Friday, July 5, 2013

10 Baby Names Inspired By The Olympics

By Aela Mass

With Olympic athletes gearing up for the next meet, you’d think I’d be inspired to get out there and sweat. Not so much. Instead, these awesome athletes have inspired me to do what I currently enjoy the most: Search for baby names. There are a few that didn’t make my list simply because they are just a little too out there for a baby in today’s world. But their links to the Olympics are too strong to ignore, so here are some worthy of an honorable mention: Zeus, Hera, Hyleas, Appolo, and Vulcan (I mean, really. Who’s going to name their son Vulcan?).
Check out these 10 Olympics-inspired baby names that could be used for today’s tots.

Mia
Origin: Latin, Italian, Israeli
Meaning: My; Wished-for child
Mia Hamm is perhaps the most famous soccer athlete of all time, having scored more international goals during her career than any other player - male or female. With a record like that, who wouldn't be honored to be named after her? 

Olympia
Origin: Greek
Meaning: From Mount Olympus, home of the ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses
Considering that Olympia is the city in Greece that was the site of the ancient Olympic Games, this female name is strongly rooted in Olympic history. It's also one I'm trying to convince my spouse to add to our list ... but that task isn't going over so well. 

Venus (aka Aphrodite)
Origin: Latin, Greek
Meaning: Goddess of love
Aphrodite was one of the goddesses who ruled the universe from Mount Olympus, and the Romans called her Venus. Today, Venus Williams rules the tennis court, including the courts at the Olympics; she's won more gold medals than any other female tennis player. 

Demetrius
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Earth lover
King of ancient Macedonia, Demetrius earned that title by saving the city, whose people later became key in managing the games at Olympia. And American Demetrius Andrade competed in the 2008 Olympics for boxing, giving this name even more Olympic appeal. 

Victor
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Conqueror
With a meaning like "conqueror," it's perhaps the strongest male name ever. And it's also what every athlete hopes to leave the Olympic games as: a victor. 

Athena
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Goddess of Wisdom and War
Athena was such a strong goddess reigning from Mount Olympus that she got a city named after her: Athens, Greece. This name strikes a great balance between soft-sounding femininity and some hardcore strength. 

Picabo
Origin: Native American
Meaning: Shining waters
If you think Olympia is off-beat, Picabo is likely even harder to imagine as a name. But skiier Picabo Street has done this Native American moniker proud with her 1998 Winter Olympics gold medal win.

Diana (aka Artemis)
Origin: Italian, Greek
Meaning: Huntress and virgin goddess of the moon
Artemis, called Diana by the Romans, was one of the Goddesses who ruled from Mount Olympus. Known for her swiftness and beauty, Diana is an easily lovable name.

Florence
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Flourishing, prosperous
Florence Griffith-Joyner, or Flo-Jo, was a late-'80s U.S. Olympic track star. And since it means "prosperous," others with the name Florence are sure to go places.

Source : http://www.babble.com

No comments:

Post a Comment