After being postponed a full year, the Summer Olympics are almost here. Sure, they were supposed to take place in Tokyo in 2020, but better late than never. For huge Olympic fans, this is an exciting time, and even if you didn't realize it, it's also the perfect time to find that baby girl name you've been searching for.
When figuring out the perfect name for our future babies, inspiration can come from anywhere, including our favorite sporting events or sports personalities. And for those of us who happen to be pregnant and seeking that kind of inspiration, the Olympics — both past and present — can provide us with a lot of ideas for names for our baby girls to be. Who better to name them after than seriously talented, legendary athletes?
Read on for Olympic-inspired names for baby girls. Whether they come from the women who will be competing in the Tokyo Games or the women who have earned gold medals in the past, maybe these names will help inspire our babies to grow up to be like the kick-butt female athletes who came before them.
SIMONE
Simone Biles — a member of the US gymnastics team — is most definitely having a moment right now, so who better to draw major baby name inspiration from? She has enough confidence to wear a goat on her leotard, reminding herself that she's the Greatest Of All Time … and she's only 24 years old.
JORDAN
While we're talking about Simone, we'd be remiss if we didn't also mention her teammate and friend, Jordan Chiles. Jordan has beat incredible odds to be at the Tokyo Olympics for 2021, and at just 20 years old, there's no doubt she has an amazing career ahead of her.
BRIGHTON
Looking for a quirky name that also happens to be Olympian-inspired? Consider Brighton: the first name of Brighton Zeuner, the 17-year-old who has made it to the first USA skateboarding team to ever compete in the summer Olympics. She even won a gold medal at the X Games at just 13 years old!
KATIE
If you're into swimming, you probably already know all about Katie Ledecky, who already holds six Olympic medals and is going for even more in the events this summer. This will be the 24-year-old's third Olympic games, and there's no doubt she'll make her team proud.
STEPHANIE
Another one of the events in the Tokyo Games is sailing, and Stephanie Roble is one to watch — and her name is a solid inspiration for parents who also feel at home out on the water. This will be the 32 year old's first Olympics, but according to her Team USA bio, she's been sailing since she was 5 years old.
ALLYSON
Allyson Felix is already a track and field legend — why not use her for a little baby name inspiration? Not only is she a five-time Olympian, but she's also collected nine medals in that time (and we have a feeling that she's not done yet). Who better to name a baby after?
NAOMI
It would be impossible to talk about female Olympic athletes without talking about Naomi Osaka, the tennis player who has broken records and barriers as an Asian woman in tennis. She'll be representing Japan in the Tokyo Olympics this year, and she's definitely going to be fun (and impressive) to watch.
SHAWN
Shawn Johnson might be retired from the Olympics these days — she's spending most of her time being a mom (and entertaining us on YouTube) instead of setting gymnastics records — but we'll never forget the talent and the drive that she has. Shawn is a lovely, gender neutral name that represents such a strong woman.
MICHELLE
Speaking of retired Olympic legends, let's talk about one of the all time greats: Michelle Kwan. As a figure skater who was used to scooping up all the medals in the Winter Olympics, we'll never forget Michelle's talents. And since her name is so timeless, it'll never go out of style.
TARA
And while we're talking about figure skaters, we've gotta bring up another one who we wanted to grow up to be as we watched the Olympics when we were younger: Tara Lipinski. In the '90s, she was a champion, and she's gone on to become a major figure in sports, commentating ever since.
JACQUELINE
Ready for a major throwback? Let's talk about Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee, one of the best track and field athletes of all time. Jacqueline, who is now 59 years old and is more commonly known as Jackie, has six Olympic medals under her belt — and half of those are gold.
SERENA
When the name Serena comes to mind, we immediately think of Serena Williams, and of course, that's who we're talking about here. This tennis legend and Olympian isn't competing in the Tokyo Games, but she has competed in 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016, and she has four gold medals to her name, so if she wants to sit this one out, well, we get it.
LINDSEY
Though Lindsey Vonn competed in the Winter Olympics (she's a champion alpine ski racer) we'd be remiss if we didn't mention her name as one that should definitely be an option for any athlete namesake baby girls who might be in your future. She is kind of a big deal …
MCKAYLA
Not only was McKayla Maroney a talented gymnast in the 2012 Summer Olympics, but she also became a meme, thanks to her unimpressed expression. She's retired from the sport now, but she'll live on as an Olympic legend forever — and her name is perfect for any sassy babies in your future.
MARY LOU
If we're talking about past Olympians, let us call your attention to Mary Lou Retton, who any baby girl would be lucky to be named after. A gymnast, Mary Lou won a gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics, and of course, she's retired since then, but she'll live on as one of the most famous athletes ever.
MARIA
In terms of tennis, it's hard to top Serena Williams (or her sister, Venus), but if you want to come pretty darn close, go with Russian player Maria Sharapova. Maria is also an Olympian herself, and she won a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012, though she has retired since then.
MISSY
At just 26 years old, Missy Franklin has more than earned the right to be a future baby girl's namesake. Though she no longer swims competitively, before she retired, Missy managed to win five Olympic gold medals — all of them before she had turned 23 years old.
WILMA
Let's take a moment to pay tribute to one of the fastest women in history — and once your baby is crawling (and then walking … and then running …) you'll probably feel like this is a totally appropriate name! Yep, we're talking about Wilma Rudolph, who was the first US woman to win three gold medals at one Olympic games.
NADIA
Though she's now retired, Nadia Comaneci was a Romanian gymnast who won five Olympic gold medals in her career — and that career included being the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0, which is incredibly impressive. She was only 14 when she achieved this. Maybe bestowing this name upon your own baby girl will end up giving her that kind of drive!
JANET
There haven't been a lot of babies named Janet in the last couple of decades, but if there was ever a reason to bring the name back, it's to pay tribute to this athlete! Janet Evans, who is now 49 years old and retired, holds a total of four gold Olympic medals in swimming.
