Score big with these NFL-inspired baby names that are anything but ordinary — yet still usable

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’. 

RELATED: Kansas City parents name baby girl Kelce Taylor after Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift

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!