Historic and Vintage Names
Black History Names
Across 7 pages
of 7
Mordecai
Hebrew
"follower of Marduk"
Mordecai, although it has a noble heritage, has never caught on in this country, because of its rather weighty image. Nevertheless, with parents searching for rarer Biblical names that work as…
Nella
Nella is a feminine name with Italian and Germanic origins. It can be a standalone name or a diminutive of names like Petronella, Antonella, or Cornelia. In Italian, it literally means 'at the' or…
Ornette
Musical name
Long associated with jazz great Ornette Coleman, this name's main problem is that almost all other ette-ending names -- from Annette to Paulette -- are unequivocally feminine.
Otelia
Otelia is a feminine name with Germanic roots, derived from the elements 'aud' meaning 'wealth, fortune' or 'prosperity.' It's a variant of Odelia or Ottilia, names that have been used since medieval…
Parks
English
"park-keeper or stone"
Parks is a rare member of the fashionable single-syllable, S-ending surname crowd, which includes trending choices like Brooks, Banks, Hayes and Wells. As well as being an English word name, Parks as…
Phillis
Spelling variation of Phyllis, Greek
"green bough"
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.
Rafer
Rafer is a masculine name with multiple potential origins. It may derive from the Old Norse 'Ragnfriðr' meaning 'peace-ruler,' or it could be related to the Old English 'rǣd' meaning 'counsel'…
Revels
English word name
"parties"
Hiram Revels, the first ever African American senator in the United States, in a lovely namesake to accompany this cool mix of a word-name and surname.
Rojo
Spanish
"red"
Colorful middle name choice.
Roscoe
English, Norse
"deer forest"
Fairly popular a hundred years ago but out of the US charts since 1978, the quirky yet edgy Roscoe feels very much in step with the trending o-ending boy names popular now, such as Milo, Hugo, and…
Rustin
Rustin is a masculine name with Anglo-Saxon origins, derived from the Old English word "rust" (meaning reddish-brown) or possibly as a variation of the surname Ruston, which referred to someone from…
Sargent
Spelling variation of Sergeant, Latin
"to serve"
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…
Satchel
American nickname
First Woody Allen, then Spike Lee named their children to honor the great early black pitcher, Leroy "Satchel" Paige. A bit luggage-related for non-celebrity use, however.
Sidney
English from French
"Saint Denis"
A contraction name, Sidney comes from Saint Denis and is related to Dioynsius, the Greek god of fertility and wine, although another theory is that it derived from an Anglo-Saxon place name, meaning…
Simeon
Hebrew
"he [God] has heard"
Could Simeon be the next Gideon? Parents seeking a less simple form of Simon might consider this biblical appellation that was chosen by Wynton Marsalis for his son. Simon is actually the Greek…
Sojourner
French, English
"to stay a while"
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…
Thelonious
Latinized variation of German Tielo or Till
"people"
One of the coolest of names, thanks to legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Sphere Monk, who inherited this Latin-sounding German name from his father. It has been used very sparingly since the 1960's,…
Theophilos
Greek
"loved by God"
Multisyllabic New Testament relic dimly recalled from the Thornton Wilder novel Theophilus North .
Thomy
Thomy is a masculine name that serves as a diminutive or alternative spelling of Thomas. With roots in Aramaic, the original name Thomas means 'twin.' This variant spelling maintains the familiar…
Thurgood
Puritan virtue name
"Thoroughgood"
Borne by the first African American Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, this name probably originated from the Puritan "Thoroughgood." While Thurgood is still quite clunky, it is certainly less…