February Names

Twain can be thought of as a modernization (and possible namesake) of the dated Wayne, seasoned with the humor of Mark Twain, who adopted it from a river term.

If you can't have an Alpha male, how about a Beta girl.

An African family name ripe for adoption in honor of Nelson Mandela, the South African activist imprisoned for almost thirty years for his antiapartheid activities.

One of many Spanish elaborations of Rosa.

This African name, which derives from the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria, is used for both girls and boys -- but in the US, its most notable bearer is (male) artist Kehinde Wiley. Wiley, who paints brown- and black-skinned people in the style of European Old Masters, was born in Los Angeles of an African-American mother and a Yoruba father and was also a twin, thus his name. An attractive and creative choice for either gender.

Stuffy presidential choice: consider Hayes instead.

Kinnia is an ancient Irish saint's name — legend has it she was a maiden baptized by St. Patrick.

Might frequently be understood as "pilly." Can also be a short form of Pilar -- though the long form is better.

After your first little Primo, you could always call the next Segundo -- though that's like naming them number one and number two.

Oprah's almost mononymic first name is too closely tied to her personality (and brand) for us to recommend it as a baby name in good faith. Her surname, however, is definitely name-worthy. Winfrey works as a modern update to Whitney, with the added bonus of being associated with one of the most influential women of our time.

Nakato was traditionally used on the second-born (female) twin among the Luganda-speaking people of Uganda.

Famous as the name of the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This surname is on trend with its S ending, and could honor people such as athlete Jesse Owens. But it has strong potential for confusion with Owen singular.

A rarer variant of Viridiana. Saint Veridiana is the patron saint of snakes.

An attractive and worldly name for a cherished baby son.

A striking option among African girl names, reminiscent of the up-and-coming name Alaia.