Have noticed all kinds of strange names Black Americans are calling their kids. Most make no sense & are hard to pronounce.?

I've noticed. I watch a lot of sports both college and professional and I am amazed at the odd names I see. A lot of them are made up pure and simple. A lot of them are just oddball versions of well accepted names.

It's not just African Americans, though. There are plenty of oddball names in white society as well.

It's the desire to be different and stand out. Personally, I'd rather name a child something more common (but not too common) and have them be the best Lexie (for example) they can be rather than the one Tyrella.

In the U.S., there was a shameful period of slavery of African blacks. During that time, not only was no respect accorded to the black family unit, names were given to them by their owners who were generally white. Since emancipation, the giving of names has been incredibly important to African Americans. By and large, they are creative and draw upon many other cultures. Generally speaking, the black community has no wish to have their names mistaken for typical white names. An Hispanic family differentiates with largely Spanish names. African Americans had no such avenue, but many draw upon French names. I'm not black, but I know many. It is a part of the African American culture that runs so deep that some are not cognizant of the reasons the naming process diverged from traditional white names. But the liberty to choose names rather than be handed them is the crux of the rationale. The French influence was partly due to the French sugar plantations and Louisiana.

No idea think they are just making them up to be honest