In honour of Kwanzaa, here is a list of Swahili baby names.

Male

• Amri “power”
• Angavu “transparent; clear; lucid”
• Bwana “man”
• Ekundu “red”
• Eusi “black; dark”
• Faraji “consolation”
• Hakimu “judge; chief; leader”
• Imamu “spiritual leader”
• Jelani “mighty”
• Jengo “building”
• Jumaane “born on Tuesday”
• Kiapo “oath”
• Kibwe “blessed”
• Kijana “young boy”
• Kimbilio “haven; refuge”
• Kiume “virility; stamina; strength”
• Kinubi “harp; lyre”
• Kovu “scar”
• Kurunzi “torch”
• Kuumba “creativity”
• Macheo “sunrise; dawn”
• Maliki “king; ruler”
• Mavuno “harvesttime”
• Mchunju: name of a tree endemic to all of Africa
• Mito “rivers; streams”
• Miti “trees”
• Mosi “first child”
• Moto “fire; flame”
• Mwezi “moon; month”
• Neno “word; utterance”
• Refu “long; tall; high”
• Salaam “peace; tranquility”
• Sefu “sword”
• Simba “lion”
• Takatifu “sacred; holy; consecrated”
• Tendaji “makes things happen”
• Theluji “snow”
• Ushindi “victory; triumph; success”
• Usiku “night”
• Utulivu “serenity”
• Wimbo “song; hymn”
• Zuberi “strong”

Female

• Adia “present; gift”
• Afya “strength; well-being”
• Anasa “pleasure; delight; luxury”
• Anga “sky; air; the heavens; radiance; brilliance”
• Anza “to begin; start; originate”
• Asali “honey”
• Asmini “jasmine”
• Asha “life”
• Bahari “sea”
• Binti “daughter; young lady”
• Busara “wisdom; knowledge”
• Dalili “omen”
• Dua “prayer”
• Dunia “world; earth”
• Ema “good; pleasant; kind; nice”
• Furaha “joy”
• Hanja “brown”
• Hekima “wisdom; prudence; judiciousness”
• Hidaya “beautiful; desirable”
• Imani “faith; belief; trust”
• Imara “power”
• Ishara “sign”
• Jana “yesterday”
• Jasiri “brave”
• Johari “jewel”
• Jua “sun; sunshine”
• Kamaria: Swahili form of Qamar (Arabic, moon)
• Kaskazi “north wind; hot season; summer”
• Katika “dance; to sever; to cut”
• Kibibimlima “daisy”
• Kijani “green”
• Kilima “mound; hill”
• Kipepeo “butterfly”
• Kinara “candle holder”
• Kinubi/Vinubi “nubian lyre”
• Kisima “water spring”
• Kiwara “savannah, plain, unfertile land”
• Kura “destiny; fate; chance”
• Kweli “truth”
• Lulu “pearl”
• Madaha “grace”
• Maisha “life”
• Majani “leaves”
• Maji “water”
• Malaika “angel; small child”
• Malkia “queen”
• Marjani “coral”
• Maua “flowers”
• Mkarkara “passion flower”
• Naima “ecstasy”
• Neema “prosperty; good fortune”
• Nia “purpose”
• Njozi “dream”
• Nuru “brightness; light”
• Nya “to rain; let fall”
• Nyesha “to rain”
• Nyoni “bird”
• Nyota “star; fortune; luck”
• Nyuki “bee”
• Peremende “peppermint; sweet”
• Penda “love”
• Peponi “heaven; paradise”
• Raha “joy”
• Sanaa “artwork”
• Safari “journey”
• Safi “pure”
• Sala “prayer”
• Sarabi “mirage”
• Sauda “dark complexion”
• Sauti “voice; noise; sound; volume
• Shani “curiosity”
• Sungara “rabbit; hare; intelligent person”
• Subira “patience”
• Swala “antelope”
• Swara “gazelle”
• Tamu “sweet; delicious”
• Taraji “hope”
• Taswira “image”
• Tazamia “to hope; to expect”
• Tulia “to be quiet; to relax; to settle down”
• Tumba “flower bud”
• Tumaini “hope”
• Ua “flower”
• Uhuru “freedom”
• Umande “dew”
• Umoja “unity, oneness; harmony; alliance”
• Ujima “collective work & responsibility”
• Uru “diamond”
• Vuna “reap; harvest”
• Waridi “rose”
• Zuri “beautiful”