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Wagner
German occupational name
"wagon maker"
Whether pronounced like the wag of a tail or as the correct German VAHG-ner, this might be something a devoted opera buff could consider as a middle name.
Armstrong
English and Scottish surname
"strong arms"
Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.
ANDRETTI
Dale
English
"valley"
A light and breezy nature name that's currently in style limbo, despite its pleasant meaning, Dale was originally a surname, used for someone who lived near a valley. It was a Top 100 choice in the…
EARNHARDT
PETTY
NAMATH
Duncan
Scottish
"dark warrior"
Duncan is jaunty, confident, and open, a Scottish royal name that's brimming with friendly charm and makes it into our golden circle of names that are neither too popular nor too strange. Popularity…
Jeter
French or German surname
"throw away; foundling; jet"
Jeter, which of course is used as a first name only because of Yankee star Derek, rhymes with Peter and may be derived from the French surname Jette, which was often bestowed on foundlings because it…
BOLT
Usain
Arabic, possible variation of Hussein
"beautiful"
There will probably be lots of little namesakes after the fastest man in the world, Jamaican Olympic runner Usain Bolt--middle name St. Leo.
Venus
Latin
"love, desire"
The name of a heavenly planet and the Roman goddess of beauty and love was an intimidating no-no until tennis champ Venus Williams put an athletic, modern spin on it. Associated with the Greek…
Manning
Irish surname
"monk"
For football fans who have decided Peyton has become too feminine. Or they could look to brother Eli for inspiration.
Lebron
French
"brown-haired one"
The best-known bearer of this name by far is basketball superstar LeBron James. While LeBron James is a great athlete and American hero, only 19 baby boys were named LeBron or Lebron in 2021.
Bryant
Variation of Brian, Irish
"strong, virtuous, and honorable"
Bryant has a longer history as a first name in the US than its father name Brian, ranking among the Top 1000 since the list began in 1880 while Brian only jumped on in 1925. That may be because the…
Phelps
English
"son of Philip"
Solid Philip middle name alternative.
Marty
Short form of Martin, Latin
"warlike"
Marty is one of those Old Man nicknames that's just starting to sound cute again.
RIPKEN
Griffey
Irish surname
Though you might think you were honoring baseball's Ken Griffey, most people would think you were using a term of endearment for GRIFFIN or GRIFFITH.
SOSA