Shona is a Bantu language of Zimbabwe and nearby regions. Female names are often meaningful lexical items or verb-phrase imperatives; a common feminine pattern uses the plural imperative ending -ai or -ayi, as in Sekai/Sekayi “laugh” and Nyarai/Nyarayi “be quiet/humble.” Many girls’ names are abstract nouns such as Chipo “gift,” Chedza “light,” and Nyasha/Nyashah “grace.” Apart from these tendencies, feminine and masculine naming structures are broadly similar.

In modern use, virtue and circumstance names remain frequent for girls, with some revival of historic female figures such as Nehanda and the spread of anglicized or diaspora spellings (for example, Jendayi, Shonnae). Examples on this page include Chanai, Chedza, Chipo, Jendayi, Nehanda, Nyaradzo, Nyarayi, Nyashah, Sekayi, and Tishonda.