Popular Black baby names

We used data from Georgia, Texas, 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 U.S. are equally popular across races and ethnicities, but some names have special relevance and appeal for parents of Black baby boys and girls. Read on for some of the most popular Black baby names.

Black baby girl names

Aaliyah

Aaliyah, pronounced ah lee yah, means "exalted" in Arabic (Ali is the masculine form). For decades, Aaliyah has been in the top 100 baby girl names in the U.S. and among BabyCenter parents. Famous women with this name include the late R&B singer Aaliyah and American sprinter Aaliyah Brown.

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." Well-known Destinys include actress Destiny Lightsy and track and field athlete Destiny Carter.

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. Imani has been in the top 1,000 names in the U.S. since 1990 – perhaps due to the influence of Somali supermodel and beauty icon Iman.

Jada

Jada is a short and sweet name, but full of meaning: it means "wise" in Hebrew. And in Arabic, Jayda means something that's good. The name Jada may also be related to the gemstone Jade. It's been a popular name for girls in the U.S. since 1980. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is perhaps the most famous person who bears this elegant name.

Laila

More than one language holds claim to the name Laila. In Scandinavian it can mean both "night" and "holy;" in Arabic it means "night" or "dark;" and in Finnish, it translates to "wise." Famous Lailas include boxing champion Laila Ali and singer-songwriter Laila Wahlgren. The variation Layla is also popular.

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 that appears as a sudden, bright light that gradually fades into the night sky. While Nova isn't a new name, it's been exploding in popularity recently. Nova and Ava were the most popular names for Black baby girls in the state of Georgia in 2020.

Serenity

Serenity means the state of being peaceful, calm, and tranquil. As a name, it's relatively new: It didn't make the Social Security Administration list of popular girls' names until 1997. It's a melodic name with a beautiful meaning. And, it was a top choice for Black baby girls in Texas, Georgia, and New York City in recent years.

Zuri

A Swahili name that means "beautiful," Zuri has been steadily rising in popularity since 2010. Though it's still an unusual name, Zuri became more widely known because of the character Zuri Ross on the Disney Channel shows Jessie and Bunk'd (played by Skai Jackson.) Singer Patti LaBelle has a son named Zuri, and Zuri Hall is an actress and entertainment reporter.

Black baby boy names

Amir

Amir is the Arabic word for "prince," "leader," or "chief". In Persian, it means "immortal." Amir comes from the same word as "emir," a title of nobility used in many parts of the Middle East and Africa (as in the Emir of Kuwait).

Anthony

Meaning "priceless," the name Anthony comes from the Roman name Antonius. It has been in the top 100 names for boys in the U.S. for more than 100 years. It's a popular name worldwide and has numerous variations, including Anthoni, Anton, Antoni, and Antonio. Prominent Anthonys include actors Anthony Mackie and Anthony Anderson.

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.) Caleb is loyal to Moses, and fittingly the name means "faithful" or "brave." Caleb – which can also be spelled Kaleb – appeared on the list of most popular names for Black baby boys for New York City and Georgia.

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." And of course, Carter is also the last name of superstars Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and her husband, Shawn Carter (Jay-Z).

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.) Elijah has been among the top 100 boys' names in the U.S. for more than two decades. The late African-American civil rights leader and Congressman Elijah Cummings is one of the many famous bearers of the name.

Jayden

Jayden means "thankful," and is from Hebrew. It's also spelled as 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.

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). Pronounced mah leek or mah lick, Malik means "owner" or "king" in Arabic.

Xavier

Xavier is pronounced a lot like its meaning, "savior." The name comes from Latin and derives from the Catholic saint Francis Xavier. Xavier was a missionary who traveled around the world teaching Christianity.

Black unisex baby names

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.) Historically, Jordan has been a boy's name – but in recent years it's caught on for girls. Famous Jordans include singer Jordin Sparks and director/actor/comedian Jordan Peele.

Kyrie

Kyrie is a unisex name, but is more common for boys. It comes from the Greek word Kyrios and means "Lord." Early Christians used the phrase Kyrie Eleison, which means "Lord have mercy." One famous Kyrie is basketball star Kyrie Irving.

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.) Royal, King, and Journee (Journey) are similar names that are trending up.

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 (often spelled Londyn), but it's gender neutral.

Zion

Zion comes from 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. It's a beautiful concept for a baby name.