The Starting Lineup: 12 Athletic Baby Names Inspired by Sports Legends

Score a win with the best athletic baby names! Inspired by sports legends, find the perfect name for your little all-star.

March Madness is here, but for parents-to-be, the real “Selection Sunday” happens in the nursery. Finding a name with the legacy of a champion is its own championship run.

Whether you’re a die-hard sports fan or just looking for a name that packs a punch, looking to the greats of the game is a winning strategy. In his new book, Naming Your Little All-Star, author Scott Rubin dives into the world of iconic athletes to help parents find names that are as bold as a game-winning shot.

To celebrate the season of icons and underdogs, we’ve curated a powerhouse roster of athletic baby names that are as versatile as the athletes themselves. From timeless legends to modern MVPs, here is our “Elite 12” lineup for your future All-Star.

The Speedsters: For the Fast and Fearless

1. A.J.

Do you want your child to go fast, especially if you like names starting with “A” and “J”? Then consider a combo set with the nickname A.J.!

You can put pretty much any such names together, and we see athletes called A.J. with Anthony, Allan, and Adam combined with James, Joseph, and Joshua. These include speed kings like champion race car drivers A.J. Allmendinger and A.J. Foyt, no-hitter pitcher A.J. Burnett, and Great Britain’s most successful luger A.J. Rosen.

Stat Sheet

• Anthony James “A.J.” Allmendinger, Auto Racing (NASCAR), USA, 2001–current
• Allan James “A.J.” Burnett, Baseball (Pitcher), New York Yankees, USA, 1999–2015
• Anthony Joseph “A.J.” Foyt Jr., Auto Racing (United States Automobile Club), USA, 1953–1996
• Adam Joseph “A.J.” Rosen, Luge, USA/England, 2003–2021

Mo

Mo is most often a short form of longer names, ranging from Mariano to Mohamed.

Whether used as a diminutive or given to a child directly, this short “M” name is built for speed, which we can see in the professional athletes and world champions who have used it.

On the baseball diamond, Mo Rivera was a thirteen-time All-Star relief pitcher for the New York Yankees; won five World Series, multiple MVPs, and other awards; and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. International football fans are familiar with the exploits of Egyptian forward Mo Salah (scoring over three hundred goals, an FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and more), and Mo Farah is the winningest track distance runner (and British track athlete) of all time with four Olympic gold medals and six world championships!

Stat Sheet

• Mohamed “Mo” Farah, Long-Distance Running, England, 2005–current
• Mariano “Mo” Rivera, Baseball (Relief Pitcher), New York Yankees, Panama, 1995–2013
• Mohamed “Mo” Salah, Soccer (Forward), Liverpool Football Club, Egypt, 2010–current

Ashley

The unisex name Ashley comes from a place name with Old English roots meaning “ash tree clearing.” Multiple Ashleys have succeeded in several different athletic events, but they’re certainly not locked into specific sports. They can really do anything, as proven by two-time world champion sprinter and World Relay Championship–winner Ashley Spencer; deaf four-time AMA Motocross champion Ashley Fiolek; and Ashley Kidd, whose status as one of the greatest wake surfers of all time is proven by her six world Championships.

Competitors who have exemplified the grace and agility Ashleys are capable of include gymnasts like balance beam world champion Ashley Postell. The fastest Ashleys in the water have been Olympic freestyle gold medalist Ashley Whitney and long-distance swimmer Ashley Twichell, who has won a pair of each color medals from World Championships, while on the soccer field, Canadian Women’s Player of the Year fullback/midfielder Ashley Lawrence’s trophy and medal count includes an Olympic gold, a Division 1 Féminine championship, the Coupe de France twice, the Four Nations Tournament, and more.

Last but not least are the fastest Ashleys in the world, two legendary pioneers in auto racing. Ashley Force Hood (of the famed Force racing family) won three Top Alcohol Dragster races and two Funny Car events while achieving numerous firsts for women, including leading the NHRA Funny Car point standings, winning at Indianapolis, and winning in two different classes. Meanwhile, Ashley Freiberg won twenty-five races and two championships in Formula Mazda and became the first woman to win a Skip Barber Racing championship and the first woman to win races in IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge and Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge!

An Ashley in your family may enjoy hanging out in forest clearings, but she’s more likely to be active and competitive, possibly preferring swimming, soccer, gymnastics, or tearing down the track behind the wheel.

Stat Sheet

• Ashley Fiolek, Motocross, USA, 2008–2012
• Ashley Force Hood, Auto Racing (NHRA), USA, 2004–2011
• Ashley Freiberg, Auto Racing (IMSA SportsCar Championship), USA, 2013–current
• Ashley Kidd, Wakesurfing, USA, 2010–current
• Ashley Lawrence, Soccer (Full-Back/Midfielder), Paris Saint-Germain Féminine, Canada, 2013–current
• Ashley Postell, Artistic Gymnastics, USA, 1997–2004
• Ashley Spencer, Track & Field (Sprinting/Hurdling), USA, 2012–2017
• Ashley Twichell, Swimming (Long-Distance), USA, 2011–current
• Ashley Whitney, Swimming (Freestyle), USA, 1996–1999

The Strategists: For the Sharp and Focused

Hao

The sky’s the limit when it comes to opportunities for a son you name Hao, who will try many things before finding his niche and becoming singular in his focus when it comes to competition; those are just some of the qualities that come with the Chinese name that can be written with characters meaning “vastness (of the sky),” “open-minded,” or “straightforward.”

Haos have become masters of very different sports and events, from racewalking (like world champion Wang Hao) to chess (like Grandmaster Wang Hao, who won the 2019 FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament) and artistic gymnastics (like the five-time World Cup champion “King of Pommel Horse” Weng Hao).

If history is any indication, your little Hao may take a particular liking to water or racquet sports, in which case he’ll follow in the footsteps of world champion sprint canoeists Liu Hao and Wang Hao, who won the 2019 Men’s C-2 1000-meter event together, or not one but two table tennis champs named Wang Hao, the first of whom won a medal of each color at the World Table Tennis Championships between 1987 and 1993 and the second of whom is the legendary two-time Olympic gold–medalist, nine-time world champion, and seven-time World Cup–winner.

Stat Sheet

• Liu Hao, Sprint Canoeing, China, 2018–current
• Wang Hao, Chess, China, 2005–current
• Wang Hao, Sprint Canoeing, China, 2017–current
• Wang Hao, Table Tennis, China, 1987–1993
• Wang Hao, Table Tennis, China, 1998–2014
• Wang Hao, Track & Field (Racewalking), China, 2008–2010
• Weng Hao, Artistic Gymnastics, China, 2016–current

Nana

The unisex Nana has numerous origins and usages around the world, from a Greek diminutive of Ioanna to examples in Georgia and Japan. Those last two are where we see Nanas compete and win at high levels with both brains and strength! Georgia is home to two recent chess Woman Grandmasters, Woman International Master Nana Alexandria and International Master Nana Ioseliani. Those are both great inspirations for a young girl excited about chess or other mentally challenging games, while Japanese volleyball middle blocker and winner of the Montreaux Volley Masters Nana Iwasaka is a paragon of physical proficiency and domination.

Stat Sheet

• Nana Alexandria, Chess, Georgia, 1966–2006
• Nana Ioseliani, Chess, Georgia, 1978–2003
• Nana Iwasaka, Volleyball (Middle Blocker), Japan, 2009–2021

Rumay

While the name Rumay has ancient roots in Sanskrit, in international competition it couldn’t be more modern and cutting edge. Rumay “Hafu” Wang is an esports pro and an expert at a list of different games. She won the Bloodline Champions DreamHack Summer 2011 championship and has competed at the highest levels in World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and more.

Combine the classic with the new in your daughter with the name Rumay, giving her an appreciation for the past and the tools to succeed in the future.

Stat Sheet

• Rumay “Hafu” Wang, Esports (Bloodline Champions/Hearthstone), USA, 2008–current

The Heavyweights: For the Strong and Resilient

Emil/Emile

While they’re not pronounced exactly the same way, Emil and Emile share an ancient and noble source in a Roman family name that has as its root the word “rival.” That’s a perfect origin for the name of a fierce competitor, as your Emil or Emile will be once he chooses his preferred athletic endeavor.

He may take after three-time AFL All-Star and champion linebacker of the Los Angeles Chargers Emil Karas; Czech fourtime Olympic gold–medalist distance runner Emil Zátopek; and the incredibly successful Norwegian biathlete Emil Svendsen, whose massive medal collection includes four golds, three silvers, and a bronze from the Olympics and twelve golds, six silvers, and three bronzes from World Championships!

Interestingly, Emils are quite good at shooting at things.

In the world of esports are champions Emil “Nyhrox” Pedersen of Norway and Emil “Magisk” Reif of Denmark, who have won at Fortnite and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, respectively, while sport shooters winning big at Olympic Games and World Championships have included two-time gold medalist Emil Kellenberger of Switzerland and Sweden’s Emil Martinsson, who set world records and collected nearly twenty medals at World Championship events (including ten golds).

Stat Sheet

• Emil Karas, Football (Linebacker), Los Angeles Chargers, USA, 1959–1966
• Emil Kellenberger, Sport Shooting (Rifle), Switzerland, 1899–1922
• Emil Martinsson, Sport Shooting (Running Target), Sweden, 2002–current
• Emil “Nyhrox” Pedersen, Esports (Fortnite), Norway, 2018–current
• Emil “Magisk” Reif, Esports (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive), Denmark, 2015–current
• Emil Svendsen, Biathlon, Norway, 2005–2018
• Emil Zátopek, Long-Distance Running, Czechoslovakia, 1946–1957

Buddy

Like Buck/Bucky, Buddy is a fun nickname that can go with any name, regardless of gender. Give it to a child you think will be particularly friendly, or who may have the passion for sports and athletics like heavyweight boxer and actor Jacob “Buddy” Baer, nineteen-time NASCAR Cup Series–winner Elzie “Buddy” Baker (son of Buck Baker), MLB’s two-time All-Star second baseman Charles “Buddy” Myer and five-time All-Star third baseman David “Buddy” Bell, and legendary nine-ball player Cecil “Buddy” Hall.

Stat Sheet

• Jacob “Buddy” Baer, Boxing (Heavyweight), USA, 1934–1942
• Elzie “Buddy” Baker Jr., Auto Racing (NASCAR), USA, 1959–1992
• David “Buddy” Bell, Baseball (Third Baseman), Cleveland Indians, USA, 1972–1989
• Cecil “Buddy” Hall, Pool (Nine-Ball), USA, 1962–2011
• Charles “Buddy” Myer, Baseball (Second Baseman), Washington Senators, USA, 1925–1941

Ozzie

Ozzie is typically a diminutive for names like Osborn, Oswald/Oswaldo, and others, but it can be a nickname for all sorts of “O” first names and last names, or even be used as a name all on its own.

An Ozzie in your family (whether that’s his legal name or a nickname) is likely to be a team player with fast hands and excellent reflexes.

If he’s on the bigger and tougher side, he may enjoy football like three-time Pro Bowl Cleveland Browns tight end Ozzie Newsome, but otherwise his talents may bring him success on the baseball diamond. There he can follow in the footsteps of shortstops like Venezuelan threetime All-Star, Gold Glove–winner, and twotime World Series champion Ozzie Guillén, or Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, who racked up fifteen All-Star appearances, a World Series win, thirteen Gold Glove Awards, and more!

Stat Sheet

• Oswaldo “Ozzie” Guillén, Baseball (Shortstop), Chicago White Sox, Venezuela, 1985–2000
• Ozzie Newsome Jr., Football (Tight End), Cleveland Browns, USA, 1978–1990
• Osborne “Ozzie” Smith, Baseball (Shortstop), St. Louis Cardinals, USA, 1978–1996

The Trailblazers: For the Bold and Versatile

Cynthia

Another name that reaches all the way back to ancient Greece and Greek mythology is Cynthia, which comes from an epithet honoring the goddess Artemis’s birthplace on Mount Kynthos on the island of Delos. A patron deity of athletes (in particular racers and archers), Artemis can inspire a Cynthia in your family to athletic feats worthy of recognition alongside freestyle swimmer Cynthia Woodhead, who won three gold and two silver medals at World Championships when she was only fourteen years old; three-time All-Star and four-time WNBA champion Cynthia Cooper-Dyke of the Houston Comets (who also won Olympic gold); and five-time world champion in forms and weapons and five-time tournament Grand Master martial arts legend Cynthia Rothrock!

Stat Sheet

• Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, Basketball (Point Guard/Shooting Guard), Houston Comets, USA, 1986–2003
• Cynthia Rothrock (Foo Lok Law), Martial Arts, USA, 1981–1985
• Cynthia Woodhead, Swimming (Freestyle), USA, 1978–1984

Giovanna

Arising as a feminine version of the name Giovanni and ultimately from the same origin as John, meaning “God is gracious” in biblical Hebrew, Giovanna has reached a degree of popularity in Brazil, as well as Italy. Give this beautiful name to your daughter and she might excel at traditional sports, such as fencing, like Italian foil master Giovanna Trillini, who collected four gold medals, a silver, and three bronzes at Olympics; nine golds, five silvers, and five bronzes at World Championships; and four golds at Fencing World Cup events. On the other hand, your little Giovanna may strike out into something a bit more shiny, new, and revolutionary, like slacklining (balancing and performing tricks on a suspended webbing), following in the footsteps of Brazilian two-time world champion Giovanna Petrucci!

Stat Sheet

• Giovanna Petrucci, Slacklining, Brazil, 2015–current
• Giovanna Trillini, Fencing (Foil), Italy, 1987–2008

Joy

All children are a joy, and some are even named that! A Joy in your family can strive to be like American soccer star Joy Fawcett, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team’s highest-scoring defender and winner of two Olympic gold medals and two FIFA Women’s World Cups.

Stat Sheet

• Joy Fawcett, Soccer (Defender), San Diego Spirit, USA, 1987–2004

Discover 1,000 More All-Star Names for Your Future MVP

^{Excerpt from Naming Your Little All-Star by Scott Rubin.}