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Le Scaramouche, "Azizi" is a female KiSwahili name. This name almost certainly came from the Arabic female Arabic name "Aziza". The male KiSwahili and Arabic name is "Aziz".

See this information from Wikipedia:
"Aziz, originally a Syriac word and name, is also an Arabic name, and spans other areas such as Russia. Aziz is translated to Darling in the English language. Aziz is a common name for people from Assyrians to Kurds, and there are many famous people that went by the name Aziz, such as Aziz Karl, a ruthless warrior in the 2nd century. The name Aziz is also close to the Hebrew name Isaac but they two names are not of the same origin. Although now a rare name, it spans from mediterranean areas to Europe and Asia including of Russia, Armenia, and others."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aziz

-snip-

"Azizi" [Aziza] is usually given as meaning "precious". In the late 1960s when I was given this 'free' name, I was told that it meant "one who is rare and precious". In the 1990s-early 2000s several Muslims told me that the name "Aziz' means "powerful [one] or mighty [one]. I have read that the widely used two part name "Adul-Aziz" means "servant of the powerful one" or "servant of the mighty one"-abdul=servant; aziz=powerful. The powerful/mighty one is a referent for God [Allah]. I have also had Muslims tell me that "Azizi" means "darling". These three meanings may actually be related as ,presumably, if a woman serves God {Allah} they would be precious, well loved, and fondly thought of being a "darling".

I suppose that 'powerful/mighty' definition is considered to reserved mostly for the masculine form of this name, and the "precious, rare, darling" part for the feminine. But I like the fact that my name evokes all of these vibrations.

BTW, 'free name' was the term used in the late 1960s, 1970s by African Americans. The term refers to the traditional African and Arabic personal names that were used in place of European and Hebrew personal names which were called 'slave names". Traditional African and Arabic names were adopted in place of these birth names to reflect a hightened sense of pride in African heritage. Usually [afrocentric} African Americans changed their first names and retained their "European" surnames {last names}. However, some African Americans also adopted Arabic or African last names too..

As to why so many African Americans during that time and since have given themselves or their children Arabic names:
1.Islam was part of West Africa as early as the 9th century. And some enslaved African Americans were Muslim
[See Islam in West Africa ]

2. Arabic names [and the Arabic language} were more familiar to
   African Americans than traditional African names/language

3. Arabic names are easy to pronouce, largely conform to African
   American sound preferences and such European practices as having
   a female name end with an "a"

4. Arabic names were popularized by African American [jazz] musicians
   such as Ahmad Jamal and Jusef Latif and prominent sports figures
   such as Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

etc. etc. etc.

Thanks for the question.

[Sister} Azizi