Black Hero Names

A potential hero name: Crispus Attucks, an African and Native American man, was the first colonist to die for independence in the Boston Massacre.

It's hard to believe, via a 21st-century sensibility, that Fannie was ever a Top 50 name. But Fannie was even more popular than Fanny in its late 19th-century heyday, and stuck around much longer, staying on the Top 1000 until the 1960s while Fanny fell off in 1940. Today, however, Fannie sounds antiquated at best, and rude at worst.

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.

Long considered Mr. Hall's exclusive property, it's now ready to be adopted by others.

Long considered Mr. Hall's exclusive property, it's now ready to be adopted by others.

An old English redhead name -- one of the few that doesn't begin with the letter r -- with references both to a famous French knight and a magical horse.

This traditionally male surname name could find new life for girls thanks to its similarity to the popular Abby and Abigail.

African-American and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth was born as Isabelle into enslavement. She adopted her new name when she began traveling and preaching abolition in 1843. Sojourner is a heroine name that may, with the rise of spiritual word names such as Journey and Genesis, finally be ready for prime time.

Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's name probably originated as "Thoroughgood" -- quite a mouthful and a lot to live up to.

There will probably be lots of little namesakes after the fastest man in the world, Jamaican Olympic runner Usain Bolt--middle name St. Leo.

If you want to move beyond Maya.

As a first name, Basquiat is used as in honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the neoexpressionist whose art touched on themes of race, wealth disparity, and humanism.

The misspelling that created an indelibly one-person name.

Made famous by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, whose parents fashioned her name from a musical term meaning "with sweetness".

Combine the charm of Beau with the strength of Ford and you’ll get Beauford, an attractive French surname waiting to be discovered. The most notable bearer is Beauford Delaney, a modernist painter who participated in the Harlem Renaissance.

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.

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.

The compound name Joycelyn, which combines the names Joyce and Lyn and also is a spin on Jocelyn, was brought to widespread attention via the first African-American female surgeon general, Joycelyn Elders, who served under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s. Although Joyce and Lynn were popular names in the 1930s and 40s, this name is unlikely to resonate now.