Betway has conducted research using data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to identify the most popular baby names inspired by athletes in England and Wales.
You can view the study in full below.
The top 10 most popular boy names inspired by athletes:
| Rank | Baby Name | Athlete | Sport | % change in the last 10 years |
| 1 | Thiago | Thiago Alcântara | Football | 447% |
| 2 | Bernardo | Bernardo Silva | Football | 300% |
| 3 | Kelechi | Kelechi Iheanacho | Football | 200% |
| 4 | Emiliano | Emiliano Martínez | Football | 167 % |
| 5 | Kobe | Kobe Bryant | Basketball | 143% |
| 6 | Hakim | Hakim Ziyech | Football | 113% |
| 7 | Andres | Andres Iniesta | Football | 70% |
| 8 | Jadon | Jadon Sancho | Football | 63% |
| 9 | Luka | Luka Dončić | Basketball | 57% |
| 10 | Rafael | Rafael Nadal | Tennis | 53% |
Thiago is the most popular athlete-inspired baby name for boys, with a 447% increase in popularity in the last 10 years. There is a possibility that the surge can be attributed to both Thiago Silva, Brazilian footballer who plays for Chelsea FC and Spanish footballer Thiago Alcântara, who currently plays for Liverpool.
The next most popular boy’s name inspired by athletes is Bernardo, with a 300% increase in babies being named this. The surge can potentially be credited to Manchester Cities, Bernardo Silva.
In third place is Kelechi, with a 200% increase in babies named this, potentially inspired by Kelechi Iheanacho, a Nigerian footballer who plays for Leicester City.
The top 10 most popular girl names inspired by athletes:
| Rank | Baby Name | Athlete | Sport | % change in the last 10 years |
| 1 | Peggy | Peggy Fleming | Figure skating | 154% |
| 2 | Kallie | Kallie Humphries | Bobsleigh | 75% |
| 3 | Penny | Penny Oleksiak | Swimming | 68% |
| 4 | Nancy | Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman | Basketball | 66% |
| 5 | Marta | Marta Vieira da Silva | Soccer | 41% |
| 6 | Kim | Kim Yuna | Figure Skating | 17% |
| 7 | Venus | Venus Williams | Tennis | 14% |
| 8 | Caroline | Caroline Wozniacki | Tennis | 11% |
| 9 | Maria | Maria Sharapova | Tennis | 6% |
| 10 | Candace | Candace Parker | Basketball | 0% |
Peggy is the most popular athlete-inspired baby name for girls, with a 154% increase in popularity. This rise is likely attributed to American figure skater Peggy Fleming, whose achievements have inspired many.
Following Peggy, Kallie has experienced a 75% increase in popularity. This surge could be due to the influence of American bobsledder Kallie Humphries.
In third place is Penny, with a 68% increase in babies named this, potentially inspired by Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak.
Candance rounds out our top 10 girls’ list. Likely attributed to American professional basketball player Candace Parker, the name has remained the same over the past decade, experiencing no growth or decline.
