Baby Names for Runners

Looking for baby names for runners?

Years ago, I read about an expectant mom who finished a Marathon while pregnant and named her son Miles. When I started searching for the story, I found dozens of tales of runners who completed significant races in their second and third trimesters. This story tells of another running mom who went with a sports-inspired baby name.

If that’s you, then maybe you’d love to name your child something to celebrate all those accomplishments.

These ten baby names for runners range from the bold to the mainstream, but they all tie in to a love of the sport.

Baby Names for Runners: Atalanta

A long, lovely name for a daughter, Atalanta comes to us from Greek myth. She refused to marry until her father found a suitor who could beat her in a footrace. Atalanta outran many a young man, until finally Hippomenes persuaded the goddess Aphrodite to help. Tragedy followed – hey, this is Greek myth! – but the initial, and much better-known, story has plenty of appeal.

Baby Names for Runners: Boston

Place names have become favorites. Boston all fits the two-syllable, ends-in-n pattern so popular for boys’ names in recent years. That makes for two good reasons to consider the name. If you’re a runner, Boston rises to the top for another reason. The Boston Marathon debuted in 1897, making it the world’s oldest annual marathon.

Baby Names for Runners: Chase

Chase ranks in the US boys’ Top 100, which makes it a mainstream pick. Originally, Chase referred to the hunt. By the fourteenth century, it meant pursuit, too. The idea of chasing a goal almost makes this name a modern virtue pick. I’ve heard it used as a nickname for Charles, so if you’re looking to combine a classic choice with baby names for runners, that’s an option, too.

Baby Names for Runners: Dash

Literary surname name Dashiell makes a romantic, unexpected pick. It comes with sporty, built-in nickname Dash. The Incredibles gave us a young superhero-in-training named Dashiell “Dash” Parr whose superpower involved running crazy fast. Today, Dash ranks in the US Top 1000 – well ahead of its formal version.

Baby Names for Runners: Lane

The numbers give Lane to the boys, but figures like Rory’s BFF on The Gilmore Girls keep it wearable for both. Why does it belong with baby names for runners? If you’ve ever run on track, you’ve stayed in your lane. This feels like one of the less-obvious picks to me, but I think it works – especially if subtle is your preference.

Baby Names for Runners: London

If Boston belongs, why not London? The London Marathon in its current form dates to 1981, but races through the city took place nearly a century earlier. What it lacks in history, it makes up for in profile. It’s part of the World Marathon Majors, along with Chicago, New York City, Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, as well as the World Championships and the Olympics.

Baby Names for Runners: Miles

Can you imagine a better name for a runner’s son than Miles? The meaning has nothing to do with distance. Instead, Miles comes from either a Slavic word meaning gracious, or possibly the Latin word soldier. Still, we associate Miles with distance, making it a great choice for a runner.

Baby Names for Runners: Pace

Pace can come from the Latin word for peace, but when we’re thinking about baby names for runners, Pace means to run at a steady rate. It’s rare as a given name, but with Chase on the Top 100 list, it’s easy to imagine Pace wearing well.

Baby Names for Runners: Sebastian

Runners and Catholics recognize this one immediately: Sebastian. The third century saint served as an elite soldier under Diocletian. When the Christian persecutions began, he faced death, too – but the first attack didn’t take, and he lived to confront Diocletian again. He’s named the patron saint of athletes in general because of his endurance and physical strength.

Baby Names for Runners: Track

Politician – and runner – Sarah Palin named one her sons Track. The word means several different things, but there’s a strong association with a running track, as well as the category of sports known as Track and Field. Track has the same brief, brisk style as Chase and Dash, but is much less common in the US.

Are you a runner? Would you consider any of these baby names for runners? What did I miss from the list?