20 Stunning Baby Names Inspired by Black History

Audra is an old name that’s making a comeback. Named after Audra Ann McDonald, a Broadway actress and singer who has won multiple Tony Awards, Audra can inspire your little one’s amazing voice to shine.

Billie Holiday was a jazz singer who influenced American popular music. As a new mom, you could sing her hit “God Bless the Child” to your new baby, Billie.

Booker T. Washington was an American educator, orator, author, and adviser to multiple U.S. presidents during his lifetime. Washington was also a member of the Black elite, an activist, and the founder of the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, now Tuskegee University.

Cab Calloway, born Cabell Calloway III, was an entertainer who led one of the most famous big bands during the swing era. For parents of a possible future performer, know that this award winner has a great name.

Carter Woodson is known as the “father of Black history” because he was one of the first to study the history of the African diaspora, which includes African American history. While Carter is a more mainstream name, honoring this Black figure will be a nice legacy.

Cora Mae Brown made her mark on history by being the first African American woman to be elected to a state senate seat in Michigan, in 1952.

Della Reese is a famous actress and singer who shortened her name from Delloreese Early to Della. It would be a unique name for a little girl.

Duke has been a popular name for a while, and one famous Duke has some solid roots. Duke Ellington, born in Washington, D.C., was a composer of thousands of songs and created big band jazz, one of the foundations of Western music.

A beautiful girl’s name, Eliza is a nod to Eliza Bryant, the daughter of a free woman of color who established the Cleveland Home for Aged Colored People after helping former slaves get settled in Cleveland, Ohio.

Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, director, and activist who has won many awards and accolades. This name could accompany the cutest woodland nursery decor too.

For parents wanting an unconventional name, consider Hendrix. This name is inspired by James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix, one of the most influential electric guitarists and celebrated musicians among music lovers.

Jesse Owens, short for James Cleveland Owens, gives your future athlete a natural nickname. Jesse Owens was an American track and field athlete who won four Olympic gold medals.

Josephine Baker was a well-known dancer, singer, and actress because of her role as the first African-American actress to star in a major motion picture, Siren in the Tropics in 1927. She later was a central figure in the civil rights movement.

Poet Langston Hughes, born in Missouri in 1902, was an author and a pillar of the Harlem Renaissance movement in the 1920s. In addition to poetry, he wrote novels, short stories, and plays.

Lionel Hampton, born in Kentucky in 1908, was an award-winning jazz musician, performing with some of the biggest singers during the early to mid-1900s.

Maya Angelou, born in Missouri in 1928, is one of the most famous Black history makers. She is known for many published works, including her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and the poem And Still I Rise. Who wouldn’t want to name their child after a poet laureate?

Nellallitea “Nella” Larsen, born in Chicago in 1891, might not be a household name, but this author wrote two critically acclaimed novels, Quicksand and Passing, during the Harlem Renaissance. Her novels and short stories gained popularity among those discussing issues surrounding racism and sexual identity.

Dr. Niara Sudarkasa, born in Florida in 1938, is not as well known as some of the other history makers. However, she is a noted scholar, educator, and anthropologist. She was also the first African American woman to teach at Columbia University and the first female president of Lincoln University.

Sidney Poitier, born in Miami in 1927, was the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Zora Neale Hurston, born in Alabama in 1891, has always been a powerful representation of Black female writers. Hurston’s work highlighted the rural South’s African American culture. Her most popular novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, was published in 1937.