Baby Names
This one’s for all the future athletes and head coaches.
For many football fans, the obsession runs deep, and rightfully so — imagine being born into a family who spends each Sunday (or Saturday, if college football is your thing) gathered around the TV to cheer on their home team together. It’s one of those times every week families get together, share some homemade snacks and meals, and can put all disagreements aside because rooting for their Bucs, Steelers, or Cowboys is just more important.
So, when thinking about baby names and whether you’d want to name your little one after one of your heroes, it’s natural that famous coaches, players, and team founders come to mind. Heck, even some mascots would make darn good monikers. If your partner isn’t so much into the whole football thing, you may have some convincing to do. Good thing: there are plenty of football-inspired name options that don’t sound like they came straight off of somebody’s jersey. But then again, some of the best names do.
No matter what name you choose for your bundle of joy, just make sure it’s one that’s easy to shout once they’re big enough to throw a football in the front yard and you need them to go long.
10
Vince
The Lombardi trophy, awarded to Super Bowl winning teams, is named for Vince Lombardi. He has one of the most successful and storied careers of any coach in any sport, is definitely considered by many to be the best leader ever in football. Vince would be a great name for your little boy if you love the man himself and need a one-syllable first name. The name is also short for Vincent, which means “conqueror, victor.” How fitting.
11
Landry
Some of the best first names come from famous players’ last names. Take Jarvis Landry, for example. Landry would be adorable on a baby girl, or spunky on a bouncing boy.
12
Rooney
If you already have a Terrible Towel purchased to gift your newborn, then this name needs no explanation. Art Rooney founded the Pittsburgh Steelers, a major sports exec, and even had an Olympic boxing career. Now, just imagine the name Rooney on a bright-eyed little gal ready to take on the boys!
13
Saint
Did Kim Kardashian popularize Saint when she gave the name to her her son, Saint West? She sure did. However, the Saints are one of those NFL teams that have had plenty of superstars on their roster and a legion of loyal fans. If you’re among them, this is a solid name choice for a boy or girl.
14
Drew
A man who needs no introduction, because if you haven’t seen him play football, you’ve at least seen Drew Brees in a Nyquil commercial. He played in the NFL for 20 seasons, nearly all of them with the New Orleans Saints. This name would be just as perfect for girls as it would be for boys.
15
Ben
Big Ben Roethlisberger is another legendary QB who will go down in football history. And Ben is a timeless boy name that can be short for Benjamin, Bentley, Benedict, and more, or stand all on its own.
16
Cooper
Cooper Kupp is one of the biggest names in football right now, playing as a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams. Cooper is currently ranked #74 in popularity in the United States’ top 1,000 names, so it’s getting more mainstream, but still just offbeat enough that it’s exciting.
17
Lori
While it may not be one of the first names you think of when pondering baby girl names, this would be a super cool football-inspired name for a future world-changer. Lori Locust is one of two women coaches for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and she made history as one of the first women coaches to claim a Super Bowl win.
18
Maral
Just like Lori, Maral Javadifar is one of the women coaches on the Bucs blazing trails for future generations of female coaches. She’s an assistant strength and conditioning coach, so, you know, just a casual bad*ss.