“The first name has never quite sat perfectly with me.”
If you’re looking for unique baby names for boys, then the football field is a great place to start.
I mean, let’s be honest — it can’t be a coincidence that the NFL regular season starts in September, which just so happens to be one of the most popular months to welcome a baby, per UnityPoint Health.
Maybe it's the universe telling us that football Sunday and baby naming should go hand in hand.
Either way, it’s no secret that NFL football players often have some of the most unique names on this planet. And if you don’t believe me, just take one look at an NFL team’s roster and you’ll see what I mean.
There’s quite literally a name that fits anyone’s preference.
From heavenly names like Divine and Amen to royal names like Princely and Courtland, nature names like Storm and Skyy, and even city names like Paris and Rome — you never know what you might find.
There’s also some super rare baby boy names like Yahya, Shaka, Aeneas and Adoree’.
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As the league embarks on another exciting NFL season — and you prepare for the birth of your child — let’s take a moment to break down some of the more unique baby names you’ll see on the field this year.
Adonai
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: My lord
NFL Player: Adonai Mitchell, wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts
Adonai, pronounced ADD-ih-nye or AH-duh-nay, derives from the Hebrew elements adon, meaning “lord” or “master,” and i, meaning “my.” It was a title originally used in place of Yahweh, the God of the Israelites.
Chimere
Origin: French
Meaning: Dream; Illusion
NFL Player: Chimere Dike, wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans
Chimere, pronounced SHIM-eer or shuh-MEER, comes from a brand of perfume called Chimère, which derives from the French word chimère, meaning “dream” or “illusion.” It’s also the middle name of singer Ne-Yo.
Elic
Origin: Greek; Germanic
Meaning: Defender; Noble
NFL Player: Elic Ayomanor, wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans
Elic, pronounced EL-ik, has multiple possible origins. Some theories suggest that it’s a variant of Alec, meaning “defender” or “helper” in Greek, while others link it to a Germanic surname meaning “noble.”
Courtland
Origin: Dutch; English
Meaning: Short land; Land of the court
NFL Player: Courtland Sutton, wide receiver for the Denver Broncos
Courtland, pronounced KORT-lind, comes from a place name in Netherlands (Kortland), which derives from the Dutch elements kort, meaning “short,” and land, meaning “land.” It also translates to “land of the royal court” in Old English.
Creed
Origin: English; Latin
Meaning: Believer; One who believes
NFL Player: Creed Humphrey, center for the Kansas City Chiefs
Creed, pronounced KREED, comes from the Latin word credo, meaning “I believe,” and credere, meaning “to believe.” It originally referred to a formal statement of religious belief but has evolved to indicate any guiding principle.
Chamarri
Origin: Sinahlese (Sri Lanka)
Meaning: Beauty; Grace; Of the moon
NFL Player: Chamarri Conner, safety for the Kansas City Chiefs
Chamarri, pronounced shuh-MAHR-ee, has multiple possible origins. It translates to “beauty” and “grace” in Sri Lanka (Sinhalese), but can also mean “flowering garden” in Hindu and “of the moon” in Sanskrit.
Brock
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Badger
NFL Player: Brock Bowers, tight end for the Las Vegas Raiders
Brock, pronounced BROK, comes from the Old English word brocc, meaning “badger.” It originated as a surname and combines natural imagery with a concise, strong sound and straightforward spelling.
Stone
Origin: English
Meaning: Discrete piece of rock
NFL Player: Stone Forsythe, offensive tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders
Stone, pronounced STOHN, comes directly from the English word stone, which derives from the Old English word stan, referring to a “discrete piece of rock.” It originated as a surname, but is now also used as a given name.
Zion
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Sign; Highest point; Forretress
NFL Player: Zion Johnson, offensive guard for the Los Angeles Chargers
Zion, pronounced ZYE-ahn, derives from the Hebrew word Tzion, meaning “indication” or “marking.” It refers to a hill in Jerusalem that became the "City of David" and later the spiritual heart of Israel.
Rayne
Origin: English
Meaning: Water from the atmosphere
NFL Player: Rayne “Dak” Prescott, quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys
Rayne, pronounced RAYN, is a variant of the English word rain (derived from Middle English rein and Old English regn), referring to the “water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere.”
Brevyn
Origin: Invented
Meaning: Unknown
NFL Player: Brevyn Spann-Ford, tight end for the Dallas Cowboys
Brevyn, pronounced BREH-vihn, is an invented name most commonly associated with similar-sounding names like Kevin and Brandon. The meaning is unknown and its use has been popularized by its sound.
Jameis
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Supplanter; Holder of the heel
NFL Player: Jameis Winston, quarterback for the New York Giants
Jameis, pronounced JAY-miss, is most likely a variant of the name James, which is linked to the name Jacob and and is believed to mean “supplanter” or “holder of the heel,” according to the Old Testament.
Adoree'
Origin: French
Meaning: To adore; To worship
NFL Player: Adoree' Jackson, cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles
Adoree’, pronounced uh-DOHR-ee or uh-DOHR-ay, is believed to derive from the French word adorer, meaning “to adore” or “to worship.” It was popularized by dancer and choreographer Adorée Villany.
Jalyx
Origin: Invented
Meaning: N/A
NFL Player: Jalyx Hunt, linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles
Jalyx, pronounced JAY-liks, is an invented name. Jalyx Hunt’s mom created the name because her favorite perfume was called Calyx and her family was known for giving their babies names starting with J.
Vonnie
Origin: Unknown
Meaning: N/A
NFL Player: Vonnie “Von” Miller, linebacker for the Washington Commanders
Vonnie, pronounced VAH-nee, is likely a diminutive of names like Yvonne and Siobhán, but Von Miller primarily goes by the shortened form Von. Von is a common German suffix meaning “of” or “from.”
Tressler
Origin: German
Meaning: Turner
NFL Player: Tressler “Tress” Way, punter for the Washington Commanders
Tressler, pronounced TRESS-lur, is believed to be a variant of Dressler, a German surname derived from the word dreseler, meaning “turner.” A turner was someone who used a lathe to create small objects from wood or bone.
Rome
Origin: Italian; Latin
Meaning: Italy’s capital city
NFL Player: Rome Odunze, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears
Rome, pronounced ROHM, comes directly from the capital city of Italy, Rome, and is also a diminutive of the longer name Roman, which comes from the Late Latin name Romanus, meaning “from Rome.”
Grady
Origin: Irish
Meaning: Noble; Illustrious
NFL Player: Grady Jarrett, defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears
Grady, pronounced GRAY-dee, derives from the Irish byname Gráda, meaning “noble” or “illustrious.” It was likely popularized in the United States due to its proximity to other popular names like Brady.
Baker
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Baker; One who bakes goods
NFL Player: Baker Mayfield, quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker, pronounced BAY-kur, is an occupational surname that derives from the Old English word bakere, meaning “baker.” It was traditionally given to people who baked bread or other goods for a living.
Jaycee
Origin: Invented
Meaning: Unknown
NFL Player: Jaycee Horn, cornerback for the Carolina Panthers
Jaycee, pronounced JAY-see, is an invented name that could be a spelled out version of JC or a variant of Jacey, which was popularized due to its proximity to similar-sounding names like Casey and Macy.
Princely
Origin: English
Meaning: Of or relating to a prince
NFL Player: Princely Umanmielen, linebacker for the Carolina Panthers
Princely, pronounced PRINTS-lee, comes directly from the English word princely, meaning “of or relating to a prince.” It’s a unique take on the name Prince, such as former cornerback Prince Amukamara.
Calais
Origin: Latin; Greek
Meaning: Chrysolite; Yellow-green gemstone
NFL Player: Calais Campbell, defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals
Calais, pronounced kuh-LYE-ihs, is the Latinized form of the Greek name Kalais, meaning “turquoise” or “chrysolite.” Chrysolite is a greenish-yellow precious rock made of natural silicate of iron and magnesium.
Skyy
Origin: English
Meaning: Sky; Earth’s atmosphere
NFL Player: Skyy Moore, wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers
Skyy, pronounced SKYE, is a variant of the name Sky, which comes directly from the English word sky, referring to the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the Earth. You can also spell it Skai.
Kalia
Origin: Hawaiian; Sanskrit; Hebrew
Meaning: Beloved; Rosebud; Crowned by God
NFL Player: Kalia Davis, defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers
Kalia, pronounced kuh-LEE-uh, has multiple possible origins. For example, it can translate to “beloved” or “the flower wreath” in Hawaiian, "rosebud" from Sanskrit and "crowned by God" from Hebrew.
Paris
Origin: French; Greek
Meaning: Capital city of France; Trojan prince
NFL Player: Paris Johnson Jr., offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals
Paris, pronounced PAIR-ihs, comes directly from the name of the capital city of France, which was named after the Gaulish tribe known as the Parisii. It’s also the name of a Trojan prince in Greek mythology.
Storm
Origin: English
Meaning: Weather phenomena; Strong winds and rain
NFL Player: Storm Duck, cornerback for the Miami Dolphins
Storm, pronounced STORM, comes directly from the English word storm, referring to the combination of strong winds often accompanied by rain. You can make it even more unique by going with Stormi or Stormy.
Dalton
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Valley town
NFL Player: Dalton Kincaid, tight end for the Buffalo Bills
Dalton, pronounced DAWL-tun, comes from an Old English place name and surname combining the Old English elements dæl, meaning “valley,” and tūn, meaning “town.” Therefore, it means “town in a valley.”
Amen
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Truth; Certainty; Agreement
NFL Player: Amen Ogbongbemigam, linebacker for the Chicago Bears
Amen, pronounced AH-men, comes directly from the Hebrew word, which is commonly used after a prayer, creed, or other formal statement. It often translates to “truth,” “certainty” or “agreement.”
Shyheim
Origin: Invented
Meaning: Unknown
NFL Player: Shyheim “Shy” Tuttle, nose tackle for the Tennessee Titans
Shyheim, pronounced SHYE-heem, has an unknown history, but was likely popularized due to its sound rather than its meaning. It comes with an adorable nickname, Shy, and could mean “he who is shy.”
Kyu
Origin: Korean; Burmese
Meaning: Fortune; Health; Excessive
NFL Player: Kyu Blu Kelly, cornerback for the Las Vegas Raiders
Kyu, pronounced KYE-yew, is believed to derive from a Korean word meaning “fortune” or “health,” but can also translate to "fragrant" or "excessive" in Burmese. It sounds similar to the name Caillou.
Cornelius
Origin: Latin; Roman
Meaning: Horn
NFL Player: Cornelius Lucas, offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns
Cornelius, pronounced kor-NEEL-ee-us, is believed to derive from the Latin element cornu, meaning “horn.” In the Bible, Cornelius was a centurion, a commander in the Italian Regiment of the Roman military.
Amon-Ra
Origin: Egyptian
Meaning: God of the sun and air
NFL Player: Amon-Ra St. Brown, wide receiver for the Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra, pronounced ah-MOHN-rah, is a combination of the Greek and Egyptian name Ammon, meaning “the hidden one” and referring to the Egyptian god of the air, and Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun.
Divine
Origin: English; Latin
Meaning: God-like; Excellent; Wonderful
NFL Player: Divine Deablo, linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons
Divine, pronounced dih-VYNE, comes directly from the English word divine, which derives from the Latin word divinus, meaning “of a god.” In English, the word loosely translates to “excellent” or “wonderful.”
Beau
Origin: French
Meaning: Handsome; Beautiful
NFL Player: Beau Brade, safety for the New York Giants
Beau, pronounced BOH, comes directly from the French word for "handsome" or "beautiful." It stands well on its own while also functioning as a shortened form of names like Beauregard or Beaumont.
O’Cyrus
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Of the lord
NFL Player: O’Cyrus Torrence, offensive guard for the Buffalo Bills
O’Cyrus, pronounced oh-SYE-riss, comes from the Greek name Kyros, meaning “young” or “humiliator.” It can also be associated with the Greek word kyrios, meaning “lord.” The O’ often means “descendent of.”
Ollie
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Olive tree
NFL Player: Ollie Gordon II, running back for the Miami Dolphins
Ollie, pronounced AH-lee, is most commonly used as a diminutive of names like Oliver and Olive, which derive from the Latin word oliva, meaning “olive tree.” Ollie is a unique alternative to the popular Oliver.
Benito
Origin: Spanish; Latin
Meaning: Blessed
NFL Player: Benito Jones, nose tackle for the Miami Dolphins
Benito, pronounced BEH-nee-toh or beh-NEE-doh, is a diminutive of Benedicto and, ultimately, Benedict, which comes from the Latin name Benedictus, meaning “blessed.” It was popularized by Mexican president Benito Juárez.
Zeek
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God strengthens; God’s strength
NFL Player: Zeek Biggers, defensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins
Zeek, pronounced ZEEK, is a variant of Zeke, which is the shortened form of Ezekiel and is ultimately derived from the Hebrew elements hazaq, meaning “to strengthen,” and el, referring to the Hebrew God.
Minkah
Origin: Egyptian; African
Meaning: Justice
NFL Player: Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety for the Miami Dolphins
Minkah, pronounced MIN-kuh, is a name of Egyptian and African origin that is believed to translate to “justice.” The name was given to Minkah Fitzpatrick in honor of his grandfather, of the same name.
Vederian
Origin: Invented
Meaning: Unknown
NFL Player: Vederian Lowe, offensive tackle for the New England Patriots
Vederian, pronounced vuh-DAIR-ee-ihn, has unknown origins, but could be a distant variant of the name Veridian, which comes from the Latin word viridis, meaning “green,” and is associated with the blue-green pigment.
Breece
Origin: Multicultural
Meaning: Willowlands; Gentle wind; Enthusiastic
NFL Player: Breece Hall, running back for the New York Jets
Breece, pronounced BREES (rhymes with fleece), has multiple possible origins. It can be a variant of Bruce, meaning “willowlands,” a variant of breeze, referring to a gentle wind, or a variant of Reese, meaning “enthusiastic.”
Marcelino
Origin: Spanish; Roman
Meaning: God of war
NFL Player: Marcelino McCrary-Ball, linebacker for the New York Jets
Marcelino, pronounced MAR-suh-lee-noh, is the Spanish and Portuguese form of Marcellinus, which is a diminutive of Marcus and is likely derived from the name Mars, referring to the Roman god of war.
Keaton
Origin: Old English
Meaning: Settlement by the river
NFL Player: Keaton Mitchell, running back for the Baltimore Ravens
Keaton, pronounced KEY-tun or KEET-ihn, comes from an English place name referring to either Ketton in Rutland, Ketton in Durham or Keaton in Devon. It’s believed to translate to “settlement by the river.”
Aeneas
Origin: Greek; Latin
Meaning: Praise
NFL Player: Aeneas Peebles, defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens
Aeneas, pronounced eh-NEE-us, is the Latin form of the Greek name Aineias, which derives from the Greek word aine, meaning “praise.” In Greek mythology, he was one of the chief heroes who defended Troy from the Greeks.
Broderick
Origin: Welsh; Irish; Old Norse
Meaning: Exalted king; Brother
NFL Player: Broderick Jones, offensive tackle for Pittsburgh Steelers
Broderick, pronounced BROD-er-ik, is believed to come from the Welsh surname ap Rhydderch, with Rhydderch meaning “exalted king” in Old Welsh. It can also come from the Irish surname Ó Bruadair, with Bruadair meaning “brother” in Old Norse.
Jaire
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: The shining one; One who shines
NFL Player: Jaire Alexander, cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens
Jaire, pronounced JAH-eer, is likely a variant of the Hebrew name Jair, meaning “to shine” via the Hebrew word or. In the Bible, Jair refers to either a son of Manasseh and one of the ruling judges of the Israelites.
Shaka
Origin: Hawaiian
Meaning: Approval; Solidarity
NFL Player: Shaka Heyward, linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals
Shaka, pronounced SHAH-kuh, most likely refers to a Hawaiian hand gesture in which the thumb and little finger are extended outward from a closed fist. It’s commonly used when greeting or parting from someone.
Yahya
Origin: Arabic; Hebrew
Meaning: God is gracious; God is good
NFL Player: Yahya Black, defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Yahya, pronounced YAH-yah, is the Arabic form of Yohanan (the Hebrew form of John), which is derived from the Hebrew elements yo, referring to “God,” and hanan, meaning “to be gracious” or “filled with grace.”
Corliss
Origin: Old Norse; Old English
Meaning: Free from anxiety; Careless
NFL Player: Corliss Waitman, punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Corliss, pronounced KOR-liss, comes from a surname derived from the Old Norse word kærulauss and Old English word carleas, meaning “free from anxiety” or “unconcerned.” It can also mean “care-free.”
Laken
Origin: English
Meaning: Body of water
NFL Player: Laken Tomlinson, offensive guard for the Houston Texans
Laken, pronounced LAY-kin, is believed to be an elaboration of the English word lake, referring to a small body of water. It’s a masculine form of similar names like Laykin and Lakelynn, which are primarily feminine.
Other unique baby names for boys inspired football
Expecting parents can get a little extra creative with baby boy names by looking at teams — not players.
Just look at the Buffalo Bills (Billy, William), New York Jets (Jett), Chicago Bears (Bear), Indianapolis Colts (Colt, Colton), New Orleans Saints (Saint), Denver Broncos (Bronco) and Seattle Seahawks (Hawk).
Other names include Jetson, Colter, Jack or Jackson (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Leo (Detroit Lions).
You can even go with a name that means “win” or “victory,” such as Victor, Wynn, Champ, Nicholas or Nico (which translate to “victory” in Greek) or Sigmund (meaning “victory through protection in German).
ALSO ON MOD MOMS CLUB: Celebrity baby names that prove great minds think alike when it comes to their children
Whether you’re feeling inspired by NFL football players or the teams they play for, the football field is filled with unique baby boy names. And don’t worry, no one has to know where that inspiration came from!
