▁origin . ▁ ▁African - American ▁names ▁have ▁orig ins ▁in ▁many ▁languages ▁including ▁French , ▁Latin , ▁English , ▁Arab ic , ▁and ▁African ▁languages . ▁One ▁very ▁notable ▁influence ▁on ▁African - American ▁names ▁is ▁the ▁Muslim ▁religion . ▁Islam ic ▁names ▁entered ▁the ▁popular ▁culture ▁with ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁The ▁Nation ▁of ▁Islam ▁among ▁Black ▁Americans ▁with ▁its ▁focus ▁on ▁civil ▁rights . ▁The ▁popular ▁name ▁" A ish a " ▁has ▁orig ins ▁in ▁the ▁Q ur ' an . ▁Despite ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁these ▁names ▁in ▁the ▁Muslim ▁religion ▁and ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁the ▁Nation ▁of ▁Islam ▁in ▁the ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement , ▁many ▁Muslim ▁names ▁such ▁as ▁Jam al ▁and ▁Mal ik ▁entered ▁popular ▁usage ▁among ▁Black ▁Americans ▁simply ▁because ▁they ▁were ▁fashion able , ▁and ▁many ▁Islam ic ▁names ▁are ▁now ▁commonly ▁used ▁by ▁African ▁Americans ▁regardless ▁of ▁their ▁religion . ▁Names ▁of ▁African ▁origin ▁began ▁to ▁c rop ▁up ▁as ▁well . ▁Names ▁like ▁Ash anti , ▁Tan ish a , ▁A ali y ah , ▁M ala ika ▁have ▁orig ins ▁in ▁the ▁continent ▁of ▁Africa . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁it ▁had ▁become ▁common ▁within ▁the ▁culture ▁to ▁invent ▁new ▁names , ▁although ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁invent ed ▁names ▁took ▁elements ▁from ▁popular ▁existing ▁names . ▁P refix es ▁such ▁as ▁▁▁ ▁or ▁ ▁and ▁suffix es ▁such ▁as ▁▁ ▁and ▁ ▁are ▁common , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁invent