Do you have a secret dream that your unborn child will one day win the Vince Lombardi trophy? You might want to set them up for success by selecting a name that screams “professional athlete.”
Baby name consultant Colleen Slagen tells TODAY.com that the winning game plan for a pro-level moniker is selecting “very distinctive, catchy, snappy names that often involve alliteration.” Of course, a name can’t help your child learn to throw a perfect spiral … but it also can’t hurt!
When comparing names on the rosters for Super Bowl contenders —the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles — Slagen, our unofficial sideline reporter, selects a clear winner.
Which team has better names? Let’s find out!
Names on the Kansas City Chiefs roster
The Kansas City Chiefs, who are looking to win the Super Bowl for the third year in a row, have a player with a name that Slagen loves: Hollywood Brown. If there was just one winner of the name Super Bowl, it would likely be him.
She was also impressed by Carson Steele. “You obviously don’t get to choose your last name, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a last name like Steele,” she says.
JuJu Smith-Schuster gets an honorable mention due to the alliteration in his double last name. She also commends Drue Tranquill’s parents for the unique spelling of his first name, which “does increase the chances that your kid will be a professional athlete.”
Eagles fans will be happy to note that she doesn’t necessarily think Patrick Mahomes sounds like an athletic name.
“I think a Patrick is more likely to be seen at a Model UN conference,” she jokes. But she does like his last name, which is unusual in the fact that the emphasis is on the last syllable rather than the first, which “makes it fun to shout or announce.”
Though she finds Travis Kelce’s name to be “a little generic,” Slagen notes the strong history of successful athletes with two first names, like Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Michael Jordan and Tom Brady.
Names on the Philadelphia Eagles roster
The Philadelphia Eagles are hoping to soar over the competition on Super Bowl Sunday, but are the names on their roster as strong as their Tush Push?
Slagen says the Eagles have a number of “cool guy” names that “feel athletic” like Cooper DeJean, Tanner McKee, Landon Dickerson and Jordan Davis.
Dallas Goedert is “super sporty,” according to Slagen. “Give your kid a location name, stick them in Pee Wee sports, and there’s a good chance you’re not paying for college,” she says.
Regarding one of the team’s go-to players, she says, “Saquon Barkley is so catchy. I just want to say it out loud. I really like that one.”
She doesn’t think Jalen is necessarily a standout name, but adding Hurts really sweetens the pot. “The fact that he got a cool last name with it makes it distinctive,” Slagen says.
So … which team wins the Super Bowl of baby names?
When examined collectively, Slagan points to a clear winner on the baby name front.
“I’m going to say the Eagles win the name Super Bowl,” says Slagen, who happens to be a Washington Commanders fan, making the nod even more impressive.
