Swahili Baby Names

272 Swahili names with researched meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.

Swahili names are warm, musical and deeply meaningful — many translate to qualities like faith, beauty, peace or strength. Swahili baby names have a natural flow that English speakers take to immediately, and several have become genuine American favorites without losing an ounce of their East African roots.

Popular Swahili Girl Names

Zuri, Imani and Nia are beloved and beautifully compact. Amani and Asha are gentle and hopeful, while Nala, Ayana and Inara feel bright and current.

Strong Swahili Boy Names

Kamari, Omari and Jabari lead with real presence, joined by Amiri, Khari, Bakari and Jelani.

Names That Say Something

This is a tradition where the meaning does the heavy lifting — peace, faith, purpose. Choosing a Swahili name means handing your child a word you actually want said over them every single day.

Every name below links to its own page with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, famous bearers, and a clear audio pronunciation — so you can hear it before you choose.

Swahili Girl Names

Zuri#329 in the U.S.Beautiful; good; from Swahili zuri▶Imani#579 in the U.S.From Swahili imani meaning 'faith,' derived from Arabic iman meaning 'faith' or 'belief,' a cor▶Maliyah#626 in the U.S.A variant of Malia, itself a Hawaiian and Swahili form of Mary, meaning 'beloved' or 'wished-fo▶Amani#678 in the U.S.From Swahili and Arabic amani meaning peace, security, or wishes; in Arabic amani is the plural▶Nia#702 in the U.S.In Swahili, Nia means 'purpose' and is one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa; in Welsh it is a▶Nala#856 in the U.S.From the Swahili and Zulu nala meaning 'successful' or 'beloved'; also shares roots with the Sa▶Amiri#964 in the U.S.Prince or commander; from Arabic amir (leader, prince, ruler)▶Ayana#1107 in the U.S.Beautiful flower; eternal blossom; from Swahili/Somali and Cherokee traditions both using Ayana▶Ayanna#1174 in the U.S.Beautiful flower; eternal blossom; double-n spelling variant of Ayana, from Swahili/Cherokee tr▶Aiyana#1179 in the U.S.Eternal blossom; ai- spelling variant of Ayana/Ayanna, from Cherokee and Swahili traditions mea▶Asha#1196 in the U.S.Hope; from Sanskrit asha (hope, desire, wish); or life (Swahili); or truth/righteousness (Avest▶Jalani#1203 in the U.S.Mighty, powerful, strong; from Swahili jalani (strong, powerful), from Arabic jalal (greatness,▶Sia#1270 in the U.S.Moon▶Emani#1316 in the U.S.Faith, belief, trust in God▶Inara#1339 in the U.S.Ray of light; also a Hittite goddess of the hunt▶Hawa#1651 in the U.S.The Arabic and Swahili form of Eve (Hawwa, حواء), the name of the first woman, traditionally in▶Kenya#1662 in the U.S.A place name from the East African country Kenya, named for Mount Kenya, whose name likely come▶Nya#2077 in the U.S.Often a short form of Nyala or a phonetic variant of names like Nia/Mya. In Swahili contexts it▶Malaika#2201 in the U.S.Angel▶Nyah#2205 in the U.S.Variant of Nia, Swahili 'purpose, intention'; also linked to Irish Niamh 'bright'.▶Khari#2390 in the U.S.kingly, princely, queenly▶

See all 169 swahili girl names →

Swahili Boy Names

Kamari#391 in the U.S.From Swahili and Arabic origins, related to the Arabic qamar meaning moon; used in East African▶Amiri#604 in the U.S.From Arabic amir meaning 'prince,' 'commander,' or 'ruler,' with the possessive suffix -i meani▶Omari#687 in the U.S.From Swahili omari, from Arabic Umar or Omar meaning flourishing, long-lived, or prosperous; us▶Jabari#1022 in the U.S.Brave; fearless; from Swahili jabari (brave, bold), from Arabic jabbar (powerful, compeller)▶Khari#1222 in the U.S.Kingly, of noble birth, royal▶Amani#1272 in the U.S.Peace, tranquility, aspirations▶Jelani#1747 in the U.S.Mighty or great; from the Swahili and Arabic tradition, ultimately connected to the Arabic jali▶Bakari#1876 in the U.S.Swahili male name meaning 'one who will succeed' or 'promising', ultimately influenced by the A▶Asani#2591 in the U.S.rebellious▶Abdallah#2780 in the U.S.Servant of Allah ▶Imani#2838 in the U.S.Faith▶Nakari#3022 in the U.S.Possibly meaning 'listen' or derived from an indigenous place name▶Damiri#3104 in the U.S.From Arabic damir (conscience, inner nature, heart, character), meaning one of good conscience ▶Kahmari#3414 in the U.S.H-styled variant of Kamari, a modern American favorite popularly linked to Swahili kamari/qamar▶Kimani#3555 in the U.S.From East African (Kikuyu/Swahili) — variously 'beautiful and sweet', 'great in spirit', or a K▶Johari#3628 in the U.S.From Swahili johari (via Arabic jawhar), 'jewel, gem, precious stone'; also 'jeweler'▶Kamauri#4245 in the U.S.Modern coinage in the -mauri/-mari family (echoing Kamari/Amari; Swahili 'moonlight' lines); no▶Dacari#4329 in the U.S.Modern coinage joining Da- to a -kari ending (echoing Makari/Zacari; Swahili lines); no single ▶Emani#4336 in the U.S.Spelling of Imani — Swahili/Arabic imani, 'faith, belief, trust'; here for boys▶Kamiri#4481 in the U.S.Modern coinage in the -miri/-mari family (echoing Kamari/Amari; Swahili 'moonlight' lines); no ▶Zuri#4689 in the U.S.From Swahili zuri, 'good, beautiful'; also Hebrew Zuri, 'my rock' (a biblical name); here for b▶

See all 103 swahili boy names →

Explore More Name Origins

English Baby Names American Baby Names Hebrew Baby Names Latin Baby Names Greek Baby Names Arabic Baby Names Spanish Baby Names French Baby Names All Origins →← All Baby Names

Frequently Asked

What are popular Swahili girl names?

Popular Swahili girl names include Zuri, Imani, Nia, Amani and Nala.

What are strong Swahili boy names?

Strong Swahili boy names include Kamari, Omari, Jabari, Amiri and Bakari.

Do Swahili names have meanings?

Yes — meaning is central to the tradition, and most translate to a quality or blessing. Each page lists the sourced meaning with audio pronunciation.

How many Swahili baby names are on More4Kids?

More4Kids lists 272 Swahili baby names, each with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, and an audio pronunciation.