10 most popular tennis themed baby names
The most popular tennis-themed baby names revealed
Ever wondered why names are more common in some sports than others? Is it just coincidence, or are we more influenced by our names than we think?
Analysis of singles and double player rankings by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) reveals the most common names of professional tennis players.
The analysis by TennisWorldUSA, reveals that Alexander and Maria are the most popular player names for male and female professional tennis players, with 25 and 27 players currently ranked, respectively.
Top 10 (Men)
- Alexander - 25
Alexander is the most popular name for professional men's tennis players, as there are 25 current singles and doubles players ranked by the ATP with this name. German player Alexander Zverev was ranked as high as number two worldwide.
- Daniel - 24
Daniel is the second most popular men's name, with 24 named players currently. British player Daniel Evans reached a career-high of singles number 22 in 2021 and has won $6,284,257 total prize money.
- Nicolas - 22
Nicolas is the third most popular name, with 22 players currently in the ATP rankings. French player Nicolas Mahut achieved number one in doubles in 2016, and his two coaches also share the same first name, Nicolas Copin and Nicolas Renavand.
- Juan - 18
Juan is a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries and is the fourth most popular name for male tennis players with 18 pros currently ranked. Colombian Juan Sebastian Cabal was the world doubles number one alongside Robert Farah after defeating Nicolas Mahut in July 2019.
- Federico - 18
Federico is the Spanish version of Frederick, a common name in Italian and Portuguese. ATP currently ranks 18 players named Federico. Argentine player Federico Delbonis achieved a career-high of number 33 in singles and beat Andy Murray in 2016 at Indian Wells but lost to Murray in Miami in 2022.
- David - 16
David has 16 players in the ATP rankings, making it the sixth most popular name. South African player David Adams won the 1999 Australian Open mixed doubles title and was congratulated by Nelson Mandela. Spanish player David Ferrer achieved a career-high of singles number three in July 2013. He was ranked in the top 100 for over 16 years, from 2002 to 2018.
- Lorenzo - 15
Lorenzo is a Latin name popular in Italy and Spain. Fifteen current players are ranked by ATP, making it the seventh most popular men’s name. Italian player Lorenzo Sonego reached number 21, a career-high in singles. He watched Roger Federer growing up and started playing tennis at age 11. His childhood coach still teaches him.
- Andrea - 14
Andrea is the eighth most popular name, with 14 players ranked by the ATP. Andrea Vavassori is an Italian player who qualified for the 2022 Wimbledon Championships but was eliminated in the first round. His father, Davide Vavassori, coaches him.
- Sebastian - 14
Sebastian is the ninth most popular men’s name with 14 current player rankings. 21-year-old Argentine Sebastian Baez reached a career-high of number 31 singles, and former world number three Juan Martin del Potro mentors him.
- Luca - 14
With 14 current players, Luca is the tenth most popular tennis player name for men. Swiss player Luca Margaroli has a current career-high of 128 in doubles, partnering with Henri Laaksonen.
Top 10 (Women)
- Maria - 27
Maria is the most popular name for women, particularly in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries like Portugal and Brazil. 27 players named Maria appear in the current WTA rankings, making it the most popular name for women in tennis. Greek Maria Sakkari is ranked number six and was the highest-ranked Greek player in history, tied with Stefanos Tsitsipas.
- Anna - 22
Anna is a name found in countries across the globe and is currently the second most popular name for female tennis players with 22 ranked players. Retired Russian former world number one Anna Kournikova won two Grand Slam titles in Australia in 1999 and 2002 with partner Martina Hingis. She was one of the most Googled women from 2000 to 2003.
- Anastasia - 20
Anastasia is of Greek and Russian origin and has been in the top 200 US names since 2016, according to Nameberry. With 20 ranked players, Anastasia is the third most popular women’s name in tennis. Anastasia Potapova is a former Russian junior number one currently ranked 43 by the WTA.
- Victoria - 14
There are 14 tennis players named Victoria ranked by the WTA, making it the fourth most popular women’s name. Victoria Arazenka is a Belarusian former world number one in singles and held the top rank for almost one year.
- Daria - 13
Daria is the feminine form of Darius and is particularly popular in Slavic countries. There are 13 players named Daria ranked by the WTA. Recent examples include Russian player Daria Kasatkina, currently ranked number eight in singles by the WTA. She has won over nine million dollars in total prize money.
- Sara - 13
With 13 players currently ranked by the WTA, Sara is one of the most popular names in professional tennis. Sara Sorribes Tormo is a Spanish player who won her first WTA singles title against Eugenie Bouchard in Guadalajara in 2021. Her mother was a tennis instructor, and her father was a professional soccer player.
- Alexandra - 12
Alexandra was in the US top 100 names for 26 years until 2015 and is a common name in countries worldwide. It is the seventh most popular name in women’s tennis, with 12 currently ranked players. Russian player Alexandra Panova has won seven doubles titles and is coached by her sister and retired tennis professional, Olga.
- Laura - 12
The name Laura is of Latin origin and is popular in many countries. There are currently 12 ranked players named Laura in the WTA. German player Laura Siegemund has won two Grand Slam doubles championships and is currently holding her career-high ranking of number 27 in singles.
- Julia - 11
With 11 players, Julia is the ninth most popular women’s name in tennis. It was once one of the top ten most popular names in the US, but has since fallen in popularity, according to the SSA. Julia Grabher is currently the highest-ranked player with this name at number 83 in singles.
- Martina 10
Martina’s name comes from Mars, the Roman god of war, and is famously associated with tennis through legendary player Martina Navratilova. Italian player Martina Trevisan is the current number 28 in singles whose brother Matteo won the Wimbledon junior doubles championship.
A spokesperson from TennisWorldUSA commented on the findings:
“It is fascinating to see the differences in the most popular tennis player names in tennis. Some names are popular in tennis as they are popular in particular countries with more tennis players than others, such as the USA and Russia. It is no surprise to see names like Maria, Martina and Anna in the top ten, as these are associated with world-famous tennis champions. It could suggest that these former champions have influenced the naming decisions of the players in the current rankings’ parents.”
