African Last Names

These African last names come from across the continent, from Akan and Yoruba families in the west to Kikuyu, Amhara, Zulu and Shona families further east and south, each listed A to Z with its meaning and home region.

300 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

Abdi

Servant (of God); short for names like Abdullahi (Somali)
Abdisa

Hope (Oromo, Ethiopia)
Abebe

He flourished; flowered (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Abubakar

Father of Bakr; first caliph (Hausa, Nigeria)
Acheampong

Akan family name, Ghana
Addo

Akan family name, Ghana
Adebayo

The crown meets joy (Yoruba, Nigeria)
Aden

Somali form of Adam (Aadan)
Adeyemi

The crown befits me (Yoruba, Nigeria)
Afolabi

Born into wealth and honor (Yoruba, Nigeria)
Agbeko

Ewe name, Ghana and Togo; from agbe, life
Agyeman

Savior of the nation (Akan, Ghana)
Ahidjo

Fula family name (northern Cameroon)
Aït Ahmed

Sons of Ahmed (Kabyle Amazigh, Algeria)
Ajayi

Child born face down (Yoruba, Nigeria)
Akpan

First son (Ibibio, Nigeria)
Alemayehu

I have seen the world (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Alemu

His world (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Ameziane

The young one; the little one (Kabyle Amazigh)
Amoah

Akan family name, Ghana
Amokrane

The great one; the elder (Kabyle Amazigh, Algeria)
Ampofo

Akan family name, Ghana
Amponsah

Akan family name, Ghana
Andrianarivo

Noble of thousands (Malagasy, Madagascar)
Annan

Fourth-born (Akan, Ghana)
Anum

Fifth-born (Akan, Ghana)
Appiah

Akan family name, Ghana
Asante

Of the Asante people (Akan, Ghana)
Asiimwe

Thank God; God be praised (Nkore, Uganda)
Assefa

He expanded (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Atangana

Ewondo family name (Cameroon)
Ayele

He became powerful (Amharic, Ethiopia)

B

Ba

Fula clan name (Senegal and Mauritania)
Babatunde

Father has returned (Yoruba, Nigeria)
Badu

Tenth-born (Akan, Ghana)
Baloyi

Tsonga clan name (South Africa)
Banda

Chewa clan name (Malawi and Zambia)
Bangoura

Susu clan name (Guinea)
Barasa

Luhya family name, Kenya
Bassey

Efik name, possibly from Abasi, God (Nigeria)
Bekele

He has sprouted; grown (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Belay

Superior; above (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Bello

After Sultan Muhammad Bello (Hausa-Fulani, Nigeria)
Benali

Son of Ali (Maghreb)
Berhanu

His light (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Boateng

Akan family name, Ghana
Buthelezi

Zulu clan; Buthelezi chieftaincy (South Africa)
Byaruhanga

Everything belongs to God (Nyoro and Tooro, Uganda)

C

Camara

Mande clan name (Guinea, Senegal)
Cele

Zulu clan name (South Africa)
Chanda

Bemba family name (Zambia)
Chauke

Tsonga clan name (South Africa)
Chigumba

Shona family name (Zimbabwe)
Chissano

Tsonga family name (Mozambique)
Chukwu

God; the great spirit (Igbo, Nigeria)
Cissé

Soninke clan name (Mali, Senegal)
Compaoré

Mossi clan name (Burkina Faso)
Condé

Mande clan name (Guinea)
Coulibaly

Bambara clan name (Mali, Côte d'Ivoire)

D

Danjuma

Son born on Friday (Hausa, Nigeria)
Danquah

Akan family name, Ghana
Darko

Akan family name, Ghana
Deng

Rain; sky deity (Dinka, South Sudan)
Desta

Joy (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Diallo

Fula clan name (Guinea, Senegal, Mali)
Diarra

Lion (Bambara, Mali)
Dibaba

Oromo family name, Ethiopia
Diop

Wolof clan name (Senegal)
Diouf

Serer clan name (Senegal)
Dirie

Somali family name
Dlamini

Royal clan of Eswatini; Zulu and Swazi (South Africa)
Dube

Zebra totem (Ndebele and Zulu)

E

Egal

Somali family name
Essomba

Ewondo family name (Cameroon)
Eze

King (Igbo, Nigeria)

F

Fall

Wolof noble clan (Senegal)
Farah

Joy (Somali, from Arabic)
Faye

Serer clan name (Senegal)
Fikre

My love (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Fotso

Bamileke family name (Cameroon)
Frimpong

Akan family name, Ghana

G

Garang

First man in Dinka tradition (South Sudan)
Gebre

Servant of; as in Gebre-Egziabher (Ethiopia)
Gebremariam

Servant of Mary (Ethiopia and Eritrea)
Gebremedhin

Servant of the Savior (Ethiopia and Eritrea)
Gebreyesus

Servant of Jesus (Ethiopia and Eritrea)
Gemechu

Oromo name, Ethiopia
Getachew

Their lord (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Girma

Majesty; dignity (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Gondwe

Tumbuka clan name (Malawi)
Gueye

Wolof clan name (Senegal)
Guled

Victory; winner (Somali)
Gumbo

Leg; clan totem (Shona, Zimbabwe)
Gumede

Zulu clan name (South Africa)

H

Habimana

It is God who exists (Kinyarwanda, Rwanda)
Haile

Power; might (Ge'ez, Ethiopia)
Hailemariam

Power of Mary (Ethiopia)
Hakizimana

It is God who saves (Kinyarwanda, Rwanda and Burundi)
Hamisi

Born on Thursday (Swahili, Tanzania)
Hersi

Somali family name
Hove

Fish; clan totem (Shona, Zimbabwe)

I

Idir

He lives (Kabyle Amazigh, Algeria)
Ilunga

Luba family name (DR Congo)

J

Jama

Possibly from Arabic jumu'a, gathering (Somali)
Juma

Born on Friday (Swahili, East Africa)

K

Kabila

Luba family name (DR Congo)
Kabongo

Luba family name (DR Congo)
Kaboré

Mossi clan name (Burkina Faso)
Kalala

Luba family name (DR Congo)
Kalonji

Luba family name (DR Congo)
Kamau

Common Kikuyu family name, Kenya
Kamga

Bamileke family name (Cameroon)
Kane

Toucouleur clan name (Senegal and Mauritania)
Kariuki

Reborn; the returned one (Kikuyu, Kenya)
Kasongo

Luba royal name (DR Congo)
Kassa

Compensation; restitution (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Kato

Second-born twin boy (Ganda, Uganda)
Kaunda

Family name of Zambia and Malawi
Kebede

Weighty; honored (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Keita

Royal Mande clan of the Mali Empire
Kenyatta

From kinyata, a Maasai beaded belt (Kenya)
Kgosi

Chief (Tswana, Botswana and South Africa)
Khama

Royal family of the Bamangwato (Tswana, Botswana)
Khumalo

Zulu clan of Mzilikazi (South Africa)
Kibet

Born during the day (Kalenjin, Kenya)
Kidane

My covenant (Ge'ez, Ethiopia and Eritrea)
Kikwete

Kwere family name, Tanzania
Kimani

Kikuyu family name, Kenya
Kimaro

Chagga family name, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Kimutai

Born in the morning (Kalenjin, Kenya)
Kinyanjui

Kikuyu family name, Kenya
Kipchoge

Born near the grain store (Kalenjin, Kenya)
Kiprop

Born during rain (Kalenjin, Kenya)
Kizza

Born after twins (Ganda, Uganda)
Koffi

Born on Friday (Baoulé, Côte d'Ivoire)
Konan

Born on Tuesday (Baoulé, Côte d'Ivoire)
Konaté

Mande clan name (Mali, Guinea)
Kouadio

Born on Monday (Baoulé, Côte d'Ivoire)
Kouakou

Born on Wednesday (Baoulé, Côte d'Ivoire)
Kouamé

Born on Saturday (Baoulé, Côte d'Ivoire)
Kouassi

Born on Sunday (Baoulé, Côte d'Ivoire)
Kwarteng

Akan family name, Ghana

L

Lamptey

Ga family name, Accra, Ghana
Lartey

Ga family name, Accra, Ghana
Lumumba

Tetela family name (DR Congo)
Lyimo

Chagga family name, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

M

Machel

Tsonga-Shangaan family name (Mozambique)
Madiba

Thembu clan name (Xhosa, South Africa)
Mahlangu

Ndebele clan name (South Africa)
Manu

Second-born (Akan, Ghana)
Masanja

Sukuma family name, Tanzania
Maseko

Swazi and Ngoni clan name (southern Africa)
Massawe

Chagga family name, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Mathebula

Tsonga clan name (South Africa)
Mazibuko

Zulu clan name (South Africa)
Mbarga

Beti family name (Cameroon)
Mbaye

Wolof clan name (Senegal)
Mbuyi

Luba name, associated with twins (DR Congo)
Mbwana

Master; young lord (Swahili, Tanzania)
Mekonnen

Noble; officer (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Mengistu

His kingdom (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Mensah

Third-born son (Akan, Ghana)
Mhlanga

Reed (Ndebele and Zulu)
Mhlongo

Zulu clan name (South Africa)
Mkhize

Zulu clan name (South Africa)
Mlambo

River (Ndebele, Zimbabwe)
Mofokeng

Sotho clan name (South Africa and Lesotho)
Mohamud

Praised (Somali form of Mahmud)
Mokoena

Of the crocodile totem (Sotho, South Africa)
Molefe

Possibly one who pays (Tswana and Sotho, South Africa)
Motaung

Of the lion totem (Sotho, South Africa)
Moyo

Heart; clan totem (Shona, Zimbabwe)
Mpofu

Eland (Ndebele, Zimbabwe)
Mthembu

Zulu clan name (South Africa)
Mthethwa

Zulu clan; Dingiswayo's people (South Africa)
Mudau

Venda clan name (South Africa)
Mugabo

Man; husband (Kinyarwanda, Rwanda)
Mugisha

Blessing (Kiga and Nkore, Uganda)
Mukasa

After Mukasa, lake deity (Ganda, Uganda)
Mukendi

Luba family name (DR Congo)
Mulenga

Bemba family name (Zambia)
Mulugeta

Lord of all (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Mulumba

Luba family name (DR Congo)
Mumba

Bemba family name (Zambia)
Mushi

Chagga family name, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Musyoka

Possibly one who returns (Kamba, Kenya)
Mutasa

Shona dynastic name (Zimbabwe)
Mutua

Kamba family name, Kenya
Mwale

Chewa and Nsenga clan name (Zambia, Malawi)
Mwangi

Kikuyu name, after the Mwangi ruling generation (Kenya)
Mwinyi

Owner; lord (Swahili, Tanzania)

N

Ncube

Ndebele totem name (Zimbabwe)
Ndiaye

Wolof clan name (Senegal)
Ndlovu

Elephant (Zulu and Ndebele, southern Africa)
Ndongo

Beti family name (Cameroon)
Ndour

Serer clan name (Senegal)
Negash

King; ruler (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Ngcobo

Zulu clan name (South Africa)
Ngoy

Luba family name (DR Congo)
Niang

Wolof clan name (Senegal)
Niyonzima

It is God who lives (Kirundi, Burundi)
Njoroge

Kikuyu family name, Kenya
Nkosi

King; lord (Zulu, South Africa)
Nkrumah

Ninth-born (Akan, Ghana)
Nshimiyimana

I thank God (Kinyarwanda, Rwanda)
Nsiah

Sixth-born (Akan, Ghana)
Nsimba

First-born twin (Kongo, DR Congo and Angola)
Nsubuga

Ganda family name, Uganda
Ntuli

Zulu clan name (South Africa)
Nwachukwu

Child of God (Igbo, Nigeria)
Nwosu

Igbo family name, Nigeria; meaning debated, possibly child of a deity
Nyamekye

Gift from God (Akan, Ghana)
Nyathi

Buffalo (Ndebele, Zimbabwe)
Nyirenda

Tumbuka clan name (Malawi and Zambia)
Nyoni

Bird (Ndebele, Zimbabwe)
Nzuzi

Second-born twin (Kongo, DR Congo and Angola)

O

Obi

Heart; homestead (Igbo, Nigeria)
Ocen

Second-born twin boy (Acholi, Uganda)
Ochieng

Born when the sun shines (Luo, Kenya)
Odhiambo

Born in the evening (Luo, Kenya)
Odongo

Second-born twin (Luo, Uganda and Kenya)
Oduor

Born around midnight (Luo, Kenya)
Ofori

Akan family name, Ghana
Ogunleye

Ogun has dignity (Yoruba, Nigeria)
Ojo

Boy born with the cord around his neck (Yoruba, Nigeria)
Okafor

Male born on Afor market day (Igbo, Nigeria)
Okeke

Male born on Eke market day (Igbo, Nigeria)
Okello

Born after twins (Acholi and Lango, Uganda)
Okonkwo

Male born on Nkwo market day (Igbo, Nigeria)
Okoth

Born during the rains (Luo, Kenya)
Olawale

Wealth has come home (Yoruba, Nigeria)
Omondi

Born at dawn (Luo, Kenya)
Onana

Beti family name (Cameroon)
Onyango

Born in the late morning (Luo, Kenya)
Opio

First-born twin boy (Acholi, Uganda)
Opoku

Akan family name, Ghana
Osei

Akan name, Ghana; traditionally said to mean noble
Otieno

Born at night (Luo, Kenya)
Ouédraogo

Stallion (Mossi, Burkina Faso)
Ouma

Possibly born face down (Luo, Kenya)
Owino

Possibly born with the cord around the neck (Luo)
Owusu

Akan name, Ghana; possibly one who clears the way

P

Phiri

Hill (Chewa, Malawi and Zambia)

Q

Quaye

Ga family name, Accra, Ghana

R

Radebe

Zulu and Sotho clan name (South Africa)
Rakotoarisoa

Good boy (Malagasy, Madagascar)
Rakotomalala

Beloved boy (Malagasy, Madagascar)
Ramadhani

Born during Ramadan (Swahili, Tanzania)
Rotich

Possibly born when cattle went to pasture (Kalenjin)

S

Sangaré

Fula clan name (Mali)
Sani

Second-born (Hausa, Nigeria)
Sarpong

Akan family name, Ghana
Sarr

Serer clan name (Senegal)
Sawadogo

Mossi clan name (Burkina Faso)
Seck

Wolof clan name (Senegal)
Seyoum

Appointed one (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Shabalala

Zulu clan name (South Africa)
Shabani

Born in the month of Sha'ban (Swahili, Tanzania)
Shumba

Lion (Shona, Zimbabwe)
Sibanda

Lion totem (Ndebele, Zimbabwe)
Simiyu

Born in the dry season (Luhya, Kenya)
Sithole

Zulu and Ndebele clan name (southern Africa)
Sow

Fula clan name (Senegal and Guinea)
Swai

Chagga family name, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Sy

Toucouleur Fula clan name (Senegal)
Sylla

Soninke clan name (Guinea, Senegal)

T

Tadesse

He has renewed (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Tau

Lion (Sotho and Tswana)
Tekle

Plant; seedling (Ge'ez, Ethiopia)
Tembo

Elephant (Chewa and Ngoni, Zambia and Malawi)
Tesfaye

My hope (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Tetteh

Ga-Adangbe family name, Ghana
Thiam

Wolof clan name (Senegal)
Touré

Mande clan name (Mali, Guinea)
Traoré

Bambara-Mande clan name (Mali)
Tsegaye

My grace (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Tshibangu

Luba family name (DR Congo)
Tshuma

Ndebele family name (Zimbabwe)
Tumusiime

Let us praise God (Kiga, Uganda)

U

Uwimana

Child of God (Kinyarwanda, Rwanda)

W

Wade

Wolof clan name (Senegal)
Wafula

Born during the rains (Luhya, Kenya)
Wairimu

Linked to the Airimu clan (Kikuyu, Kenya)
Wambui

Linked to the Ambui clan (Kikuyu, Kenya)
Wangari

Linked to the Angari (leopard) clan (Kikuyu, Kenya)
Wanjala

Born during famine (Luhya, Kenya)
Wanjiku

Linked to the Anjiku clan (Kikuyu, Kenya)
Wanjiru

Linked to the Anjiru clan (Kikuyu, Kenya)
Wanyama

Possibly born at a time of meat or feasting (Luhya)
Warsame

Bearer of good news (Somali)
Wasswa

First-born twin boy (Ganda, Uganda)
Wekesa

Born at harvest time (Luhya, Kenya)
Wolde

Son of; as in Wolde-Mariam (Ethiopia)
Woldemariam

Son of Mary (Ethiopia and Eritrea)
Worku

His gold; golden (Amharic, Ethiopia)

Y

Yao

Born on Thursday (Baoulé, Côte d'Ivoire)

Z

Zewdu

His crown (Amharic, Ethiopia)
Zongo

Mossi family name (Burkina Faso)
Zulu

Heaven; sky (Zulu, South Africa)
Zungu

Zulu clan name (South Africa)

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Senghor

Serer name, possibly from Portuguese senhor (Senegal)
Quaye

Ga family name, Accra, Ghana
Gemechu

Oromo name, Ethiopia
Mpofu

Eland (Ndebele, Zimbabwe)
Amoah

Akan family name, Ghana
Kassa

Compensation; restitution (Amharic, Ethiopia)

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African last names and meanings by region

The meanings in the list above follow a few broad patterns, and they change as you move across the map. In Ghana, many Akan names record birth order: Manu is a second-born, Annan a fourth-born, Nsiah a sixth-born and Nkrumah a ninth-born, while Mensah marks a third-born son. In Kenya, Luo names such as Otieno, Odhiambo and Ochieng point to the time of day a child arrived, with Otieno linked to the night and Ochieng to the midday sun.

Further south, Nguni names such as Dlamini, Nkosi, Khumalo and Ndlovu are clan names, and Ndlovu means elephant, while Nkosi means king or lord. Ethiopian names work differently again. Tesfaye (my hope), Bekele (he has grown) and Haile (power) are really a father's or grandfather's given name used as a family name, and compounds with Gebre, servant of, or Wolde, son of, give names like Gebremariam and Woldemariam. Reading the region beside each meaning tells you which system you are looking at.

West African last names from Ghana to Senegal

West Africa supplies a large share of the list. Akan names from Ghana, such as Mensah, Owusu, Boateng, Asante and Osei, sit beside Ga names from Accra like Tetteh, Quaye and Lartey, and Ewe names such as Agbeko. In Côte d'Ivoire, Baoulé families use day names as surnames, so Kouassi means born on Sunday and Koffi born on Friday. Nigeria adds Yoruba names built from short meaningful pieces, Igbo names that often invoke Chukwu, meaning God, and Hausa names drawn from Islamic tradition.

Further west, the Sahel and the Atlantic coast have their own family names, often called sant in Wolof. Diop, Ndiaye, Fall and Sarr are typical of Senegal, while Keita, Traoré, Coulibaly and Diarra are strongly tied to Mali and the old Mande world, and Keita is the name of the founder of the Mali Empire. Fulani names such as Diallo, Sow and Ba travel across several countries. Many of these names are familiar abroad through footballers, musicians and politicians.

Common African last names and how to use them

Names you will meet again and again include Mensah and Owusu in Ghana, Okafor, Adeyemi and Bello in Nigeria, Kamau and Otieno in Kenya, Dlamini and Nkosi in South Africa, Moyo and Ncube in Zimbabwe, and Diallo and Traoré across the Sahel. Arabic-origin names such as Juma and Hamisi, meaning born on Friday and born on Thursday in Swahili, are widespread in East Africa, and Tanzanian names like Mushi and Massawe come from the Chagga communities around Kilimanjaro.

The search box is the fastest way to use a long list like this. It checks both names and meanings, so typing a people such as Akan, Zulu or Amhara, or a word such as born or king, gathers related names together. The letter bar jumps straight to a section, which helps with crowded letters like M and N. Spellings follow common national usage, so Kouassi keeps its French form and Mwangi its Kenyan one.

Frequently asked questions

Do African last names always have a meaning?

Most do, because many began as given names, praise names or descriptions of a birth. Some, like Nkrumah (ninth-born) or Kouadio (born on Monday), translate neatly. Others, like Boateng or Frimpong, are old lineage names whose original sense is uncertain, and the list marks those as family names instead of guessing.

Why do the same names appear in several African countries?

Borders drawn in the colonial era cut across older kingdoms and peoples. Fulani families live from Senegal to Cameroon, Mande names like Traoré and Keita span Mali, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, and Nguni names such as Dlamini are shared by South Africa and Eswatini. A name often tells you the people before the country.

What does Mensah mean?

Mensah is an Akan name from Ghana given to a third-born son. It is one of several Akan birth order names, alongside Manu for a second-born, Annan for a fourth-born and Badu for a tenth-born. Because it became a family name generations ago, a Mensah today need not be a third child.

Are Ethiopian and Somali names on this list?

Yes. Ethiopian names such as Tesfaye, Bekele, Kebede and Haile appear, as do Somali names like Farah, Warsame and Abdi. In both countries the family name is usually a father's or grandfather's given name, so it works a little differently from the fixed inherited names common in West and Southern Africa.