The London 2012 Paralympics are coming to us very soon, we have had a fantastic two weeks of the Olympics in London and I am very much looking forward to the Paralympics now. In order to celebrate this amazing once in a lifetime event some people are turning to naming their baby after sports, places or as I have previously written about naming them after the values of the Olympics and Paralympics. I thought that we should also celebrate other names associated with the Paralympics as we should be very proud to have some top Paralympians, so here is my top 10 Paralympic inspired baby names.
1. Tanni – Tanni Grey-Thompson is one of the most famous Paralympians of today, she has increased the profile of the Paralympics to make it as popular as it is today. She is famous for being the most successful Paralympian of all time with 11 gold medals for the wheelchair 400m. Tanni therefore is an inspirational name that should set your daughter up for life.
2. Lee – After the famous Paralympian Lee Pearson who is known for his horsemanship, he has been very successful in his career. The name Lee could be used as either a boys name or girls name, and could be a name for a future animal lover.
3. Karissa – Karissa Whitsell is a famous Paralympian known for her cycling, she has raked in gold, silver and bronze medals and is a successful athlete. An athletic name for an athletic daughter maybe? It is a name of American origin that is less common in the UK.
4. Tom – Tom is a truely British name, and Tom Aggar is a truly British Paralympian, after only competing in competitive rowing for two years he successfully achieved gold as a rower in Beijing. Tom could be the perfect name for a son who may also be a water baby.
5. Vivane – Vivane Forest is a Paralympian famous for the less commonly heard of sport – Goalball. She is a two-time Paralympic champion, she then went on to change her sport of choice to skiing and has competed in the winter Olympics as well. So maybe Vivane could be a chosen name for a daughter who is an all rounder and determined to be successful in every life choice.
6. Troy – Troy Sachs has been a very successful wheelchair basketball player, and has competed in three Paralympic games. A little boy named Troy would hopefully be as successful as this inspirational man and could be a brilliant tribute to the games. Troy Sachs also competed against non-disabled players, which shows an element of determination and courage, which could be symbolic of the name.
7. Helene – Helene Raynsford is a British Paralympian well known for her rowing prowess, she became world champion after one year and this could be perfect for a daughter who is a high achiever. A different take on the traditional Helen, a very beautiful name.
8. Oscar – This lovely boy’s name could be chosen as a tribute to famous Paralymian Oscar Pistorius. Oscar is debatably the face of the London 2012 Paralympics as the ‘bladerunner’. We shall see how he gets on in the London 2012 Paralympics, but it could be a fantastic name for a boy born in 2012 as a tribute to determination and courage.
9. Esther – Famous Paralympian Esther Vergeer is renowned for her tennis skills, she plays wheelchair tennis and has dominated the sport. If you wanted a name for a strong female then maybe Esther could be the name for you.
10. Jiri – Jiri Jezek is a Paralympic cyclist who has been on the medal podium for the last three Paralympic games. Jiri is not a traditional British name, but it could be a name for a son who is determined and who can be successful time and time again.
There are so many fantastic and determined Paralympians who are competing this year in the London 2012 games. You could choose to name your 2012 baby after any of the names I have explored, or you could do further research into other competitors. No matter what you choose your baby is being born into a very special year, but choosing a special name could be a fantastic tribute. Happy name hunting!
Paralympic athletes are inspiring people across the world, Anna from www.babynames.co.uk is interested in how you think it could inspire a baby name choice.
