Black American Babies
- Messiah
Origin:
Aramaic word nameMeaning:
"expected savior or deliverer"Description:
A handful of years ago, a judge in Tennessee ruled that parents could not name their son Messiah, "because there's only one." That decision has since been overturned.
- Michael
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"who is like God?"Description:
Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names, it's still widely used.
- Michelle
Origin:
French variation of MichaelMeaning:
"who is like God"Description:
Michelle is the feminine form of Michel, the French variation of Michael. Michael was derived from the Hebrew name Mihka’el, meaning "who is like God." The alternate spelling Michele, with one "L," was the original version of the name. Michelle appeared as a later Anglicization in the 20th century.
- Mikaela
Origin:
Swedish and Finnish variation of Michaela, HebrewMeaning:
"who is like God"Description:
Variation of Michaela often used in Scandinavian countries. Mikaela is a Top 20 name in Puerto Rico.
- Miles
Origin:
English form of MiloMeaning:
"soldier or merciful"Description:
Miles, which has a permanent veneer of cool thanks to jazz great Miles Davis, is a confident and polished boys' name that's an American classic. Always ranking in the US Top 1000, it's been drifting up the charts for the past half century but has never been TOO popular.
- Monique
Origin:
French variation of MonicaMeaning:
"advisor"Description:
The sort of oh-so-French name that's falling out of favor now.
- Nadine
Origin:
French variation of Nadia, RussianMeaning:
"hope"Description:
Part of the vogue for French-sounding names in the 1920s and 30s, Nadine has been replaced by the Russian sound of Nadia and Natasha.
- Nakia
Origin:
ArabicMeaning:
"pure"Description:
Technically a boy's name, but certainly one that would work in the Western culture for a girl, especially after the release of Black Panther, in which it was the name of Lupita Nyong'o's fiery character. Nakia lies outside the Top 1000 but is among the fastest-rising names for both girls and boys.
- Nala
Origin:
African, meaning unknownDescription:
A Disney name—Nala was the friend who became the wife of Simba, hero of The Lion King. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 2015.
- Naomi
Origin:
HebrewMeaning:
"pleasantness"Description:
Naomi was once a primarily Jewish name from the Old Testament that referenced the mother-in-law of Ruth. Because of this, it is a symbolic name given to girls on Shavuot when the story of Ruth is read in the synagogue.
- Nikki
Origin:
Diminutive of Nicole or Indian, Punjabi, SikhMeaning:
"people of victory; little one"Description:
Nikki was the it-girl name of the 1970s and '80s as both a short form of Top 10 favorite Nicole and as a given name itself.
- Nya
Origin:
AfricanMeaning:
"tenacity"Description:
A relatively new name on the scene, increasing in popularity since 1999.
- Omar
Origin:
Arabic, HebrewMeaning:
"flourishing, thriving; eloquent"Description:
Omar has a perfect mix of unusuality and familiarity, with the added plus of a strong, open initial O. Commonly used among Muslim families, Omar was long associated with twelfth-century Persian poet Omar Khayyam, though it sounds anything but ancient now.More recent well-known bearers have been World War II General Omar Bradley and actors Omar Sharif(born Michael) and Omar Epps.
- Patrice
Origin:
French variation of PATRICIAMeaning:
"noble"Description:
Patrice is a more modern-sounding and polished unisex alternative to Patricia.
- Quentin
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"fifth"Description:
Quentin, an offbeat name with lots of character, relates to the Latin for the number five and is by far the subtlest and most usable of the Latin birth-order names, masculine as well as stylish and distinctive. It was borne by a third-century saint and came to England with the Normans.
- Randy
Origin:
Diminutive of Randall, RandolphDescription:
Ever since Austin Powers enlightened Americans that "randy" meant "horny," it's been hard to take this name seriously, and Randy has declined in popularity since.
- Raven
Origin:
Word and animal nameDescription:
Bird name Raven, once a symbol of pride for both African-American and Wiccan parents, is finding new life as a superhero name. Raven Darkholme is the real name of Mystique, heroine of the X-Men films played by Jennifer Lawrence. And there is another Raven superheroine in Teen Titans. Some parents may still choose Raven to signal black pride or mystical powers or maybe even Edgar Allan Poe fandom, but we are guessing most inspiration is coming from the comics.
- Raymond
Origin:
GermanMeaning:
"wise protector"Description:
Now that the show has gone into reruns, does anybody still love Raymond? Though it's been long dormant, some parents, including Jack Nicholson, are finding its cool name component, largely through the nickname Ray.
- Reggie
Origin:
Diminutive of ReginaldMeaning:
"counsel power"Description:
Old time nickname that's starting to sound fresh again, à la Alfie and Freddie.
- Regina
Origin:
LatinMeaning:
"queen"Description:
A classic name with regal elegance--Queen Victoria, like other queens, had Regina appended to her name. She was a Top 100 name in the 1960s.