Athletic Baby Names

There are ordinary folk named Prince, Earl, and Duke, so why not this rank of nobility as well? Many spellings compete, the most common being Marquis, Marquise, and Marquez. Rapper 50 Cent chose the Marquise version for his son; David Caruso chose Marquez.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Plaxico Burress brought this name, which was inherited from an uncle, into the mix, adding to the category of names with peaceful meanings.

A common Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean unisex name, and the name of a culturally rich Chinese Dynastic period. Yao Ming is the seven and a half foot Shanghai-born basketball star. Trivia tidbit: His parents were the tallest couple in China at the time of his birth.

Marino is an Italian first and surname with distinct crossover possibilities, having pleasant seaside undertones, and is far more unusual in the U.S. than sister Marina.

The last name of one of the great modern American tennis champs could conceivably be used as a hero name by tennis-loving parents. On second thought, maybe save it for a middle spot.

Found as a first name primarily in baseball books giving the stats on the late New York Yankee Thurman Munson.

A more romantic form of old school Clement, which ranks in the Top 100 boy names in Chile. Clemente, like Clement, derives from the Late Latin name Clemens, the name of 14 popes and several saints.

The connection to a knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend gives this name a hint of nobility. Geraint Thomas was a Welsh cyclist who competed in the 2008 Olympics.

Despite the presidential pedigree, it's still hard to shake the image of the cartoon cat (named after his creator Jim Davis's grandfather). However, there are other Garfields, such as Barbadian cricket player Sir Garfield Sobers, who carries it with gravitas.

Logan came from nowhere in the past few decades to break the Top 25, and Hogan is a good bet to follow, now that "Hogan's Heroes" has faded from memory.

Last name occasionally used as a first, can be seen as a Lance Armstrong athlete-hero name.

Football fans just might want to honor star footballer Ahman Green, whose name can be seen as a variation of AHMED or AHMAD.

Gehrig might have been used as a sports hero name honoring legendary baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, but the association with the disease he gave his name to makes it a no-no.

Though you might have been a fan of tennis star Chris Evert, stick with EVERETT, which everyone will think you're saying anyway.

With Galway and Ireland in play as names (not to mention Shannon and Kerry), there's no reason this one can't work, too.

Elaboration of Dion publicized by the football and baseball star Deion Sanders -- aka Neon Deion.

Durant's meaning signifies staying power, a good quality to impart to your child. Notables with the surname Durant include Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Will and Ariel Durant, most famous for their eleven-volume The Story of Civilization, and William Crappo Durant, co-founder of General Motors and Chevrolet.

Dominican-born New York Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera has brought this name into the spotlight. Many parents might find it too milky--in fact, Cabrera's nickname is "Leche"--Spanish for "milk."

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

A possible last-name-first name represented by former first baseman Chris Sabo.