The Olympic Games is the most prestigious sporting event in the world, and as well as inspiring athletes to compete for gold, it’s also inspiring baby names across the world.

In China, perhaps to show their pride in hosting the Games, 3,500 babies have been named Aoyun, which means “Olympics” in Mandarin. And, over 4,000 children have been named after the Olympic Games’ mascots, Bei Bei the fish (880 people), Jing Jing the panda (1,240 people), Huan Huan the Olympic flame (1,063 people), Ying Ying the Tibetan antelope (624 people) and Ni Ni the swallow (642 people).

Here in the US, there are lots of baby names inspired by the Olympic Games’ history, athletes and traditions.

The Olympic Games began in Greece, so a source of inspiration is the Greek gods. What about names like Athena, Hera, and Venus for girls, and Jupiter or Apollo for boys?

Athletes with distinctive names inspire names too. For boys, Jesse, after Jesse Owens, the African-American athlete who dominated the track and field events at the 1936 Olympic Games in Nazi Germany, and infuriated Hitler by shattering the Nazi idea of white supremacy in front of the watching world. And for girls, The popularity of Mia is partly due to Mia Hamm, winner of three medals for soccer.

Here’s more Olympic inspired baby names.

Would you pick an Olympic Games-inspired name for your baby?

US heavyweight Deontay Wilder is competing in his first Olympic Games in Beijing this week, and he says he owes it all to his baby daughter, Naieya.

Three-year-old Naieya was born with spina bifida. Her doctors said she would never walk. Deontay dropped out of college to work two jobs to pay for her medical care, and little Naieya has defied doctors by not just walking, but helping daddy with his training. “When we go to the gym and I stretch, she’s on the ground stretching with me” says Deontay.

What is just as amazing is that 22 year-old Deontay has only been boxing since 2005. After dropping out of college, in between driving a truck and working in a restaurant, he walked into a local boxing gym to learn the sport. The trainer soon realized that Deontay had potential. He knocked out his first three opponents in a row, went on to win a national championship, and just two years later, qualify for the Olympic Games.

Deontay says that his daughter’s strength and fighting spirit inspires him, together with the drive to provide for her future and medical care. “She’s all the reason why I’m here right now. Without her being born – me having her – I would not be boxing right now.”

Deontay’s first fight will be on Wednesday 13 August. Good luck Deontay!