Black Hero Names

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.

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.

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. brought this spirited geographic name to the fore.

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

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.

The misspelling that created an indelibly one-person name.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

The Phillis spelling of this once-popular name lives on thanks to Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American to publish a book of poetry, in the 18th century.