Top 100 Athletic Girl Names For Your Future Champion

Katie Unnithan
Feb 16, 2024 By Katie Unnithan
Originally Published on Sep 24, 2020
Edited by Isobel Murphy
Tennis player with a racket.
Age: 0-99
Read time: 8.5 Min



Searching for baby names can be a huge task!

We have put together a collection of baby names inspired by famous athletes, sporty meanings and some gender neutral ones. If you want a comprehensive list of unique girls' names for your daughter then you have come to the right place.

It's fantastic to choose a baby name based on a famous sportsperson. A baby girl name inspired by the qualities of athletes can show your baby girl how special she is. Popular or rare, positive girl name meanings such as determination or strength can empower little girls to take up sport. We have a list of sporty girl names that will score a perfect 10 with your family.

little swimmer girl in swimming pool with medal for the first place

Famous Women To Inspire Sports Girl Names

Here is a range of baby girl names based on some very famous sportspeople. For a name that makes a sporty statement, these are a great choice.

1.Ali (Arabic origin) meaning "supreme". Inspired by Muhammad Ali, a world-class boxer.

2.Annika (Swedish origin) meaning "grace". Annika Sorenstam is considered the best female golfer ever.

3.Dara (Gaelic origin) meaning "oak tree". Dara Singh is a professional wrestler.

4.Elena (Greek origin) meaning "bright, shining light".  Yelena Isinbeyeva is a pole vaulter.

5.Lisa (English origin) meaning "my oath".  Lisa Leslie was the first woman to dunk in the WNBA.

6.Misty (English origin) meaning "mist". Misty Copeland is an inspiring ballerina.

7.Ronda (Hebrew origin) meaning "loud" or "grand". Ronda Rousey is a wrestler.

Gender Neutral Athletic Names

We have a selection of gender neutral baby names that would be great for any child. A gender neutral name can be used for any child.

8.Bo (Israeli origin) meaning "strong and fast".

9.Divine (Latin origin) meaning "holy". Divine Oduduru is a world-class sprinter.

10.Jamie (Hebrew origin) meaning "heel". Jamie Chadwick won the inaugural W series championships.

11.Maahir (Arabic origin) meaning "skilled".

12.Mo (Cantonese origin) meaning "do not". Mo Huilan was a gymnast.

13.Shawn (Irish origin) meaning "God is gracious". Shawn Johnson is an artistic gymnast.

Names Based On Olympic Athletes

Women in sports are seen as role models by many girls around the world. For a name your sporty girl will love, this iconic list of Olympic athletes has you covered.

14.Agnieszka (Greek origin) meaning "pure". Agnieszka Radwanska was a tennis player.

15.Allyson (German origin) meaning "kind". Allyson Felix is a sprinter with nine gold medals.

16.Bianca (Italian origin) meaning "white". Bianca Williams is a famous British athlete.

17.Blessing (English origin) meaning "divine gift". Blessing Okagbare is a sprinter and long jumper.

18.Jessica (Hebrew origin) meaning "God beholds". Jessica Ennis is a famous heptathlete.

19.Nafissatou (Arabic origin) meaning "valuable". NafissatouThiamis a prolific multi-eventer.

20.Denise (Greek origin) meaning "devoted". Denise Lewis was a prolific heptathlete.

21.Cathy (Latin origin) meaning "pure". Cathy Freeman is a 400m runner.

22.Ruth (Hebrew origin) meaning "truth". Ruth Beitia is the Olympic champion for high jump.

23.Alex (Greek origin) meaning "defending men". Alex Morgan is one of the most famous football players.

24.Megan (Welsh origin) meaning "pearl". Megan Rapinoe is another excellent footballer.

25.Abby (Hebrew origin) meaning "my father's joy". Abby Womback is an American footballer.

26.Carmelita (Spanish origin) meaning "little poem". Carmelita Jeter is a sprinter with three olympic medals.

27.Dina (English origin) meaning "from the valley". Dina Asher- Smith is one of the most famous British athletes.

28.Ivana (Slavic origin) meaning "gift from God" Ivana Spanovic is the world indoor champion for long jump.

29.Tiana (Russian origin) meaning "princess". Tiana Bartoletta has three Olympic medals for sprints.

30.Shelly-Ann (South African origin) meaning "a gift from God". Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a Jamaican sprinter.

Names From Paralympic Athletes

Paralympic athletes are a source of hope and optimism for many people. From popular baby names to more rare ones, choosing a name from this list is a great choice for sporty girls. A sporty name from a Paralympic athlete can remind children to never give up.

31.April (Latin origin) meaning "open". April Holmes has one gold medal and two bronze medals.

32.Chantal (Occitan origin) meaning "stone". Chantal Petitclerc is the most successful wheelchair racer of all time.

33.Ellie (Hebrew origin) meaning "light". Ellie Simmonds won two gold medals in swimming events at the age of 13.

34.Esther (Persian origin) meaning "star". Esther Vergeer is a wheelchair tennis player.

35.Natalia (Latin origin) meaning "Christmas Day". Natalia Partyka is a table tennis player.

36.Kare (Norse origin) meaning "enormous". Kare Adenegan is a wheelchair athlete who won medals at the age of 15.

37.Sarah (Of Arabic origin) meaning "joy" or "delight". Sarah Storey is a Paralympic cyclist.

38.Teresa (French origin) meaning "huntress". Teresa Perales is a swimmer who won 26 Paralympic medals.

39.Terezinha (Portuguese origin) meaning "harvester". Terezinha Guilhermina is a T11 sprinter.

40.Yu (Chinese origin) meaning "gem". Yu Chuo Yee is a wheelchair fencer.

Names From Winter Olympic Athletes

The winter Olympics features many brilliant events to get you thinking about a sporty name for your baby. For sporty girl names based on winter sports, this list is for you.

41.Chloe Kim, the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal in 2018.

42.Claudia Pechstein is a speed skater with nine Olympic medals.

43.Ireen Wust youngest Dutch winter Olympic champion

44.Lolo (Nigerian origin) meaning "prosperous". Lolo Jones is a hurdler and bobsledder.

45.Marit Bjorgen most successful cross country skier in the world, 29 wins.

46.Maam Biney is a short track speed skater.

Little girl Thai boxing training is a self defense course, Muay Thai.

Names From Winter Paralympic Athletes

These athletes compete in dangerous sports on the snow and ice, for baby names that remind your daughter to be fearless, a sporty name is a great choice.

47.Bibian Mentel has three Paralympic gold medals.

48.Kaillie (Celtic origin) meaning "slender". Kaillie Humphries led the first mixed bobsled team.

49.Kelly Gallager won Britains first ever Paralympic winter gold medal.

50.Menna Fitzpatrick is a blind alpine skier with 10 medals.

51.Jade Etherington is a  visually impaired skier.

52.Jennifer Kehoe is Menna Fitzpatrick's sighted guide.

53.Verena (Latin origin) meaning "the winner". Verena Bentele is a blind cross country skier.

Amazing Gymnasts To Inspire Your Sporty Girl Names

Gymnastics captivates many young girls. If you want to inspire a little girl, sports names from amazing gymnasts are a fabulous option. A sporty name inspired by a gymnast is an excellent choice.

54.Aliya (Arabic origin) meaning "high". Aliya Mustafina is the two-time uneven bars champion.

55.Daniela (Hebrew origin) meaning "God is my judge". Daniela Silivas is an artistic gymnast.

56.Dominique (Latin origin) meaning "of the Lord". Dominique Dawes is a gymnast.

57.Ecaterina (Romanian origin) meaning "pure". Ecaterina Szabo won 20 medals during her career.

58.Gabrielle (French Origin) meaning "God is my strength". Gabby Douglas was the first black woman to become the all-round Olympic individual champion.

59.Lavinia (Latin origin) meaning "woman of Rome". Lavinia Milosovici is one of the most successful gymnasts of all time.

60.Nadia (Slavic origin) meaning "hope". Nadia Comaneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect 10.

61.Nastia (Russian origin) meaning "resurrection". Nastia Liukin won more medals during the Beijing olympics than any other gymnast.

62.Shannon (Irish origin) meaning "wise river".  Shannon Miller was an artistic gymnast.

63.Simone (Hebrew origin) meaning "God has heard". Simone Biles is the third most decorated gymnast in the world.

64.Svetlana (Slavic origin) meaning "light". Svetlana Khorkina has won seven gold medals and 20 world championship medals.

Popular Tennis Players To Name Your Baby After

Tennis players are powerful, quick, agile and strong. A baby name inspired by a tennis player will remind sporty girls that they can do anything.

65.Amelie (Latin origin) meaning "strive". Amelie Mauresmo is a former number one ranked tennis player.

66.Ana (Latin origin) meaning "favour". Ana Ivanovic has 15 career titles to her name.

67.Dinara (Russian origin) meaning "treasure". Dinara Safina is a former world number one tennis player.

68.Jelena (Greek origin) meaning "light". Jelena Djokovic is a world class tennis player.

69.Lindsay (Gaelic origin) meaning "a lake". Lindsay Davenport was a great tennis player.

70.Maria (Latin origin) meaning "Of the Sea". Maria Sharapova is one of the most famous tennis players.

71.Martina (Latin origin) meaning "dedicated to Mars".  Martina Navratilova has 59 titles.

72.Naomi  (Hebrew origin) meaning "pleasantness". Naomi Osaka is the number one female tennis player in the world.

73.Serena (Latin origin) meaning "tranquil". Serena Williams has been ranked number one eight times.

74.Simona (Spanish origin) meaning "to be heard". Simona Halep was ranked number one for 64 weeks in a row.

75.Sloane (Gaelic origin) meaning "warrior". Sloane Stephens was the 2017 US open champion.

76.Steffi (Greek origin) meaning "garland, crown". Steffi Graf was ranked number one in the world for 377 weeks.

77.Venus (Greek origin) meaning "Goddess of love". Venus Williams has been ranked number one nine times.

Racing Drivers To Name Your Sporty Girls After

Your daughter could be a budding race driver with a need for speed, a name from this list is a fabulous choice.

78.Danica (Slavic origin) meaning "morning star".  Danica Patrick, stock racing driver.

79.Desire (French origin) meaning "desired". Desire Wilson is the first woman to win an F1 race.

80.Giovanna (Hebrew origin) meaning "the lord is gracious". Giovanna Amati is an F1 driver.

81.Lella (Arabic origin) meaning "dark beauty". Lella Lombardi participated in 17 F1 championship races.

82.Michele (French origin) meaning "who is like God" Michele Mouton competed for the Audi factory team.

83.Simona (Spanish origin) meaning "to be heard". Simona de Silvestro drove in the Formula E championships.

Girls Names With Sporty Meanings

Girls names from this list convey qualities essential for sporting success. No matter what sport your daughter takes up, names with sporty meanings have some beautiful meanings.

84.Aatralarasi (Tamil origin) meaning "skilled".

85.Achira (Hindi origin) meaning "swift".

86.Adira (Hebrew origin) meaning "strong".

87.Aila (Scottish origin) meaning "from the strong place".

88.Andrea (Italian origin) meaning "strong"

89.Briana (Celtic origin) meaning "strong, she ascends".

90.Bridget (Gaelic origin) meaning "strength".

91.Daksha (Tamil origin) meaning "the skilled one".

92.Ebba (German origin) meaning "strength of a boar".

93.Gertrude (German origin) meaning "spear of strength".

94.Imiza (German origin) meaning "universal strength".

95.Keren (Hebrew origin) meaning "power".

96.Kiah (Welsh origin) meaning "person of Earth".

97.Melisande (French origin) meaning "labour strength".

98.Pranaveena (Sanskrit origin) meaning "skilful"

99.Valentina (Roman origin) meaning "health, strong".

100.Victoria ( Latin origin) meaning "victory". Victoria Pendleton is a British track cyclist.

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Written by Katie Unnithan

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics

Katie Unnithan picture

Katie UnnithanBachelor of Arts specializing in Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics

Having been born in San Francisco and raised in Cheshire, Katie has a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics from the University of Birmingham. She has a passion for exploring new places in the UK, training with her university athletics club, and spending quality time with her 10-year-old sister. She is dedicated to promoting social justice and environmental issues and strives to eliminate inequalities that restrict young people from achieving their goals and aspirations.

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