• Afer, an individual of the Afri tribe after which the continent of Africa is probably named
• Afer, a roman Cognomen in reference to Africa, see list of Roman cognomina.
• AFER, an alternate acronym for the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon
• Afer pigeon (Columba unicincta)
• Afer ventus, another name for Lips, the Roman deity of the southwest wind. See Anemoi.
• A song on the 1991 Enya album Shepherd Moons
• Antonius Guilelmus Amo Afer (1703–c.1759), alternate name for Anton Wilhelm Amo, Ghanaian-German academic
• Arnobius Afer (d. 4th century), also Arnobius the Elder, Roman rhetorician in the province of Africa
• Domitius Afer (d. 60), Roman orator
• Gaius Marius Victorinus Afer (4th cent.), also Gaius Marius Victorinus, Roman grammarian and rhetorician
• Publius Aelius Hadrianus Afer, father of the Roman emperor Hadrian
• Publius Terentius Afer (d. 159 BC), Roman comic playwright better known as Terence

Scientific names

All named because the species is native to Africa.

• Cinnyris afer, Greater Double-collared Sunbird
• Euplectes afer, Yellow-crowned Bishop
• Francolinus afer, Red-necked Francolin
• Nilaus afer, Brubru
• Orycteropus afer, aardvark
• Papyrocranus afer , Reticulate Knifefish
• Parus afer, Southern Grey Tit, also classified as Melaniparus afer
• Ptilostomus afer, piapiac
• Turtur afer, Blue-spotted Wood Dove
• Afer, a genus of gastropods