It is called the afro because most people who can grow an afro naturally have ancestors from Africa. The afro became popular among Civil Rights activists in the 1960s in the United States. They were tired of white people's hair and bodies being called beautiful and black people's hair and bodies being called ugly. So they grew their hair into afros on purpose. The afro became less popular in the middle of the 1970s through the late 1990s. Then it came back with the natural hair movement. In the 1960s, wearing an afro was seen as a political choice, but in the 21st century it can also be just a style choice. Some people wear an afro only because they do not want to straighten their hair with hot tools or chemicals.