84 Senegalese Names for Boys

5 minutes

Get to know the most complete list of Senegalese names for boys, a mixture of African, Arabic, and European roots that will fascinate you.

Reviewed and approved by the teacher Samanta Ruiz.

Written by Samanta Ruiz

Last update: 27 December, 2022

A baby is coming to the family! What will you name him? If you still can’t make up your mind, we give you a list of Senegalese boy names as a good incentive to start looking.

Senegal is an African country where several native languages are spoken, such as Peul, Wolof, and Serere. Even so, its official language is French and for this reason, you will find names of different origins. In addition, many of them will be related to Islam, since 90% of Senegalese practice that religion.

Let’s discover them together!

Senegalese names with meaning

Hands with letters painted on them spelling the word Senegal, in front of the Senegalese flag.

Listed from A to K

Abdou: boy’s name that refers to ‘the one who admires God’.
Abdoulaye: means ‘servant of God’.
Ahmadou: means ‘the one who has come from the west’.
Ahmed: means ‘worthy of praise’.
Alhousseynou: equivalent to Alonso, a masculine name of Germanic origin that means ‘ready for combat’.
Alphousseyni: African form of French Alphonse. It is a name of Germanic origin and means ‘one who has nobility’ or who ‘is prepared to succeed’.
Assane: means ‘waterfall’.
Augustin: name of French origin, which comes from the Latin Augustinus and the Greek name Augustus. It means ‘majestic’.
Baakir: means ‘the oldest’.
Cheick: African name meaning ‘wise’.
Cheikhna: variant of Cheikh.
El-Hadjj: name that derives from the Arabic al-Haj j, and that is used as a title of honor for the Muslim faithful who complete the pilgrimage from Hajj to Mecca.
Ibra: abbreviated form of Ibrahima.
Ibrahima: derives from the Arabic Ibrahim, whose origin is the Hebrew Abraham, the ‘father of the multitude’.
Idrissa: masculine name that means ‘immortal’.
Ismail: Arabic form of Ismael. This name comes from the Hebrew, more precisely from the verb shaman which means ‘to listen’. So, it is translated as ‘God hears’ or ‘whom God hears’.
Jawara: means ‘lover of peace’.
Khadim: means ‘servant’ or ‘the one who serves God’.

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Listed from M to Z

Malik: means “king” in Arabic.
Mamadou: African form of the name Muhammad.
Massamba: means “autumn leaves”.
Mohamed: of Arab origin, it means “worthy of praise”. This name has the particularity of being one of the most used on the planet, as it’s carried by 150 million people.
Moustpha: Senegalese variant of the Arabic name Mustafa.
Moussa: a name originated in the Hebrew Moses, which comes from the Hebrew word Moshe which means “to save”.
Mouhamed: variant of Mohamed.
Oumar: a form of Omar, a masculine Arabic name that means “the one who has a long life”.
Papa: comes from the Latin popes, which means “father”.
Samba: means ‘the divine mother assists us’. It’s of Sanskrit origin.
Senghor: a boy’s name that translates as “descendant of the gods”.
Sileymane: a variant of Suleyman.
Souleymane: a form of Solomon, which in turn comes from the Hebrew Shlomó which means “peaceful man” or “peace”.
Youssef: a name of Arabic origin that comes from the Hebrew Yoséf which means “God will add”, from the Aramaic words Yahveh leyosif.
Youssouf: a variant of Youssef.

Old Senegalese names for boy

As we’ve seen in the list, many names are derived from Arabic and the Muslim religion. However, there are many others with African roots that have fallen into disuse, but are very beautiful.

“To preserve Senegal’s heritage, Babacar Mbaye Diop, a university professor, has spent 12 years collecting these ancient names and made his own calendar to remind people of their origins.”
-Emmanuele Landais, RFI-

Some of these Senegalese names for boys in their native languages are as follows:

Abdourahmane
Amath
Asa
Babacar
Bacary
Bassembo
Biraago
Boubacar
Boubou
Daawur
Dame
Demba
Djily
Gammour
Hamady
Harouna
Idy
Jamuyon
Jibo
Jokkin
Kalidou
Kuddu
Lassana
Libasse
Mbaye
Makoddu
Makura
Malamine
Mandiaye
Mandooy
Massek
Mayoro
Moor
Mountaga
Ndiasse
Ndiogou
Ngor
Niokhor
Pathe
Saidou
Sambou
Semu
Serigne
Seydou
Sileye
Sunkaru
Takki
Tamba
Yoro
Younoussa

A map of Senegal with a pin in the capital city of Dakar.

Moudou, a very special Senegalese name

Moudou is one of the most popular Senegalese names and just by saying it, it already connects us with the African country.

If you want to know more about this connection and Senegalese society, we suggest the book Ser Moudou Moudou by Cheikh Fayé, a writer from Senegal, who lives in Galicia. In his work, he explains that Moudou is not just a name, but a way of being and living. It’s the spirit of a fighter who always aspires to have a better future.

Boy names: Many options to look for

In this article, we’ve shared with you Senegalese names for boys, but we have much more to offer you!

As we see that you’re interested in African names, which aren’t very common, we invite you to also take a look at our list of unusual names for children. You’re sure to be surprised.

You also have other options, such as names of different origins (Greek, Roman, Celtic, or Scottish, etc.) or if you prefer, names that start with your favorite letter.

Without a doubt, choosing a name for your baby is a task that takes time. Therefore, here, we’ll provide you with a lot of information so that, in one place, you can discover thousands of possibilities and find the perfect name for your child.