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80+ Sport-Inspired Dog Names for Sporty Puppies

Breeding Business is passionate about all sorts of domesticated pets. They have written dozens of articles across the web.
sporty dog names

Are you a sports fan or do you have an athletic and sporty puppy who loves exercising? Then our list of sports-inspired dog names will be ideal for you. Since it is such a broad and rich area, we have added dozens of cool suggestions.

We have dozens of other categorized puppy names so check them out!

We have taken inspiration from different sports, famous athletes, cool nicknames and even special equipment for specific sports.

Therefore, from this short intro, you can see that you will find the name that truly represents your puppy. We are also going to help you to find a name that identifies its personality, worry not. Just keep reading to find out everything we have in store for you!

Names Inspired by the Olympics

The Olympic Games is the most important international multi-sport event in the world. Therefore, it serves as an extraordinary source of names for dogs. You will find some of our best recommendations below, along with suggestions based on the breed of your pet.

If you have a dog that loves swimming, or if you love the sport yourself, then you could name it Phelps, like Michael Phelps, the famous Olympic swimmer. This name will fit certain breeds better than others, and some of them are the Portuguese water dog, Irish Setter, and the Irish Water Spaniel.

For the fans of skiing, here you have an excellent suggestion, Lindsey, a name in honor of the famous and talented Olympic skier. Like our previous example, this suggestion will be better for certain breeds such as the Vizsla and the Australian Cattledog, which are amazing companions for skiing.

List of Sports-Inspired Dog Names

Here are several options of sports-inspired dog names for you to choose from:

  • Agassi
    Iconic tennis player.
  • Alexie
    Defender.
  • Ali
    As in Muhammad Ali.
  • Andre
    As in Andre Agassi.
  • Angelique
    From Angelique Kerber.
  • Apollo
    As in Apolo Anton Ohno.
  • Archer
    Sports of archery.
  • Babe
    As in Babe Ruth.
  • Barkley
    As in Charles Barkley.
  • Beckham
    As in David Beckham.
  • Bird
    As in Larry Bird.
  • Blair
    As in Bonnie Blair.
  • Blitz
    Defensive attack.
  • Bo
    As in Bo Jackson.
  • Bolt
    Immense running speed.
  • Bonnie
    As in Bonnie Blair.
  • Boris
    Fighter.
  • Boxer
    Person who does boxing sport.
  • Brady
    As in Tom Brady.
  • Brandi
    As in Brandi Chastain.
  • Bronco
    An NFL Team.
  • Buster
    As in Buster Posey.
  • Cal
    As in Cal Ripken.
  • Carli
    As in Carli Lloyd.
  • Carly
    As in Carly Piper.
  • Caroline
    As in Caroline Wozniacki.
  • Catherine
    One of Russia’s most famed rulers.
  • Cathy
    As in Cathy Rigby.
  • Coach
    Trainer or instructor.
  • Cobb
    As in Ty Cobb.
  • Coco
    As in Coco Miller.
  • Cosmonaut
    Original Russian astronauts.
  • Crikcet
    Popular sports in England.
  • Czar
    Emperor in Russian.
  • Danica
    As in Danica Patrick.
  • Dempsey
    As in Jack Dempsey.
  • Elbrus
    Tallest mountain in Russia.
  • Elena
    Helen in Russian.
  • Elizaveta
    Elizabeth in Russian.
  • Emmitt
    As in Emmitt Smith.
  • Eugenie
    As in Eugenie Bouchard.
  • Evgena
    Noble.
  • Evgeny
    Eugene in Russian.
  • Faina
    Light.
  • Fazier
    As in Walt Fraizer.
  • Fedoisa
    God's gift.
  • Fyodor
    God’s gift.
  • Gabby
    As in Gabby Douglas.
  • Gordy
    As in Gordy Howe.
  • Gretzky
    Famous hockey player.
  • Griffey
    As in Ken Griffey.
  • Grigory
    A legendary figure from Russia.
  • Hamm
    As in Mia Hamm.
  • Hannah
    As in Hannah Tetr.
  • Hawk
    As in Tony Hawk.
  • Holly
    From Holly Holm.
  • Homer
    A home run.
  • Hope
    As in Hope Solo.
  • Jackie
    As in Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
  • Jeter
    As in Derek Jeter.
  • Jordan
    As in Michael Jordan.
  • Joy
    From Florence Griffith Joyner.
  • Kazak
    Skilled at military training.
  • Kemba
    As in Kemba Walker.
  • Ken
    As in Ken Griffey.
  • Kerri
    As in Kerri Walsh Jennings.
  • King
    As in Billie Jean King.
  • Knick
    Legendary speed skater.
  • Kobe
    As in Kobe Bryant.
  • Laila
    As in Laila Ali.
  • Lindsey
    An Olympic skier.
  • Lionel
    As in Lionel Messi.
  • Lolo
    As in Lolo Jones.
  • Magic
    As in Magic Johnson.
  • Manning
    As in Eli Manning.
  • Maverick
    Popular NBA team.
  • Messi
    As in Lionel Messi.
  • Misty
    As in May Treanor.
  • Mitt
    Sports item.
  • Montana
    As in Joe Montana.
  • Nike
    A sports apparel brand.
  • Palmer
    As in Arnold Palmer.
  • Peggy
    Professional figure skater.
  • Pepper
    Pre-game exercise.
  • Peyton
    As in Peyton Manning.
  • Phelps
    Olympic swimmer.
  • Picabo
    Fro Picabo Street.
  • Posey
    As in Buster Posey.
  • Pova
    As in Maria Sharapova.
  • Racquet
    Another term for tennis or squash.
  • Rafa
    As in Rafael Nadal.
  • Raven
    NFL team.
  • Ripken
    As in Cal Ripken.
  • Rodion
    Hero’s song.
  • Ronaldo
    Legendary football player.
  • Rookie
    A newbie in sports.
  • Rowdy
    Inspired by Ronda Rousey.
  • Salah
    A football professional.
  • Satchel
    As in Satchel Paige.
  • Serena
    As in Serena Williams.
  • Shaq
    As in Shaquille O'Neal.
  • Soccer
    A sports.
  • Sonjie
    As in Sonjie Henie.
  • Spark
    WNBA team.
  • Tiger
    As in Tiger Woods.
  • Ty
    As in Ty Cobb.
  • Venus
    Iconic tennis player.
  • Wilma
    As in Wilma Rudolph.
  • Yankee
    Baseball team.
  • Yaroslav
    Bright fame or glory.

Sport-Inspired Dog Names for Boxing Fans

For the fans of boxing, Boxer dogs, and people who have practiced the sport in the past, this list of ideas will come in handy. Furthermore, they will help you to highlight the braveness and strength of your pet.

You could name your dog Ali, in honor of Muhammad Ali, one of the best boxers in history. Bonus points if your dog is especially big and strong because it will fit the name even better. It is an even better choice if your dog is graceful as well because you only have to remember how Muhammad Ali used to move in the ring.

Another wonderful suggestion would be Tyson, in honor of Mike Tyson, one of the strongest and more feared boxers in history. His name is a legend and is synonymous with strength, power, fearless and decisive. If you want to highlight such traits in your dog, then go for it by all means. A good name for weight-pulling dogs, too!

Dog Names for Sports Lovers Inspired by Basketball

Basket is one of the most famous sports in the world, and therefore, it is full of iconic people, and hence it is also an excellent source of names.

We will start with one of the most iconic names, Jordan. As you can easily guess, Michael Jordan, an absolute basket legend, inspires it. We like it because its meaning is excellent, and in addition, it is short and distinctive.

Another excellent idea would be Kobe, as in Kobe Bryant. He is another legend in basketball. If you are a fan of the Lakers, then it makes even more sense to name your dog like that. You can rest assured that it will outstand from the rest. Furthermore, as it is short, it will be easy to remember and internalize.

Since we have so many legends in basketball, let us show you another suggestion, Shaq. Shaquille O’Neal inspires it, and we suggest it because he is one of the best players in NBA history. On top of that, the name is short, sounds cool and is easy to remember.

Sport Dog Names Inspired by Tennis Stars

Are you looking for a short sporty puppy name for a male? Tennis is another huge field in the world of sports. Therefore, we also used it to gather several ideas, some of which you will find below.

Then you could opt for Rafa, as in Rafael Nadal. He is one of the greatest stars in tennis, and therefore, it is a good choice. Bonus points if your dog is very athletic and agile because it will fit the mold perfectly. Since it is short and original, it will make your pet sound even more special.

Do you have a female puppy? No worries, because you could call it Pova, as in Maria Sharapova, another icon in tennis. Bonus points if your dog is Russian because it will make even more sense to name it that way. We recommend this name because it is short and feminine.

Finally, you could also opt for Serena, as in Serena Williams, which is another female star in the world of tennis. Similar to our previous suggestion, we like it because it is short, which is essential to make a good dog name for an athletic dog.

Sport-Inspired Dog Names
80+ Sport-Inspired Dog Names for Sporty Puppies

Now that you have our specific recommendations in addition to our list of sport dog names, it will be much easier for you to find the perfect name for your pet. Since we have even suggested ideas based on the breed of your puppy, you will have an even easier job.

As in our other guides, we recommend you to take the time to examine each sport-infused name perfectly. Since we allow you to filter it by gender, you can elaborate a list of your favorite names, so you can compare the different options and arrive at your best pick.


Published on
Monday 20 January 2020
Last updated on
Monday 20 January 2020

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Breeding Business is passionate about all sorts of domesticated pets. They have written dozens of articles across the web.

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