Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part I of a three part list on ame origins and meanings for a sample population of famous Black people. Part I provides information for famous Black people whose names begin with the letter A-L.
Part II: M-R and Part III: S-Z will be published ASAP.
Most of the people on this list are African Americans. The names selected for this list are those that I consider to be non-standard (in the United States).
These entries are given in alphabetical order. For the most part, this list focuses on first names (personal names). However, in rare cases, information about the famous person's full name is also given along with the entry of their first name.
DISCLAIMER: This isn't meant to be a comprehensive listing of the name origins/meanings of historically or currently famous Black people in the United States or in the world.
Almost all of the information on this page is quoted from and credited to websites. However, the name meanings that are given here may not be the meaning that the particular celebrity ascribes for his or her name. That may be because the information isn't accurate, or that the the person giving that celebrity that name or the celebrity himself or hersel gave that name another meaning.
****
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Some of these names were included in pages on my cultural blog cocojams.com which I have recently discontinued. After each name meaning, I posted the saying to those inquiring about a name to "wear your name well". That is still my hope.
Additional names may be added to this list. If so, I'll post a date after that name's entry.
Thanks to all those who I quote on this page.
****
LIST OF NAMES
A, B
Aaliyah
From http://www.sudairy.com/arabic/fem.html
"'Aliyah, Aliyyah, Alia, A'lia - Exaulted, elevated, highest social standing"-snip-
Famous person - Aaliya [last name Haughton]
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaliyah
Aaliyah (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was best known as a contemporary R&B/Hip Hop artist.
**
Abbey
"Hebrew Meaning:
From http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/abbey
"The name Abbey is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Abbey is: Father rejoiced, or father's joy. Gives joy. The intelligent, beautiful Abigail was Old Testament King David's third wife, described as 'good in discretion and beautiful in form. "
-snip-
"Abi" is also a prefix for Yoruba names that means "born". ...
The name "Abbey" that was given to enslaved Black females (by other Black people) may have carried these Yoruba (Nigerian) meanings.
Also, read this excerpt about the (contemporary?) Nigerian word "abi), although that may have little to nothing to do with the name "Abbey":
..."the Yorùbás use the words Ṣe and Abi when speaking Pidgin. These are often used at the start or end of an intonated sentence or question. For example, "You are coming, right?" becomes Ṣe you dey come? or You dey come abi?"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Pidgin
-snip-
Famous person- Abbey Lincoln
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Lincoln
"Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010),[1] known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress, who wrote and performed her own compositions. She was a civil rights advocate during the 1960s."
****
Amiri
From http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic
"AMIR (1) أمير m Arabic, Persian, Pakistani, Urdu
Means "commander, prince" in Arabic. This was originally a title, which has come into English as the Arabic loanword emir."
-snip-
I believe that "Amiri" is a KiSwahili form of the male name "Amir".
-snip-
Famous person - Amiri Baraka
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha
"Aretha is a feminine given name that is probably derived from the Greek arete, "virtue"
-snip-
Famous person- Aretha Franklin
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin, (born March 25, 1942), American R&B singer and musician.
****
Barack
A form of the name "Barak"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barak_(given_name)
"The given name Barak, also spelled Barac, Barack, and Baraq represents two distinct Arabic and Hebrew given names, one derived from the Semitic root B-R-K, the other from B-R-Q. These names are distinct in origin and meaning.
The name "Mubarak" (Arabic: مبارك, Mubārak) is an Arabic variation of one of these (see below).
B-R-K
The first consonantal spelling, B-R-K (Arabic: بارك, Bārak, and Hebrew: ברךּ Bārak), is most commonly associated in Arabic with the meaning "blessed" as well as the meanings "to make to kneel down" (said of the camel), "to stoop", and "to cower". In Hebrew, it can be traced from Phoenician, Ugaritic, Aramaic, Akkadian, and Classical Arabic roots having the meanings, "knee", "kneel", "prostrate", "venerate", "bless", "be blessed", and "boon" as well as (camel's, human) "chest" and sometimes "curse" or "blaspheme".[1]:p.48[2]:p.121
In Arabic, the prefix mu- as used in Arabic: مبارك, Mubārak connects the word which follows it with the word before it, making the former an adjective of the latter, hence its use as a surname translates to "the blessed".
B-R-Q[edit]
The consonantal spelling B-R-Q (Arabic: بُراق, Burāq and Hebrew: ברק, Bārāq) is the second form. The meaning of this form in Arabic is "to shine", "to gleam", "to lighten", and "to open widely" (said of the eyes). Similarly, the Hebrew significance is "lightning", "flash", "to give light" and "to be visible".[1]:p.47[2]:p.122"
-snip-
Famous person - Barack Obama, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama, (born August 4, 1961), the 44th United States President
-snip-
Information about the name "Hussein", which is President Barack Obama's middle name:
Arabic male name, meaning "handsome"http://www.20000-names.com/male_arabian_names_4.htm
-snip-
Information about the name "Obama"
From http://www.babynames.com/name/Obama
"From a rare Luo (Kenyan) name, meaning a baby born with bent arm or leg or possibly a breech birth."
-snip-
From http://blog.dictionary.com/barack-obama-name/
"Obama is an ancient Kenyan surname. The name is found frequently among the Luo, the third largest ethnic group in Kenya. It is believed that the name derived from the root word obam, which means “to lean or bend.”"
-snip-
Luo male names traditionally begin with the letter "O" while Luo female names traditionally begin with the letter "A". A Kenyan friend of mine (who is Luo born and raised in Kenyan and is now a United States citizen) shared with me that "Obama" isn't a common Luo name, and he didn't know what that name means.
Here's an excerpt from a blog curated by a Luo that shares information about Luo naming traditions:
"A Luo is given three names. A first name that now more and more often is an international name, as Joseph, Leonard, Florence etc. The second name depends on the conditions of the day or time of the day of birth. For example if it was an early morning or a rainy season. The day Obama was elected as a president, many children was given Obama as their second name!. The third name, the surname, is the fathers second name. Further on the second name starts with an A if it is a girl and an O if it is a boy. Take Josephs second name: Opiyo, which means fast, normally used for the first twin,... But if it would have been a girl instead, the name would have been Apiyo."https://friendspioneer.wordpress.com/kenya/name-giving-traditions/
C, D
Chiwetel
Igbo (Nigeria)- God brings
from http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20766058,00.html
-snip-
Note: the "Chi" prefix marks this as an Igbo (Nigerian) name. That prefix means "God' in Igbo language. "The prefix "Chu" also means "God".
-snip-
Famous person- Chiwetel Ejiofor, a British actor of film, television, and theatre [male],Born on July 10, 1977. Chiwetel was born in Britain of Nigerian (Igbo) parents.
Click http://www.biography.com/people/chiwetel-ejiofor-21333487 information about Chiwetel Ejiofor. According to the Peoples Magazine article given above Chiwetel Ejiofor [is] (pronounced CHOO-it-tell EDGE-ee-o-for).
**((
Beyonce
A form of the surname (last name) "Beyince".
[Read information for Beyonce Knowles-Carter below.
I've not been able to find the meaning of the last name "Beyince".
-snip-
Famous person- Beyonce
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyonc%C3%A9
"Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (born September 4, 1981)[3][4] (/bɨˈjɒnseɪ/ bee-YON-say)[5] is an American singer, songwriter, and actress...
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, to Celestine Ann "Tina" (née Beyincé), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager.[18] Beyoncé's name is a tribute to her mother's maiden name."...
Ftom http://pagesix.com/2013/02/15/beyonce-name-mystery-solved/
Beyoncé’s maternal uncle Roland Beyince revealed at the premiere of her HBO doc “Life Is But a Dream” that the singer’s evocative name was inspired by his side of the family. “My sister Tina [Knowles] didn’t think we had enough boys in the family to keep the [Beyince] name going, so she gave Beyoncé our last name as the first name,” he said. (Or, at least she gave Beyoncé [above] a similar name.)
****
Cabell
From http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Cabell
"This interesting and unusual name is generally considered to be of medieval English origin, and a metonymic occupational name for a maker of ropes, especially those used for maritime purposes. If this is so then the derivation is from the Anglo-Norman-French word of the same spelling, itself a derivative of the Latin 'capulum', meaning a halter, and was presumably an introduction by the followers of William, The Conqueror, after the 1066 invasion of England. The modern spelling variations of the surname include such forms as Cabel, Cable, Cabell and Cabble. The name was originally prominent in Devonshire and Norfolk, in its different spellings, both being counties with strong seafaring associations. However the eminent Victorian etymologist Canon Charles Bardsley considered the surname to be a form of Cubold, an Anglo-Saxon given name from the pre 7th century. Our opinion is that we incline to the Norman-French occupation theory of a maker of ropes."
-snip-
Famous person- Cab Calloway
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cab_Calloway
"Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was a jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, where he was a regular performer"
Condelezza
http://www.behindthename.com/name/condoleezza
"GENDER: Feminine
Meaning & History
In the case of American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice it is derived from the Italian musical term con dolcezza meaning "with sweetness"."
-snip-
Famous person - Condelezza Rice
Condoleezza "Condi" Rice (born November 14, 1954) was the Secretary of State in the administration of US President George W, Bush. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condoleezza_Rice for more information about Condolezza Rice.
****
Cuba
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba
"The name Cuba comes from the Taíno language. The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as 'where fertile land is abundant' (cubao),[22] or 'great place' (coabana).[23] Authors who believe that Christopher Columbus was Portuguese state that Cuba was named by Columbus for the town of Cuba in the district of Beja in Portugal.[24][25]
-snip-
Famous person- Cuba Gooding, Sr.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba_Gooding_Sr.
"Cuba M. Gooding Sr. (born April 27, 1944) is the lead singer of the soul group The Main Ingredient, most notable for its two biggest hits, "Everybody Plays the Fool" (1972) and "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" (1974). Gooding also had a brief solo career on Motown Records during the late-1970s and early-1980s...
Born in New York City, New York, Gooding is a son of Dudley MacDonald Gooding and his wife Addie Alston. The elder Gooding was a native of Barbados who fled the island in 1936 to Cuba, and met and married a woman there. When she was murdered because of their affiliation with Pan Africanist leader Marcus Garvey, Dudley Gooding promised his wife on her deathbed that he would name his first son Cuba. His father died when Cuba was eleven years old.[1]
Famous person - Cuba Gooding, Jr.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba_Gooding_Jr.
"Cuba M. Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American film actor." [son of Cuba Gooding, Sr.)
**
Denzel
From http://www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Denzel
"[The] language of origin is Celtic and it is used largely in the English language. The meaning of the name is 'fort; fertile land'. The first name is derived from the Cornish surname, or else it could be of German roots. The Cornish surname was originally given to someone living in Denzell in Cornwall, England; the ultimate meaning of the place name is uncertain, probably 'fort' or 'fertile land'.
-snip-
Famous person- Denzel Washington
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denzel_Washington
"Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker"
E, F
Eartha
From http://www.behindthename.com/name/eartha
"Combination of the English word earth with the feminine name suffix a."
-snip-
Famous person- Eartha Kitt
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt
"Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American actress, singer, cabaret star, dancer, stand-up comedienne, activist and voice artist"
-snip-
The behindthename.com page for the name "Eartha" also mentions African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974).
**
Erykah
A form of the name "Erica"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_(given_name)
The given name Erika, or Erica, is a feminine form of Eric, deriving from the Old Norse name Eiríkr (or Eríkr in Eastern Scandinavia)"
-snip-
Famous person- Eyrkah Badu,
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erykah_Badu
"Erykah Abi Wright (born Erica Abi Wright; February 26, 1971),[1] better known by her stage name Erykah Badu is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, activist, and actress"...
In her youth, she had decided to change the spelling of her first name from Erica to Erykah, as she believed her original name was a "slave name." The term 'kah' signifies the inner self. She adopted a surname of Badu because it is her favorite jazz scat sound; also, among the Akan people in Ghana, it is the term for the 10th-born child."
G, H
Halle
[surname] information from http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=halle
"German: variant of Hall.French (also Hallé): topographic name from Old French halle, ‘covered market’, from halla ‘covered room’.Dutch and Belgian (van Halle): habitational name from places in Belgium named Halle (Brabant, Antwerp), Hal in North Brabant, or Hall and Halle in Gelderland.Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from the city of Halle, in Saxony, Germany.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
-snip-
Famous person- Halle Berry, From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halle_Berry
"Halle Maria Berry (born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966)[1] is an American actress and former fashion model...
Berry's parents selected her middle name from Halle's Department Store, which was then a local landmark in her birthplace of Cleveland, Ohio"
I, J
India
"India" is a rather familiar female personal name in the United States, particularly among African Americans since the early 1970s. The source of that personal name is the name of nation of India.
Here's information about the meaning of the nation name "India" from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_River
"The Indus River (Urdu: دريائے سِندھ: Darya-e Sindh, Hindi: सिन्धु नदी) is one of the longest rivers in Asia.
The word "Indus" is the romanised form of the ancient Greek word "Indós" (Ἰνδός), borrowed from the old Persian word "Hinduš", which in turn was derived from the Sanskrit word "Sindhu" (सिन्धु pronounced [sɪndʱuː]).[1] The word "Sindhu" or "Sindh" is still the local appellation of the Indus River. The original Sanskrit word "Sindhu" is an amalgamation of two words, "sim" (region or entirety or border) and "dhu" (to tremble or shake) and means "a body of trembling water, river, stream or ocean"....
The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians (people of present-day India and Pakistan) as "Indói" (Ἰνδοί), literally meaning "the people of the Indus".[1] The country of India and the Pakistani province of Sindh owe their names to the river.[2]"...
-snip-
Famous person - India Arie
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Arie
"India.Arie (born India Arie Simpson; October 3, 1975) is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer.[1] She has sold over 3.3 million records in the US and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 21 nominations, including Best R&B Album."...
**
Idris
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_(name)
"Idris is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname.
It is the name (Arabic: إدريس) of Idris the Islamic prophet mentioned in the Qur'an, usually identified with Enoch in the Bible. The original meaning may be "interpreter."[1]"
-snip-
Famous person - Idris Alba
From http://luther.wikia.com/wiki/Idris_Elba
"Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba (born 6 September 1972)[1] is a British television, theatre, and film actor who played John Luther in Luther. He has starred in both British and American productions"
****
Johnetta
a female form of the male personal name "John"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_(given_name)
"John /dʒɒn/ is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Latin Ioannes and Iohannes, which are forms of the Greek name Iōannēs (Ἰωάννης), originally borne by Hellenized Jews transliterating the Hebrew name Yohanan (יוֹחָנָן), "Graced by God", or Yehohanan (יְהוֹחָנָן), "God is Gracious". There are numerous forms of the name in different languages; these were formerly often simply translated as "John" in English but are increasingly left in their native forms (see sidebar).[1]"
-snip-
Famous person: Johnnetta B. Cole
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnetta_B._Cole
"Johnnetta Betsch Cole (born October 19, 1936)[1] is an American anthropologist, educator and museum director. Cole was the first African-American female president of Spelman College, a historically black college, serving from 1987 to 1997. She was president of Bennett College from 2002 to 2007.
Since 2009, she has been Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art, located in Washington, DC.[2] In 2013, the Winston-Salem Chronicle described Cole as a distinguished educator, cultural anthropologist, and humanitarian.[3]"
****
K, L
Kanye
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_(Igbo_name)
"Kanye is an Igbo [Nigeria] name meaning "Let's give" or to give honor, tribute.[1] The name is usually a shorter version of another name e.g. Kanyechukwuekele (let's give God praise) etc.
-snip-
Famous person - Kanye West
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West
"Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, director, entrepreneur, and fashion designer."
****
Kweisi
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kweisi_Mfume
"In the early 1970s, in recognition of his heritage and his success over his beginnings, he [Frizzell Gerald Gray]legally changed his name to Kweisi Mfume, a name from Ghana that translates to "Conquering Son of Kings".
-snip-
It seems likely to me that "Kweisi" is a form of the Akan day name "Kwasi"/"Kwesi" whose meaning is male born on Sunday. http://www.afropedea.org/akan-names.
If so, that traditional Akan [Ghana/Ivory Coast] name was given a completely different meaning.
-snip-
Famous person -Kweisi Mfume
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kweisi_Mfume
"Kweisi Mfume (born Frizzell Gerald Gray; October 24, 1948) is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Maryland's 7th congressional district, serving in the 100th through 104th Congress. On September 12, 2006, he lost a primary campaign for the United States Senate seat that was being vacated by Maryland U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes.
****
Langston
From http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=langston
"Langston Name Meaning: English (mainly West Midlands): habitational name from any of various places, for example Langstone in Devon and Hampshire, named with Old English lang ‘long’, ‘tall’ + stan ‘stone’, i.e. a menhir.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press"
-snip-
Famous person- Langston Hughes
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist.
He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry. Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the negro was in vogue", which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue".[1]
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part I of a three part list on ame origins and meanings for a sample population of famous Black people. Part I provides information for famous Black people whose names begin with the letter A-L.
Part II: M-R and Part III: S-Z will be published ASAP.
Most of the people on this list are African Americans. The names selected for this list are those that I consider to be non-standard (in the United States).
These entries are given in alphabetical order. For the most part, this list focuses on first names (personal names). However, in rare cases, information about the famous person's full name is also given along with the entry of their first name.
DISCLAIMER: This isn't meant to be a comprehensive listing of the name origins/meanings of historically or currently famous Black people in the United States or in the world.
Almost all of the information on this page is quoted from and credited to websites. However, the name meanings that are given here may not be the meaning that the particular celebrity ascribes for his or her name. That may be because the information isn't accurate, or that the the person giving that celebrity that name or the celebrity himself or hersel gave that name another meaning.
****
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Some of these names were included in pages on my cultural blog cocojams.com which I have recently discontinued. After each name meaning, I posted the saying to those inquiring about a name to "wear your name well". That is still my hope.
Additional names may be added to this list. If so, I'll post a date after that name's entry.
Thanks to all those who I quote on this page.
****
LIST OF NAMES
A, B
Aaliyah
From http://www.sudairy.com/arabic/fem.html
"'Aliyah, Aliyyah, Alia, A'lia - Exaulted, elevated, highest social standing"-snip-
Famous person - Aaliya [last name Haughton]
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaliyah
Aaliyah (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was best known as a contemporary R&B/Hip Hop artist.
**
Abbey
"Hebrew Meaning:
From http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/abbey
"The name Abbey is a Hebrew baby name. In Hebrew the meaning of the name Abbey is: Father rejoiced, or father's joy. Gives joy. The intelligent, beautiful Abigail was Old Testament King David's third wife, described as 'good in discretion and beautiful in form. "
-snip-
"Abi" is also a prefix for Yoruba names that means "born". ...
The name "Abbey" that was given to enslaved Black females (by other Black people) may have carried these Yoruba (Nigerian) meanings.
Also, read this excerpt about the (contemporary?) Nigerian word "abi), although that may have little to nothing to do with the name "Abbey":
..."the Yorùbás use the words Ṣe and Abi when speaking Pidgin. These are often used at the start or end of an intonated sentence or question. For example, "You are coming, right?" becomes Ṣe you dey come? or You dey come abi?"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Pidgin
-snip-
Famous person- Abbey Lincoln
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_Lincoln
"Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010),[1] known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress, who wrote and performed her own compositions. She was a civil rights advocate during the 1960s."
****
Amiri
From http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/arabic
"AMIR (1) أمير m Arabic, Persian, Pakistani, Urdu
Means "commander, prince" in Arabic. This was originally a title, which has come into English as the Arabic loanword emir."
-snip-
I believe that "Amiri" is a KiSwahili form of the male name "Amir".
-snip-
Famous person - Amiri Baraka
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha
"Aretha is a feminine given name that is probably derived from the Greek arete, "virtue"
-snip-
Famous person- Aretha Franklin
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin, (born March 25, 1942), American R&B singer and musician.
****
Barack
A form of the name "Barak"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barak_(given_name)
"The given name Barak, also spelled Barac, Barack, and Baraq represents two distinct Arabic and Hebrew given names, one derived from the Semitic root B-R-K, the other from B-R-Q. These names are distinct in origin and meaning.
The name "Mubarak" (Arabic: مبارك, Mubārak) is an Arabic variation of one of these (see below).
B-R-K
The first consonantal spelling, B-R-K (Arabic: بارك, Bārak, and Hebrew: ברךּ Bārak), is most commonly associated in Arabic with the meaning "blessed" as well as the meanings "to make to kneel down" (said of the camel), "to stoop", and "to cower". In Hebrew, it can be traced from Phoenician, Ugaritic, Aramaic, Akkadian, and Classical Arabic roots having the meanings, "knee", "kneel", "prostrate", "venerate", "bless", "be blessed", and "boon" as well as (camel's, human) "chest" and sometimes "curse" or "blaspheme".[1]:p.48[2]:p.121
In Arabic, the prefix mu- as used in Arabic: مبارك, Mubārak connects the word which follows it with the word before it, making the former an adjective of the latter, hence its use as a surname translates to "the blessed".
B-R-Q[edit]
The consonantal spelling B-R-Q (Arabic: بُراق, Burāq and Hebrew: ברק, Bārāq) is the second form. The meaning of this form in Arabic is "to shine", "to gleam", "to lighten", and "to open widely" (said of the eyes). Similarly, the Hebrew significance is "lightning", "flash", "to give light" and "to be visible".[1]:p.47[2]:p.122"
-snip-
Famous person - Barack Obama, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama, (born August 4, 1961), the 44th United States President
-snip-
Information about the name "Hussein", which is President Barack Obama's middle name:
Arabic male name, meaning "handsome"http://www.20000-names.com/male_arabian_names_4.htm
-snip-
Information about the name "Obama"
From http://www.babynames.com/name/Obama
"From a rare Luo (Kenyan) name, meaning a baby born with bent arm or leg or possibly a breech birth."
-snip-
From http://blog.dictionary.com/barack-obama-name/
"Obama is an ancient Kenyan surname. The name is found frequently among the Luo, the third largest ethnic group in Kenya. It is believed that the name derived from the root word obam, which means “to lean or bend.”"
-snip-
Luo male names traditionally begin with the letter "O" while Luo female names traditionally begin with the letter "A". A Kenyan friend of mine (who is Luo born and raised in Kenyan and is now a United States citizen) shared with me that "Obama" isn't a common Luo name, and he didn't know what that name means.
Here's an excerpt from a blog curated by a Luo that shares information about Luo naming traditions:
"A Luo is given three names. A first name that now more and more often is an international name, as Joseph, Leonard, Florence etc. The second name depends on the conditions of the day or time of the day of birth. For example if it was an early morning or a rainy season. The day Obama was elected as a president, many children was given Obama as their second name!. The third name, the surname, is the fathers second name. Further on the second name starts with an A if it is a girl and an O if it is a boy. Take Josephs second name: Opiyo, which means fast, normally used for the first twin,... But if it would have been a girl instead, the name would have been Apiyo."https://friendspioneer.wordpress.com/kenya/name-giving-traditions/
C, D
Chiwetel
Igbo (Nigeria)- God brings
from http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20766058,00.html
-snip-
Note: the "Chi" prefix marks this as an Igbo (Nigerian) name. That prefix means "God' in Igbo language. "The prefix "Chu" also means "God".
-snip-
Famous person- Chiwetel Ejiofor, a British actor of film, television, and theatre [male],Born on July 10, 1977. Chiwetel was born in Britain of Nigerian (Igbo) parents.
Click http://www.biography.com/people/chiwetel-ejiofor-21333487 information about Chiwetel Ejiofor. According to the Peoples Magazine article given above Chiwetel Ejiofor [is] (pronounced CHOO-it-tell EDGE-ee-o-for).
**((
Beyonce
A form of the surname (last name) "Beyince".
[Read information for Beyonce Knowles-Carter below.
I've not been able to find the meaning of the last name "Beyince".
-snip-
Famous person- Beyonce
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyonc%C3%A9
"Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (born September 4, 1981)[3][4] (/bɨˈjɒnseɪ/ bee-YON-say)[5] is an American singer, songwriter, and actress...
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, to Celestine Ann "Tina" (née Beyincé), a hairdresser and salon owner, and Mathew Knowles, a Xerox sales manager.[18] Beyoncé's name is a tribute to her mother's maiden name."...
Ftom http://pagesix.com/2013/02/15/beyonce-name-mystery-solved/
Beyoncé’s maternal uncle Roland Beyince revealed at the premiere of her HBO doc “Life Is But a Dream” that the singer’s evocative name was inspired by his side of the family. “My sister Tina [Knowles] didn’t think we had enough boys in the family to keep the [Beyince] name going, so she gave Beyoncé our last name as the first name,” he said. (Or, at least she gave Beyoncé [above] a similar name.)
****
Cabell
From http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Cabell
"This interesting and unusual name is generally considered to be of medieval English origin, and a metonymic occupational name for a maker of ropes, especially those used for maritime purposes. If this is so then the derivation is from the Anglo-Norman-French word of the same spelling, itself a derivative of the Latin 'capulum', meaning a halter, and was presumably an introduction by the followers of William, The Conqueror, after the 1066 invasion of England. The modern spelling variations of the surname include such forms as Cabel, Cable, Cabell and Cabble. The name was originally prominent in Devonshire and Norfolk, in its different spellings, both being counties with strong seafaring associations. However the eminent Victorian etymologist Canon Charles Bardsley considered the surname to be a form of Cubold, an Anglo-Saxon given name from the pre 7th century. Our opinion is that we incline to the Norman-French occupation theory of a maker of ropes."
-snip-
Famous person- Cab Calloway
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cab_Calloway
"Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was a jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, where he was a regular performer"
Condelezza
http://www.behindthename.com/name/condoleezza
"GENDER: Feminine
Meaning & History
In the case of American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice it is derived from the Italian musical term con dolcezza meaning "with sweetness"."
-snip-
Famous person - Condelezza Rice
Condoleezza "Condi" Rice (born November 14, 1954) was the Secretary of State in the administration of US President George W, Bush. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condoleezza_Rice for more information about Condolezza Rice.
****
Cuba
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba
"The name Cuba comes from the Taíno language. The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as 'where fertile land is abundant' (cubao),[22] or 'great place' (coabana).[23] Authors who believe that Christopher Columbus was Portuguese state that Cuba was named by Columbus for the town of Cuba in the district of Beja in Portugal.[24][25]
-snip-
Famous person- Cuba Gooding, Sr.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba_Gooding_Sr.
"Cuba M. Gooding Sr. (born April 27, 1944) is the lead singer of the soul group The Main Ingredient, most notable for its two biggest hits, "Everybody Plays the Fool" (1972) and "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" (1974). Gooding also had a brief solo career on Motown Records during the late-1970s and early-1980s...
Born in New York City, New York, Gooding is a son of Dudley MacDonald Gooding and his wife Addie Alston. The elder Gooding was a native of Barbados who fled the island in 1936 to Cuba, and met and married a woman there. When she was murdered because of their affiliation with Pan Africanist leader Marcus Garvey, Dudley Gooding promised his wife on her deathbed that he would name his first son Cuba. His father died when Cuba was eleven years old.[1]
Famous person - Cuba Gooding, Jr.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba_Gooding_Jr.
"Cuba M. Gooding Jr. (born January 2, 1968) is an American film actor." [son of Cuba Gooding, Sr.)
**
Denzel
From http://www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Denzel
"[The] language of origin is Celtic and it is used largely in the English language. The meaning of the name is 'fort; fertile land'. The first name is derived from the Cornish surname, or else it could be of German roots. The Cornish surname was originally given to someone living in Denzell in Cornwall, England; the ultimate meaning of the place name is uncertain, probably 'fort' or 'fertile land'.
-snip-
Famous person- Denzel Washington
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denzel_Washington
"Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker"
E, F
Eartha
From http://www.behindthename.com/name/eartha
"Combination of the English word earth with the feminine name suffix a."
-snip-
Famous person- Eartha Kitt
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt
"Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American actress, singer, cabaret star, dancer, stand-up comedienne, activist and voice artist"
-snip-
The behindthename.com page for the name "Eartha" also mentions African-American philanthropist Eartha M. M. White (1876-1974).
**
Erykah
A form of the name "Erica"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_(given_name)
The given name Erika, or Erica, is a feminine form of Eric, deriving from the Old Norse name Eiríkr (or Eríkr in Eastern Scandinavia)"
-snip-
Famous person- Eyrkah Badu,
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erykah_Badu
"Erykah Abi Wright (born Erica Abi Wright; February 26, 1971),[1] better known by her stage name Erykah Badu is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, activist, and actress"...
In her youth, she had decided to change the spelling of her first name from Erica to Erykah, as she believed her original name was a "slave name." The term 'kah' signifies the inner self. She adopted a surname of Badu because it is her favorite jazz scat sound; also, among the Akan people in Ghana, it is the term for the 10th-born child."
G, H
Halle
[surname] information from http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=halle
"German: variant of Hall.French (also Hallé): topographic name from Old French halle, ‘covered market’, from halla ‘covered room’.Dutch and Belgian (van Halle): habitational name from places in Belgium named Halle (Brabant, Antwerp), Hal in North Brabant, or Hall and Halle in Gelderland.Jewish (Ashkenazic): habitational name from the city of Halle, in Saxony, Germany.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press
-snip-
Famous person- Halle Berry, From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halle_Berry
"Halle Maria Berry (born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966)[1] is an American actress and former fashion model...
Berry's parents selected her middle name from Halle's Department Store, which was then a local landmark in her birthplace of Cleveland, Ohio"
I, J
India
"India" is a rather familiar female personal name in the United States, particularly among African Americans since the early 1970s. The source of that personal name is the name of nation of India.
Here's information about the meaning of the nation name "India" from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_River
"The Indus River (Urdu: دريائے سِندھ: Darya-e Sindh, Hindi: सिन्धु नदी) is one of the longest rivers in Asia.
The word "Indus" is the romanised form of the ancient Greek word "Indós" (Ἰνδός), borrowed from the old Persian word "Hinduš", which in turn was derived from the Sanskrit word "Sindhu" (सिन्धु pronounced [sɪndʱuː]).[1] The word "Sindhu" or "Sindh" is still the local appellation of the Indus River. The original Sanskrit word "Sindhu" is an amalgamation of two words, "sim" (region or entirety or border) and "dhu" (to tremble or shake) and means "a body of trembling water, river, stream or ocean"....
The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians (people of present-day India and Pakistan) as "Indói" (Ἰνδοί), literally meaning "the people of the Indus".[1] The country of India and the Pakistani province of Sindh owe their names to the river.[2]"...
-snip-
Famous person - India Arie
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Arie
"India.Arie (born India Arie Simpson; October 3, 1975) is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer.[1] She has sold over 3.3 million records in the US and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 21 nominations, including Best R&B Album."...
**
Idris
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_(name)
"Idris is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname.
It is the name (Arabic: إدريس) of Idris the Islamic prophet mentioned in the Qur'an, usually identified with Enoch in the Bible. The original meaning may be "interpreter."[1]"
-snip-
Famous person - Idris Alba
From http://luther.wikia.com/wiki/Idris_Elba
"Idrissa Akuna "Idris" Elba (born 6 September 1972)[1] is a British television, theatre, and film actor who played John Luther in Luther. He has starred in both British and American productions"
****
Johnetta
a female form of the male personal name "John"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_(given_name)
"John /dʒɒn/ is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Latin Ioannes and Iohannes, which are forms of the Greek name Iōannēs (Ἰωάννης), originally borne by Hellenized Jews transliterating the Hebrew name Yohanan (יוֹחָנָן), "Graced by God", or Yehohanan (יְהוֹחָנָן), "God is Gracious". There are numerous forms of the name in different languages; these were formerly often simply translated as "John" in English but are increasingly left in their native forms (see sidebar).[1]"
-snip-
Famous person: Johnnetta B. Cole
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnetta_B._Cole
"Johnnetta Betsch Cole (born October 19, 1936)[1] is an American anthropologist, educator and museum director. Cole was the first African-American female president of Spelman College, a historically black college, serving from 1987 to 1997. She was president of Bennett College from 2002 to 2007.
Since 2009, she has been Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art, located in Washington, DC.[2] In 2013, the Winston-Salem Chronicle described Cole as a distinguished educator, cultural anthropologist, and humanitarian.[3]"
****
K, L
Kanye
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_(Igbo_name)
"Kanye is an Igbo [Nigeria] name meaning "Let's give" or to give honor, tribute.[1] The name is usually a shorter version of another name e.g. Kanyechukwuekele (let's give God praise) etc.
-snip-
Famous person - Kanye West
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanye_West
"Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, director, entrepreneur, and fashion designer."
****
Kweisi
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kweisi_Mfume
"In the early 1970s, in recognition of his heritage and his success over his beginnings, he [Frizzell Gerald Gray]legally changed his name to Kweisi Mfume, a name from Ghana that translates to "Conquering Son of Kings".
-snip-
It seems likely to me that "Kweisi" is a form of the Akan day name "Kwasi"/"Kwesi" whose meaning is male born on Sunday. http://www.afropedea.org/akan-names.
If so, that traditional Akan [Ghana/Ivory Coast] name was given a completely different meaning.
-snip-
Famous person -Kweisi Mfume
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kweisi_Mfume
"Kweisi Mfume (born Frizzell Gerald Gray; October 24, 1948) is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Maryland's 7th congressional district, serving in the 100th through 104th Congress. On September 12, 2006, he lost a primary campaign for the United States Senate seat that was being vacated by Maryland U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes.
****
Langston
From http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=langston
"Langston Name Meaning: English (mainly West Midlands): habitational name from any of various places, for example Langstone in Devon and Hampshire, named with Old English lang ‘long’, ‘tall’ + stan ‘stone’, i.e. a menhir.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press"
-snip-
Famous person- Langston Hughes
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langston_Hughes
James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist.
He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry. Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the negro was in vogue", which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue".[1]
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.