African American names first became common and recognizable in the 1950s and 1960s. During this time, it was very common for immigrants to change their children’s names in order to better assimilate themselves to American culture. After this, most names were heavily inspired by European-American society.

African Americans ‘ names first emerged and were popular in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement, and were soon embraced in the 1970s. Some of these terms are influenced by other sources, including French terms, Islamic names, Hindu names, and Western and Biblical names.