”.

Odige French, African

Odoemene Nigerian
Odoemene roots from Nigeria. It has branched onward to America, and multiple other countries. It literally means 'yellow reluctance' in Igbo.

Odusanya Yoruba

Ogunmolu Igbo

Ogunmolu Yoruba

Ogunsemilore Nigerian

Ogunwe Nigerian

Ogyampah Akan
Meaning unknown.

Ohene-agyekum Akan

Okinikan Nigerian

Okolie Nigerian

Okoturo Nigerian
A surname most popular in Nigeria; meaning currently unknown.

Okwabi African (Anglicized, ?)
unknown

Oladayo Nigerian

Oladipo Yoruba

Oladunni Nigerian

Olajide African, Western African, Nigerian, Yoruba

Olaore Nigerian

Olatunji Yoruba
"Olatunji" is a Yoruba surname and a given name meaning "Wealth awakes again".

Olwagen Afrikaans

Omadara Nigerian

Omar Arabic, Somali (Arabized), Filipino, Maguindanao, Maranao, Tausug
From the given name Umar.

Onai Shona
Onai means "See, observe". #It is a name that calls the hearer to see or observe that which happened".

Ongai Shona
It is a form of the Shona name Vongai.

Oni Nigerian

Onyango Luo

Onyedika Nigerian

Onyilogwu Nigerian (Rare), Igbo (Rare)
Possibly means "he who is invulnerable to dark magic" in Igbo.

Oosthuizen South African
Came from a village in the Dutch province of North Holland.

Oparei Nigerian

Ope Nigerian

Opira Eastern African

Opoku Akan

Orelias Nigerian (Latinized, Modern, Rare), Italian (Tuscan), Venetian
Means "golden", when coupled with a first name becomes "the golden". Varied from Orelia, "golden".... [more]

Orishe African

Oryema Eastern African

Osae Western African

Osas Somali
Variant of Ossas

Osei Western African
Very popular surname in Ghana.

Osei Ghanian, Akan
This name is of Ghanaian, Akan, and Fante origin and means "noble, honorable"

Ossas Somali

Osy Nigerian
From Imo, Nigeria

Otina African

Otuk African

Ouahmed Berber, Northern African
Kabyle name meaning "son of Ahmed", from the Berber prefix ou- meaning "son (of)" combined with the Arabic name Ahmed (chiefly Algerian).

Ouattara Western African, Manding
From the name of the Wattara or Watara clan of the Dyula people, believed to be derived from a word meaning "prince".

Oubeid Western African
Mauritanian variant of Obeid (see Ubayd).

Ouko Luo

Oumarou Western African
From the given name Oumarou.

Ousman Western African
From the given name Ousman.

Ousmane Western African
From the given name Ousmane.

Ouyahia Berber, Northern African
Means "son of Yahia", from the Berber prefix ou- meaning "son (of)" combined with the Arabic given name Yahia (chiefly Algerian).

Owo Nigerian
From the given name Owo.

Owusu Western African, Akan
Means "strong-willed, determined" in Akan.

Ọyáwálé Yoruba, Nigerian
Means "the river goddess came home" in Yoruba.

Oyekan Yoruba
Means "the next to be crowned" in Yoruba.

Oyiakwan Akan
Meaning unknown.

Oyinvwi Urhobo
A name from the history of the urhobo culture. It's been noted that the name indicate strength and is the name attached to it. The important vice of the tradition. Leads trivial matters in hope for liberty.

Oyuela Spanish, Western African
The surname Oyuela is likely of Spanish or African (specifically, West African) origin, with roots in both linguistic and cultural traditions.... [more]

Pambo Western African

Panashe African

Panguana Eastern African

Pappoe Akan

Pascoal Portuguese, Central African
From the given name Pascoal.

Patisa African

Paulo Portuguese, Central African

Pegado Portuguese, Central African

Pemba Central African

Penda Wolof
Penda stems from the Swahili “kupenda” = to love/like/be pleasant. Notable bearer was Fara Penda, a Waalo noble of the Wolof people in West Africa. Waalo was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in in what is now Senegal and Mauritania.

Peres Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Gascon, Breton, Central African
Means "son of Pedro" in Spanish and Portuguese. Means "son of Pere" in Catalan... [more]

Phukuntsi Tswana, Sotho
This surname has multilayered meanings... [more]

Pi Eastern African

Pienaar Afrikaans
Afrikaans form of French Pinard.

Pieters Dutch, South African
Means "son of Pieter".

Pitan Nigerian

Pleasure Nigerian

Pog Central African

Pogba Western African

Pokey Western African

Pongo Central African

Poopedi South African (Rare)

Popoola Yoruba
"The way of the rich man" or "The way of prosperity"

Possy African

Potgieter Afrikaans

Princew South African

Princewil Nigerian
Variant of Princewill.

Princewill Nigerian

Princewilliheme Nigerian

Princewilll Nigerian
Variant of Princewill.

Princewomeodu Nigerian

Princeworld Nigerian

Princeworlu Nigerian

Princeyemmy Nigerian

Prinsloo Afrikaans
Prinsloo is an Afrikaans surname. The name is derived from the dutch word Prins (meaning prince), and a loo suffix meaning clearing in the forest. Variant spellings include Prinzloo and Prinslo.

Psymon Eastern African

Pumpkin African

Quartey Western African, Ga
Ga surname of unknown meaning.

Quizelete Central African

Rajkoomar Mauritian Creole, South African
Variant of Rajkumar used by Mauritian and South African Indians.

Ramadhan Arabic, Urdu, Somali, Persian, Bengali, Dhivehi
From the given name Ramadan.

Ramaphosa Southern African, Venda
Means "the one who is born in the evening" in Venda. This name is borne by the South African president Cyril Ramaphosa (1952-).

Ramazani Central African, Albanian
From the given name Ramadan.

Ramkissoon Trinidadian Creole, Mauritian Creole, South African, South American
Altered form of Ramakrishnan used mainly in Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, South Africa and Guyana. This surname is not used in India.

Ramogi Luo
Meaning unknown.

Rangarirai Shona
Rangarirai means "Remember, think over, consider".

Raphael Eastern African

Raymondo African

Rebecca Eastern African

Reginald Nigerian

Retief Afrikaans
Afrikaans form of Rétif.

Rufaro Shona
It is a form of the Shona name Mufaro.

Rwizi Southern African, Shona

Sadjo Central African

Saed Arabic, Somali, Persian, Urdu, Sindhi, Bengali, Punjabi, Dhivehi
From the given name Sa'id.

Safara Nigerian

Sagwa Eastern African

Sahie African

Said Arabic, Somali, Urdu
From the given name Sa'id.

Saje African

Sajuyigbe Yoruba (Americanized, Rare)
The Sajuyigbe family, with its roots in the Yoruba tribe, carries a rich and complex history. The family is believed to descend from a line of royals that held significant influence in Yorubaland around the time of the Nok culture... [more]

Sako Western African, Manding
From the name of a Soninke and Mandinka clan most likely derived from saaxo meaning "heron, egret".

Sakyi Akan
Meaning unknown.

Samake Western African

Samb Western African

Samoura Fula
Mauritanian Fula Surname, From the name {Sow}

Sandouno Western African
Sandouno is a Kissi surname of an unknown meaning in Sierra Leone and Guinea.

Sandra Central African

Sane Western African

Sangaré Western African, Manding
Unknown.

Sankara Mossi (?), Fula (?)
The surname of the assassinated Burkinabé president Thomas Sankara (1949-1987).

Sanneh Western African

Sanogo Western African