Girl Names That Mean Black

Updated: April 1, 2023 by Ashley Haugen | Leave a comment

From Lila to Ebony to Amaya and beyond, this list of girl names that mean black is filled with a variety of intriguing and feminine options. Explore the list, complete with meanings, origins and more, and find the perfect fit for your daughter.

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AmayaWith origins both in Basque and Japanese, Amaya can mean several things: “mother city”, “the end”, or “night rain”. Actress Mariska Hargitay has a daughter named Amaya, suggesting this name's rising popularity in the United States.
Charna Charna is a girl's name with roots in Yiddish. It means “dark” or “black”. In India, it is a popular name for a dark-haired girl. It is the name of American comedian Charna Halpern.
CiaraMeaning “little dark one” in Irish, Ciara has become a relatively popular girl's name in the United States. It is the Anglicized version of Kiera or Keira.
DelaneyIf your little girl is already proving to be a formidable opponent, the name Delaney might be fitting. It has Irish origins and is most popularly used as a surname. It has gained some traction as a given name, and it means “dark challenger”.
EbonyA relatively popular girl's name, Ebony is taken from the deep black wood of the same name. It is primarily used by African-American parents due to its connotations of beautiful, rich, dark color.
Inola With Cherokee origins, Inola (ee-NO-lah) is a girl's name that means “black fox”. Its masculine forms are Enoli and Inali.
KaliThe more ferocious side of the Hindu goddess Devi, Kali (KAH-lee) is viewed as the goddess of destruction in Hinduism. The name, which has Sanskrit roots, means “black one”.
Kanika Kanika, meaning “black cloth” has its roots in African (Mwera in particular) languages.
Kiera Also spelled Keira and used in the masculine form as Kieran or Keiran, Kiera is an Irish name that means “little dark one.” It rose in popularity in the late 1980s and is now popularized by actress Keira Knightley.
Leanira Pronounced “ley-ah-NEE-ra”, Leanira is the name of an orange, white, and black butterfly. It is occasionally used as a girl's name.
Lila – This girl's name comes from Arabic, Hindi, Persian origins and means either “play” or “night”. The Arabic word laylah means “night. The name has become popular in America over the last several decades. Also, fun fact: Diane Sawyer's first name is Lila (her middle name is Diane).
Lilith – Lilith is a girl's name that derives from the Akkadian word lilitu meaning “of the night”. In Judaism, Lilith is Adam's rejected first wife who turns demonic. Lilith has risen in popularity over the years, hitting the Top 1000 in 2010.
Maurelle French in its origin, Maurelle means both “dark” and “elven”.
Melanie – Having risen in popularity once the movie Gone With the Wind was released, Melanie is of Greek origin and means “black” or “dark”.
Melantha A rather unique name with Greek origins, Melantha means “dark flower”.
Merel The Dutch word for “blackbird”, Merel is a popular girl's name in the Netherlands.
Morella – Coming from a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe (of the same name and title character), Morella seems to be at least partially derived from the Latin word mors (“death”) or Greek mauros (“black”). It is also used as an alternative for the poisonous black nightshade plant.
Nisha Coming from the Sanskrit word for “night”, Nisha is a name growing in popularity throughout the United States. It also was popularly used in England in the 1900s.
Ombra Like the masculine form Umbra, Ombra is an Italian name meaning “shadow”.
Rajani Sanskrit in origin, Rajani (RAH-jah-nee) means “dark of the night”.
SamiraAfrican-American actress Samira Wiley has made this name popular in the past decade, and it has some hauntingly dark and beautiful connotations. It means “companion in evening conversation”.
Shuri – Popularized in recent years due to the Black Panther movie, Shuri is actually a Japanese girl's name. Pronounced SHOO-ee, this name means “village”. However, it is also now a name being given to African-American girls as a show of empowerment.
TamalaPopularized in recent years by actress Tamala Jones, Tamala has African origins and means “dark tree”.
Tinuveil If you're a huge Tolkien fan, the name Tinuveil might be a good choice for your elven princess. In Tolkien's Sindarin language, it means “daughter of the twilight” or “nightingale”.
Zilla Taken from the Old Testament of the Bible, Zilla is a Hebrew name that means “shadow”.