90 Names Meaning Black: For Boys and Girls

If you’re struggling to find alternative names meaning black for your bundle of joy, don’t panic because we’ve got you covered. Whether it’s black names for girls or boys or just names that mean black, you’re sure to find what you are looking for.

From mysterious black names to the downright bizarre, black names can be a cool monicker to give your child. And you don’t need to be a POC (person of color) to get inspiration from our definitive list.

31 Incredible Black Names for Girls

Okay, strap in because we are going to tour the names meaning black, so let’s kick off with the girls first.

1. Adriene – is Latin for “dark one,” Adriene also means “woman of Adria” and is a derivative of Adriane.
2. Blakely – a female name from old English meaning “woodland clearing.”
3. Catahecassa – a Native American girl name meaning “black hoof” and the name of a famous 18th-century chief.
4. Charna – Slavic, derived from the Yiddish for “black,” could be considered unisex.
5. Ciardha – comes from medieval Irish and is a derivative of Ciar, meaning “black,” with the same meaning and mythology.
6. Donella – a female Elfin name that means “girl with dark hair.”
7. Duna – means “little dark one” or “tall and confident like a hill.”
8. Ebony – ebony wood is exceptionally dark in color and shines like glass when highly polished.
9. Fuscienne – is a French word meaning “black” and a derivative of Fascienne, meaning “dark beauty.”
10. Inola/Inali – is another Native American name that means “black fox” and a great alternative girl’s name.
11. Kali – means “black one” in Sanskrit and is the name of a fearsome Hindu goddess and dark warrior.
12. Kara – in Ottoman, Kara translates as “courageous,” but it means “black or dark” in Turkish.
13. Keira – a derivative of Keira or Kier, meaning “dark-haired woman.”
14. Lilith – known as a night demon in Mesopotamian mythology; hence the translation of “ghost or night monster.”
15. Lila – in Arabic, Lila means “night,” but translates as “play” in Sanskrit.
16. Lela – meaning “ night,” Lela is a good choice if your daughter was born at night and has dark hair.
17. Leylah – from the Arabic, meaning “dark or night,” and can be spelled Leila, Laila, or Layla.
18. Luna – while Luna is the Latin for “moon,” there is a dark moon.
19. Maureen – a girl’s name with a dark underbelly; Maureen derives from Mairin and means “dark or bitter.”
20. Melaina – comes from Greek mythology and was the name of a dark nymph.
21. Melanie – is an English/German/French word derived from the Latin name Melania.
22. Merel – a Dutch name meaning “blackbird,” also spelled Merrell, Murial, or Muriel.
23. Neesha – a pretty option among black names for girls, meaning “dark night or dusky period.”
24. Nigella – is the female twin of Nigel and derives from the Latin botanical name meaning “black.”
25. Rosa – the Latin girl name for “rose,” best twinned with Black as a surname for Black Rose.
26. Sable – derived from the North-Asian furred mammal, meaning “black” in English.
27. Sevda – a Turkish female name meaning “love and infatuation,” meaning “black bile, sadness, and melancholy” in Arabic.
28. Shyama – from the Sanskrit word meaning “dark black or blue.”
29. Shyamal – a derivative of Shyama, and bears the same meaning.
30. Tamal – of Indian origin, meaning “dark tree.”
31. Urraca – rooted in ancient European royalty and is considered a German word for “blackbird or magpie.”

25 Unbelievable Black Names for Boys

With plenty of masculine examples to choose from, you will be spoilt for choice.

1. Blakemore – of English origin, meaning “of the dark moor.”
2. Bron – meaning a “dark or brown man,” Brona is the female derivative, meaning “dark-haired.”
3. Bruno – a Latin word meaning “of dark complexion.”
4. Cole – famous people with the name include Cole Porter, the celebrated songwriter, meaning “swarthy.”
5. Coleridge – refers to “a dark ridge or mountain.”
6. Colt – means “coming from a dark town without a light source” – perfect for a cool, ghetto boy.
7. Corbett – if your child has a head of dark hair, consider Corbett as a suitable name.
8. Dade – in Latin, Dade means “dark and moody,” which might not seem obvious as a name.
9. Darcus – means “dark or strong one,” a charming pick among names that mean black for boys.
10. Delaney – means “one who performs dark challenges.”
11. Dooley – in mythology, Dooley is a hero with dark hair and skin.
12. Douglas – has Scottish origins meaning “black water,” and was originally a Celtic river name.
13. Doyle – a mysterious pick among black names for boys, meaning “dark stranger” in Irish.
14. Ferrer – can be spelled Fabre and derives from France and Catalonia, meaning “blacksmith.”
15. Glenden – means “from the dark glen or valley” and is a variation of Glen.
16. Jett – after the black mineral used in jewelry.
17. Kier – is an Irish boy’s name meaning “black or dark.”
18. Krishna – means “black” and is the name of the top Hindu God.
19. Maurice – is a common US name, but it has roots in Moorish, meaning “dark-skinned person.”
20. Neil – a medieval Latinized version of Nigellus or Nigel.
21. Nigel – is a derivative of the Latin word “niger,” meaning “black.”
22. Niro – in Latin, Niro means “strong, vigorous, and dark.”
23. Siavash – is a Persian word meaning “possessing black stallions.”
24. Smith – derives from “blacksmith,” which originates from Smite (meaning “to hit”).
25. Sullivan – has roots in old Irish, meaning “eye, dark, black,” and became popular in the U.S. in the 90s.

34 Outstanding Unisex Black Names

Luckily, you get plenty of opportunities to select a unisex name meaning black.

1. Blackwell – is gender-neutral and derives from the English “dark stream” or “black stream.”
2. Blake – of old English roots, meaning “black,” traditionally a masculine monicker.
3. Blakeney – another unisex name with roots in Old English, meaning “from The Black Island.”
4. Brindle – refers to an animal’s coat color and translates as “black and tan.”
5. Caliban – a Romanian word meaning “black,” featured in Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest.
6. Carey – an Irish word that means “dark.”
7. Ciar – from the Irish word for “black,” Ciar is the name of a 7th-century Irish nun.
8. Colby – means “a dark town that produces coal.”
9. Corbin – in Latin, Corbin means “raven, raven-haired, or dark.”
10. Darcell – works as a girl’s and boy’s name, meaning “dark and determined.”
11. Darcy – means “dark-haired” and lends itself nicely to both sexes.
12. Donaver – of African American origins, Donaver derives from Donovan, meaning “black.”
13. Dublin – a significant Irish city, meaning “black pool.”
14. Fabron – also gender-neutral and derives from Ferrer or Fabre, meaning “blacksmith.”
15. Ferrari – this name is Italian in origin and means “ironworker.”
16. Fitch/Fitche – refers to an ermine, a dark-furred weasel-type animal used in stately robes and fine clothing.
17. Hari – is a Hindu name meaning “dark or tawny” and is similar to the English name Harry.
18. Indigo – another cool unisex name that means “dark blue.”
19. Kanika – an African word meaning “black cloth.”
20. Kumba – is of Aboriginal origin, meaning “dark fruit tree.”
21. Li – in Chinese, Li has many meanings, ranging from “black or dark” to “power or beautiful.”
22. Makvala – a Georgian word (the country, not the period), meaning “blackberry.”
23. Merle – from the French, meaning “blackbird.”
24. Moe – is a Latin word meaning “dark-skinned.” It also means “savior.”
25. Moon – a pretty choice among black names, meaning “one who enlightens the dark.”
26. Onyx – is ancient Greek for “claw,” but also represents dark gemstone.
27. Osceola – a county in Michigan, but also a unique gender-neutral baby name meaning “black drink bellower.”
28. Perran – is the name of a Cornish village, but also a fun unisex name meaning “little dark one.”
29. Raven – a unique unisex name associated with dark angels and mythology.
30. Reven – is a derivative of Raven and has the same mystical black bird undertones.
31. Sam – in Persian, Sam means “fire” and is derived from the early Iranian word for “black root.”
32. Sixsipita – this name comes from the Black Foot tribe meaning “black eagle.”
33. Ta-Nehisi – is Egyptian, meaning Nubia, the “Land of Black.”
34. Urraca – originates from European royalty and is considered a German word for “blackbird or magpie.”

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