Black Hero Names

This form of Charlotte, long obscure, is sure to grow in popularity along with the explosion of Charlotte. It's pretty and feminine and a nice spin on the more familiar version. In Germany, short form Lotta is popular.

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.

Intriguing short form of Guilherme, heard in Portugal and Brazil. Guion Bluford was the first African American to go to space.

Leotis effortlessly blends vintage and contemporary style, offering old-fashioned charm and not one, but two old-school cool nicknames: Leo and Otis.

Ossie is best-known as the name of actor Ossie Davis, whose full name did not start with Os: It was Raiford. But Ossie makes a cute contemporary short form for any name beginning with Os.

Basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain (born Wilton) lends a sort of mythic quality to his name. Few have ventured to use it since it is so tied to the famed Chamberlain, but it could make an inspired middle.

The male usage of Arna comes from Arnaud, the French translation of Arnold. Arnaud and Arna were historically used in Creole-speaking Louisiana. Harlem Renaissance poet Arna Bontemps was born in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1902.

Medgar Evers was a civil rights activist and the NAACP's first field secretary in Mississippi in 1943. Both his bold first name or softer surname would make meaningful choices.

With the first name True receiving a Kardashian dose of popularity for girls, Truth is gaining in visibility too. Though its still more popular for boys two to one, the truth is that the name works equally well for both genders -- but may inspire a lot of puns.

The surname Rudd, made most famous by Antman actor Paul, derives from the words ruddy or red and may have originally been given to someone with a reddish complexion.

A unique international short form of Margaret.

Quvenzhane Wallis, star of Beasts of the Southern Wild and Annie, is the youngest actress ever nominated for an Academy Award. Her name -- which actually takes an accent over the final e -- is a combination of her parents' names.

American photographer Dawoud Bey has increased interest in his uncommon spelling of the name Dawud — the Arabic variation of David.

One of the few military ranks used as a name, as in Kennedy in-law and Peace Corps creator Sargent (born Robert Sargent) Shriver. There's also a more creative, artistic association with painter John Singer Sargent.

You’re unlikely to hear Howardena on a baby girl today, but art lovers may recognize it as the name of Howardena Pindell, an American painter and mixed media artist.