By: Ravit Dayan
Would you give your sport-watching husband full authority to choose your baby name? Well, you might not mind what he decides. Only once every four years does the entire world come together in such a spectacular event as the World Cup. What’s consistently the most internationally televised sporting event, you can bet that 2014 babies will be highly influenced by the stars of this high-profile competition. Sport stars are no strangers to influencing baby names trends, but it’s rare to have an international stage where one name can be popular across cultures and continents.
At baby names site Name Dropper, we’ve selected the top 10 stars that will without a doubt influence baby names for the next four years to come (For men or women). Eat your heart out, ladies, here they are:
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Lionel
Lionel Messi, considered one of the best soccer players of all time, the young Argentinian has brought back an almost forgotten name. |
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Cristiano
Cristiano Ronaldo is the heartthrob of professional soccer. Striking good looks, Brazilian charm, and amazing athleticism has brought unique attention to this latin version of a traditional name. |
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Gareth
The handsome player from Wales, Gareth Bale has a name fit for Hollywood. The Real Madrid star is making waves with this masculine and English name. |
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Xabi
Although uncommon, Xabi might be one of the most unique names we’ve loved in a long time. Xabi Alonso of Spain is not only known for his rugged good looks, but a huge playmaker for the top team in the world. |
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Philipp
An adorable name that sparks thoughts of European royalty, Philipp Lahm of Germany has reminded us how strong the name truly is. Captain of the national team, we’ll see how far this classic name travels around the world. |
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Arjen
Hailing from the Netherlands, Arjen Robben aka “The Flying Dutchman” is one of the coolest names coming out of World Cup 2014. A perfect mix of ‘bad boy’ and traditional. |
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Zlatan
What good be better than a Swedish baby name? Well, one inspired by the long-haired French club soccer star, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The national captain just might make this unique name international. |
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Fabian
The American defender, adorned with a fabulous Italian name, Fabian Johnson has been the talk of the US World Cup Team. Only 26, this clean cut, yet rugged player helps demonstrate the chic and tough elements of the name. |
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Clint
Referred as “Captain America”, Clint Dempsey is a Texas born star that is making waves among international players. The striker is creating fear from other teams, and has brought back a masculine yet simple name. |
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David
Who hasn’t dreamed of David Beckham? The hip and stylish star who looks better off the field in an Armani suit than in a jersey, he’s almost single-handedly brought back this religious name. |
Although we won’t know which names become popular in which countries, it’s safe to say there will be distinct soccer-edge to babies this year. So, is this the year we let our husbands give the name?
Ravit Dayan is one of the writers for Belly Ballot http:/babynames.net, which makes baby names more social and fun. In under 2 minutes, parents can choose their favorite names and invite friends and family to vote via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Belly Ballot has been featured on NPR, Washington Post, The Ryan Seacrest Show, USA Today, Parenting Magazine, etc. and tracks baby name trends in real-time.