1. Home
  2. Topics

Athletic Baby Names

If you're a sports fan, you may find baby name inspiration while watching a football game or a tennis match. While the legendary stars of sports history usually had regular guy names like Joe and Jimmy and Michael and Mickey (not to mention Billie Jean), some of the newer luminaries, as well as the surnames of classic athletes, offer options for baby names that go beyond the perimeters of that limited playing field. Names such as Beckham and Iker in particular have really taken off.

Along with Beckham and Iker, other athletic baby names in the US Top 500 include Brady, Colt, Gabriella, Jesse, Kyrie, Mia, Palmer, and Serena. Rare names with strong ties to illustrious athletes include Gehrig, Magic, Usain, and Wilt.

An athletic baby name may not imbue your child with sports skills, but it can give him or her a hero to look up to. If you love sports, consider using an athletic baby name as a first or middle name for your child. Browse our favorite options below.

Shaquille

Meaning: well developed, handsome

Origin:Arabic
1449
Amare

Meaning: handsome

Origin:African
1494
Thierry

Meaning: ruler of the people

Origin:French variation of Theodoric
784
Jackson

Meaning: son of Jack

Origin:English
389
Bronson

Meaning: son of brown-haired one

Origin:English
1256
Ivan

Meaning: God is gracious

Origin:Russian variation of John
429
Hank

Meaning: estate ruler

Origin:Diminutive of Henry, German
492
Jordan

Meaning: flowing down

Origin:English from Hebrew
517
Fletcher

Meaning: arrow-maker

Origin:English occupational name
160
Cooper

Meaning: barrel maker

Origin:English occupational name
225
Dexter

Meaning: dyer, right-handed

Origin:Latin
367
Hunter

Meaning: one who hunts

Origin:English
380
Montana

Meaning: mountainous

Origin:Spanish place-name; "mountainous"
3963
Alcott

Meaning: dweller at the old cottage

Origin:English
5479
Kyrie

Meaning: Lord

Origin:Greek
1761
Branch Branch is an English name that came from the...
Origin:Word name
3490
Origin:Word name
1670
Martina

Meaning: warlike

Origin:Latin
1795
Landry

Meaning: ruler

Origin:French and English
1296
Brett

Meaning: from Brittany

Origin:Celtic
1400