Celebrity Names · Historic and Vintage Names
Black Hero Names
Across 14 pages
of 14
Briton
Briton is a masculine name derived directly from the Old English word for the Celtic inhabitants of Great Britain, carrying strong historical and cultural associations with British identity.…
Carlotta
Italian variation of Charlotte, French diminutive of Charles
"free man"
Carlotta has a large measure of finger-snapping charm and substance — despite being a not too pleasant character in The Little Mermaid . Carlotta is also the diva/prima donna in The Phantom of the…
Carrie
Diminutive of Carol, English, or Caroline, French"free man"
"free man"
Carrie lives on mainly on the screen, as the new/old antiheroine of Stephen King's classic Carrie , as turn-of-the-21st-century diva Carrie Bradshaw of Sex & The City , and as Claire Danes'…
Carver
English
"wood carver"
Carver is an occupational name with an artistic bent, associated with wood carving predominantly, though it could also be linked to those who carve from stone, marble, ice, and pumpkins. More…
Chakaia
American
Best known as the name of American sculptor Chakaia Booker, who creates large scale art from recycled tires and stainless steel.
Charlayne
Charlayne is a feminine given name that appears to be a variant or elaboration of Charlotte, which derives from the masculine name Charles. The name has French linguistic roots, with the Germanic…
Charlotta
Swedish variation of Charlotte, French
"free man"
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…
Claude
French from Latin
"lame; enclosure"
Claude is a soft-spoken French name that conjures up the pastel colors of Monet and harmonies of Debussy. In France, it is used for girls as well, in fact in the Tracy Chevalier novel Lady and the…
Claudette
French, feminine variation of Claude
"lame; enclosure"
Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the…
Coleman
English and Irish
"little dove"
The name of three hundred saints, a mustard, and your own baby boy. Coleman was off the US Top 1000 list for much of the 1960s and 1970s, but it was a mainstay before and has been for most years…
Coltrane
Irish surname
"descendant of Coltarán"
The great sax player John Coltrane could be a cool naming inspiration for a jazz fan. Plus, it gives you stylish nickname Colt, if you didn't love Colton or Colter. From it's Irish roots, it means…
Condoleezza
Invented name, English from Italian
Made famous by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, whose parents fashioned her name from a musical term meaning "with sweetness".
Constance
English version of Latin Constantia
"steadfastness"
Constance is one of the more subtle of the virtue baby names , but still has quite a prim and proper image. One impediment to its revival has been the decidedly dated nickname Connie, though modern…
Coretta
English, elaborated form of Cora
Famous as the name of the widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Cornelius
Latin
"horn"
Cornelius, the New Testament name of a third century Pope and saint, is one of those venerable Latin names on the edge of consideration, despite the corny nickname alert. Cornelius has some magical…
Crispus
Latin
"curly-haired"
A potential hero name: Crispus Attucks, an African and Native American man, was the first colonist to die for independence in the Boston Massacre.
Dawoud
Variation of Dawud, Arabic
"beloved"
American photographer Dawoud Bey has increased interest in his uncommon spelling of the name Dawud — the Arabic variation of David.
Denzel
Cornish
"from the high stronghold"
This old Cornish name took on a whole new identity via Denzel Washington, who has inspired several thousand namesakes. The actor was named after his father, who was named for a Dr. Denzel, who…
Dominique
French, feminine variation of Dominic, Latin
"belonging to a lord"
Had a surge of popularity in the Dynasty days, now has subsided in the wake of fresher French choices like Destry and Delphine, though it retains its sense of sophistication. It's one of the most…
Doris
Greek
"gift of the ocean"
Doris had long been on our so-far-out-it-will-always-be-out-for-babies list, and seemed to be written there in indelible ink. But there are signs of a sea change, that Doris could profit from the…