Honor one of the greatest basketball players of all time by naming your son Kobe, a Swahili name meaning “tortoise,” or Bryant, an Irish variation of Brian meaning “strong, virtuous and honorable." Once reserved for boys, Kobe has gained popularity as a girl’s name, and if you want to put a twist on it, you could go for the alternative spelling “Koby” or “Kobee.”
Other basketball-inspired names include Jordan, after Michael Jordan; Shaquille, after Shaquille O’Neal; and Larry, after Larry Bird. Big names in the female basketball world include Candace (Parker), which means “white; pure; sincere.” Or there’s Sheryl (Swoopes), which is a variation of the French Cherie, meaning "darling," and Kayte (Christensen), an interesting spelling variation on the more traditional Kate, which means “pure.”