Life
Unless you have a magical crystal ball, there's no way of telling what the future will hold for your child. But that doesn't stop many parents, myself included, from pushing their little one towards a certain path. For some moms and dads, that means introducing their child to the wonderful world of sports in hope that they'll some day be a Wheatie box-worthy athlete. And there are plenty of ways to ensure you child achieves this status, from enrolling them in Mommy and Me sports classes to giving them a baby name for future athletes.
There are definitely a lot of options out there when it comes to picking out the perfect baby name for your future tennis star, MVP quarter back, or Olympic medalist. You can take inspiration from the sport itself, famous athletes, or use names whose meaning has to do with athletic attributes. It's entirely up to you (and I guess, maybe your partner). There's no way to guarantee that your child will endorse the newest Nike shoe or don a series of championship rings when they get older, but you can at least give them a bit of a head start by giving them a name fit for a future athlete.
1
Apollo
This one pulls double duty. Apollo is both the name of the famous Rocky character, Apollo Creed, and it means "strength" in Greek. Too early to start looking for mini boxing gloves?
2
Presta
The Spanish word for "quick," this common girls name from Spain is ideal for your future sprinter.
3
Kellen
An option for either a boy or a girl, this unisex name means "powerful," a necessary characteristic for any athlete.
4
Alice
Perhaps not an obvious choice, this one actually is hugely significant. Alice Coachman was the first African-American woman to bring home the gold for the United States in the 1948 Olympics, according to History.com. It also doesn't hurt that it's the name of the bad-ass female lead in the Resident Evil series.
5
Tilden
Continuing the theme of famous firsts, ESPN notes that Bill Tilden was the first openly gay male athlete and won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1920. Tilden is actually used as a first name in England and means "fertile valley."
6
Ashton
You may or may not know this, but the most common wood used for baseball bats comes from the White Ash tree. So, Ashton, literally meaning "Ash Tree" in Old English, is a home run option for your "little slugger."
7
Hawk
Not just a fierce bird, the name Hawk can pay tribute to legendary skateboarder, Tony Hawk. Who knows? Maybe your kid will invent an amazing new trick at the 2036 X Games!
8
Billie
Famous female tennis player Billie Jean King isn't just known for defeating male tennis player, Bobby Riggs in 1973. She's also a huge support of gender equality and continues to fight for it even though she is now in her seventies.
9
Hermes/Hermione
Greek god, Hermes, whose female version is Hermione, was know for his winged sandals which let him travel at superhuman speeds. Also a plus if you are a fan of either Futurama or Harry Potter!
10
Niall
Niall, or Neil, comes from the Gaelic word for "champion," and will hopefully set your son on the path to athletic success.
11
Nike
The Greek goddess of victory, Nike, is arguably more well known as the inspiration for the famous athletic brand. Either way, your daughter will always have a connection to sports with this name.
12
Archer
This one is kind of straightforward, but what better option is there if you dream of your son becoming a legendary marksman?
13
Millie
The shortened version of Millicent, this name has a combination meaning of both "strong" and "hard work" in German. And every athlete needs to be able to put in hard work, right?
