Every time I tune into the 2026 Winter Games, I am gobsmacked by the ridiculous talent…and I find myself adding new names to the “baby names I love” list in my notes app. Names I’ve never heard from countries I’ve never visited have become my new favorites, so much so that my list has quadrupled since the opening ceremony.
Keep reading for a roundup of over 40 names that Olympians and Paralympians are sporting from six continents and over a dozen countries, including Haiti, Croatia, Canada, Morocco, Brazil, and the U.S. Many have lovely meanings that make them especially fitting for a little one who may be a future Olympian themselves—or a fan.
2026 Winter Olympics-Inspired Names for Girls
Chloe
Team USA’s snowboarder Chloe Kim just competed in her third Winter Olympics, earning a silver medal just behind Gaon Choi, of South Korea (Kim won gold medals in her two previous Winter Games). With a name that means “blooming,” I’m sure we haven’t seen the last Olympics with legend Chloe Kim.
Collinda
A name of peaceful note, Collinda (often spelled Colinda), is derived from the Latin word columba, which means “dove.” On the Paralympic stage, Collinda Joseph is representing Canada in wheelchair curling, alongside another woman on the team named Ina Forrest—another great name!
Elana
The most decorated Black Winter Olympian, Elana Meyers Taylor, clenched her first gold medal at the 2026 Winter Games. It’s no surprise her name evokes strength: of Hebrew origin, Elana means “oak tree.” And in one of the Games’ most touching moments so far, the 41-year-old bobsledder and mom of two signed to her deaf son, “Mommy won,” after her race.
Faye
Faye, also spelled Fay, means “fairy” or “enchantment” in Middle English. What little girl wouldn’t love that? It’s the name of two Olympians in the 2026 Games: curler Fay Henderson competing for Great Britain and snowboarder Faye Thelen competing for the U.S.
Flora
A pretty botanical-inspired name, Flora means “flower” or “blooming.” And on the slopes, freestyle skier Flora Tabanelli is representing Italy after winning gold in the Youth Olympics.
Francesca
Italian speed skater Francesca Lollobrigida made headlines for both her gold medal win and her toddler son’s help in celebrating in the most relatable way after her medal ceremony.
Isabeau
The sophisticated namesake of U.S. figure skater Isabeau Levito offers a rarer alternative to the more popular girls’ names Isabella and Isabel, but with the same meaning: “pledged to God.”
Josie
Often short for Josephine, Josie is a name of English and Hebrew origin. It’s a name so nice it’s on the Olympic roster twice at the Milan-Cortina Games: Josie Baff, an Australian snowboarder who won gold (!), and Josie Johnson, a U.S. ski jumper.
Jakara
Jakara has African roots and is often associated with power and individuality—a perfect name for Australian freestyle skier Jakara Anthony, who clinched her second career gold medal in the Milano Cortina Games.
Kaysha
This unique name belongs to Kaysha Love, an Olympic bobsledder competing for the U.S., who calls pressure her “superpower.” Don’t you love that energy for a LO?
Lucinda
Meaning “light,” “illumination,” or “bringer of light,” Lucinda derives from the Latin name Lucia. It can be shortened to Luci, like the nickname of Lucinda Anderson, who is competing in the biathlon for the U.S.
Malica
In Arabic, Malica (or Malika) can mean “queen,” while in Slavic languages it’s associated with grace or being beloved. It’s also the name of freestyle skier Malica Malherbe, who made her Olympic debut in Milano Cortina, competing for South Africa.
Marielle
Often interpreted as “beloved,” Marielle is a French variation of Marie that traces back to the Hebrew name Miriam. Olympian Marielle Thompson shows it has plenty of great nickname potential—as the Canadian freestyle skier also goes by Big Air Mar, Marebear, and Mar.
Mathilde
A strong name for a future warrior, Mathilde is of Old Germanic origin and means “mighty in battle” or “strength in war.” A very fitting moniker for Mathilde Gremaud, the Swiss freestyle skier who claimed Olympic gold in the 2026 Games.
Perrine
If you love a French name, consider Perrine. The name is derived from the French word pierre, which means “stone” and is the feminine form of Peter. It’s also the name that inspired me to write this article—thank you to Perrine Laffont, a freestyle skier representing France.
Zrinka
Another unique name on the list, Zrinka, is derived from Zrin, a historic town in Croatia. It can be shortened to Zizi, like the nickname of Croatian Olympic skier Zrinka Ljutić. So cute.
2026 Winter Olympics-Inspired Names for Boys
Brody
Did you just get a flashback to Brody Jenner on The Hills? Same. It’s also the name of a sled hockey player competing in the Paralympics for Team USA (Brody Roybal), who already has three gold medals under his belt from the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Games.
Dorian
Dorian traces back to an ancient Greek tribe, and fast forward to the present day, it’s the name of French Olympic bobsledder Dorian Hauterville.
Edson
An Old English name meaning “wealth” or “prosperity,” this is the first name of Brazilian bobsledder Edson Bindilatti, who is competing in his sixth (!) Winter Olympics this year.
Ilia
Ilia, or Ilya, is a name of Russian origin with religious roots, meaning “the Lord is my God” or “my God is Yahweh.” And if you’ve been watching the Olympics, you’ve probably heard it many times during skating coverage of the “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, who represented Team USA. Plus, it may sound familiar to Heated Rivalry fans (AKA, all of us).
Macklin
This name of Scottish and Irish origin may be more popular as a last name, but Macklin Celebrini, a Canadian ice hockey player making his Olympic debut this year, proves it’s also an awesome first name. And if you love the nickname Mac, find more name inspiration from U.S. freestyle skier and 2026 silver medalist Mac Forehand.
Mateo
No surprise, the adorable name Mateo (or Matteo) is a popular boy name in many countries, including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and the U.S. It’s the Spanish form of Matthew and means “gift of God”—and is on the 2026 Olympic roster twice: Mateo Jeannesson, a skier from Great Britain, and Matteo Rizzo, a figure skater from Italy.
Ollie
This is often a shortened form of Oliver, but it’s just as great on its own, as shown by teen snowboard star Ollie Martin, who is repping Team USA at the 2026 Games.
Pietro
Pietro is the Italian form of Peter, derived from the Greek word “petros,” meaning “rock” or “stone,” and symbolizing strength and dependability. A fitting pick for Olympic skier Pietro Tranchina from Morocco and Olympic skater Pietro Sighel from Italy.
Redmond
Meaning “wise protector” or “counselor,” Redmond has primarily Irish and English roots. And if you want the coolest nickname, Olympic snowboarder Redmond Gerard on Team USA also goes by “Red.”
Riku
A pick with a steady and strong meaning, Riku is a Japanese name associated with “land,” “continent,” or “shore.” And while it is primarily a boy’s name in Japan, Olympic pairs figure skater Riku Miura exemplifies it working beautifully for women, too.
Sebastian
Sebastian is derived from the Greek word “sebastos,” which means “venerable” or “revered.” It’s also the name of a forward who represented Finland in ice hockey (Sebastian Aho).
Stevenson
This surname baby name, Stevenson, is of British origin. Little ones with this name will surely admire Stevenson Savart, who made history this year as Haiti’s first-ever Olympic cross-country skier.
Gender-Neutral Names Inspired by 2026 Olympians
Cam
Effortlessly cool, Cam just sounds like the name of an athlete, doesn’t it? Sure enough, it’s the name of two Olympians in this year’s Games: Cam Smith, a ski mountaineer competing for the U.S., and Cam Melville Ives, a snowboarder representing New Zealand.
Indra
Indra is a Sanskrit name meaning “possessing drops of rain.” Though it’s quite rare, that could soon change, with Australian freestyle skier Indra Brown becoming one of the youngest competitors at the 2026 Winter Games.
Jo
Jo is a timeless name for literary lovers (hi, Jo March). It’s also a shortened moniker for traditional masculine and feminine names. That’s the case for British Paralympian curler Joanna Butterfield, who goes by Jo. And while you’re at it, check out her inspiring story.
Nika
An ambitious unisex pick, the name Nika derives from the Greek word nike, meaning “victory.” Point proven by Olympians Nika Egadze, competing in figure skating for Georgia, and Nika Prevc, representing Slovenia in ski jumping.
Noah/ Noa
A Hebrew name meaning “rest” or “comfort.” Noah ranked as the second most popular baby name for boys last year. At this year’s Games, American Para snowboarder Noah Elliott and Israeli alpine skier Noa Szollos rep this name.
Remi
A name on the rise, Remi/Remy has French and Latin origins and primarily means “oarsman” or “rower.” It’s also the name of Canadian cross‑country Olympic skier Rémi Drolet—and of course, the adorable rat with a penchant for gourmet food in Ratatouille.
Rio
For nature lovers, Rio means “river” in Spanish and Portuguese—and for sports fans, it’s the name of Welsh-Japanese figure skater Rio Nakata, who is competing for Japan.
River
Speaking of nature-meets-sports-inspired names, River Radamus is an alpine skier on the Olympic roster competing for Team USA.
Scotty
A shortened form of Scott, Scotty has Old and Middle English roots. It’s the name of Australian snowboarder Scotty James, who earned a silver medal in the halfpipe at this year’s 2026 Olympics.
Su
Su has many meanings, and all are lovely: revival/life (Chinese), excellent/talented (Korean), and lily (English). And it’s also in the headlines this year, as Chinese snowboarder Su Yiming won bronze this year.
Sander
Sander, a name that sounds a lot like Xander, has Dutch, Norwegian, and Scandinavian roots. While it’s a rare name in the U.S., it’s being put on the map by Norwegian speedskater Sander Eitrem at the 2026 Games.
Sina
Often associated with strength and graciousness, Sina traces back to Persian roots and is linked to the philosopher Avicenna (Ibn Sina)—and now, snowboarder Sina Siegenthaler, who is competing for Switzerland.
Marika Price Spitulski, Contributing Writer
Pivoting from true crime and investigative journalism, Marika turned her love of good news into a career writing for mission-centered companies and nonprofits. Now, as a mom of one, she’s thrilled to contribute to The Everymom and share stories about motherhood and things to look forward to.
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