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.

Athletic Baby Names

Bird name possibility, rarer than Lark and Wren but with the same short, punchy feel.

Only five baby girls were named Finch in the most recent year, and four times as many baby boys.

Finch

Unusual alternative to Fisher with a brisker surname appeal. 

Fisk

Floyd was a Top 100 name from the 1880s to the 1940s that somehow developed an almost comical hayseed persona along with a touch of retro jazz cool; it's beginning to appeal to parents with a strong taste for the quirky. 
 In terms of namesakes and references, there is two-time heavyweight champ Floyd Patterson, well-known attorney Floyd Abrams, Mayberry barber Floyd Lawson, Muppet Floyd Pepper, and the iconic British rock band, Pink Floyd.

Floyd

Stylish way to name your son after basketball great Walt -- though Walt is sounding fresh again too.

Frazier

Athletic baby names relate to sports, athletes, and games, with athlete names for baby boys and baby girls, with meanings, origins, and popularity. (Page 13)