Theory Into The Roots Of African-American Names
Disclaimer: It is not my intention to offend anybody. These are simply my own speculations.
Commonly Used Elements
La+/L’+: French for “the“
Da+/De+/D’+: French for “of“
Ba+: from Yoruba oba meaning “king“
Ti-: Cajun French for “petite”
Tami+: Tamim
Ja+: God
Jerm+: Hebrew for “will exalt,” or shortened form of Jermaine with the “spear” or “neighbor” meaning
Tre+/Tray+: Cornish for “home/town“
Tyr+: Irish Gaelic for “land”
Kyr+: after kyrie, a Christian prayer
Ri+(shawn): Reese
+Von+: Vaughan
+Shon+: Shaun
+Mika/+Misha: shortened feminine form of Michael
+Tanya
+Toya: Latin for “victory”
+a: feminine
+ell/+elle
+antes: used in Latin plural forms
+isha: Hebrew for “woman,” Swahili for “finish, end,” or shortened form of Aisha, which is Arabic for “she who lives” or “womanly”
+ondre/+ondria: Andre/Andrea
Commonly Used Names
Aisha: Arabic for “to be alive“
Andre/Andrea: Greek for “masculine,” rooted in the Ancient Greek word which means “masculine” and “brave/courageous“
Angelo: Italian for “angel“
Ashante: Twi for “warlike,” also the name of a tribe
Chantal: French for “stony place” and “song“
Dante: Latin for “enduring“
Darius: Persian for “possessing goodness“
Jafar: Arabic for “stream“
Jamal: Arabic for “beauty“
Jermaine: Latin for “Germanic,” which has an non-conclusive etymology, but it could mean “spear man” or “neighbor“
Juan: Spanish for the Hebrew name meaning “given by god.”
Kareem: Arabic for “generous/noble“
Keisha/Kizzy: Hebrew for “spice tree/cinnamon“
Lamar: French for “the pool“
Leroy: French for “the king“
Marcus/Marquess: Latin for “belonging to Mars” and Old French for “marsh-ruler“
Michael/Michelle: Hebrew for “Who is like God?“
Montrell: Spanish/Italian for “mountain“
Rashad: Arabic for “good guidance/sense“
Reese: Welsh for “enthusiasm“
Shaka: after Zulu King Shaka
Shafiq: Arabic for “compassionate“
Shaun/Siobhan: Irish Gaelic for the Hebrew name meaning “given by God“
Tamim: Arabic for “strong“
Tanya: diminutive form of “Tatiana“
Toya: diminutive form of “Victoria“
Tyrone: Irish Gaelic for “land of Eoghan“
Vaughn: Welsh for “little/younger“
Wanda: Germanic for “a Wend,” which itself means “friend” in Old Germanic
Commonly Used Combinations
Quan: perhaps a portmanteau of “khan” and “Juan?” Could mean “god-given khan.”
Shauniqua: Shafiq+Shaun
Tamika: Tamim+Mika
Sha’condria: Shaka+Andrea
- BaShawn: a king given by God
- DeAngelo: of an angel
- Demarcus: of (one) belonging to Mars/of a marsh-ruler
- DeShantell: of a stony place/song
- DeVondre: of a young courage
- Devontes: of young ones/of young, enduring ones
- D’Shondra: of a courage given by God
- Jakeisha: God’s spice tree
- JaMichael: who is (a god) like God?
- Jamir: God’s amir
- Jermarcus: a marsh-ruler’s spear/neighbor/a marsh-ruler will exalt
- Jermichael: who is (a neighbor/spear) like God?/who will exalt like God?
- Kmele: Arabic for “complete/full“
- Kyrese: Lord’s enthusiasm
- Kyrie: Lord
- LaKeisha: the spice tree
- LaMichael/LeMisha: who is (the one) like God?
- LaQuan: the god-given khan
- LaTanya: the Tatian
- LaToya: the victory
- LaWanda: the Wend/the friend
- LeShawn: the (man) given by God
- L’Shondra: the courage given by God
- Quandre: the god-given khan is courageous/brave
- Rashaun: good guidance given by God
- Reesha: woman of enthusiasm
- RiShawn: god-given enthusiasm
- Sha’condria: courage of Shaka Zulu
- Shamika: who is compassionate like God?
- Shawnisha: a woman given by God
- Shonda: God-given friend
- Shoniqua: given by a compassionate God
- Tamika: who is (strong) like God?
- Tamisha: compassionate woman
- T’Juan: little (one) given by God
- Trevon: little town
- Tyrese: land of enthusiasm
- VaShawn: young one given by god