This is a list of surnames in which the categories include athletes.
BarnesEnglish Denoted a person who worked or lived in a barn. The word barn is derived from Old English bere "barley" and ærn "dwelling".
BiondiItalian Means "fair-haired, blond" in Italian. This name was borne by the American swimmer Matt Biondi (1965-).
BlackEnglish Means either "black" (from Old English blæc) or "pale" (from Old English blac). It could refer to a person with a pale or a dark complexion, or a person who worked with black dye.
BrownEnglish Originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin. A notable bearer is Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz.
CarterEnglish Occupational name for a person who operated a cart to transport goods, from Norman French caretier. A famous bearer is the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).
FlemingEnglish Given to a person who was a Fleming, that is a person who was from Flanders in the Netherlands.
GrayEnglish From a nickname for a person who had grey hair or grey clothes.
HillEnglish Originally given to a person who lived on or near a hill, derived from Old English hyll.
HortonEnglish From the names of various places in England, which are derived from Old English horh "dirt, mud" and tun "enclosure, yard, town".
InoueJapanese Means "above the well", from Japanese 井 (i) meaning "well, mine shaft, pit", an unwritten possessive marker の (no), and 上 (ue) meaning "above, top, upper".
KaiserGerman From Middle High German keiser meaning "emperor", originally a nickname applied to someone who acted kingly. The title ultimately derives from the Roman name Caesar.
MalloryEnglish From Old French maloret meaning "unfortunate, unlucky", a term introduced to England by the Normans.
MonroeScottish Anglicized (typically American) form of Munro. It was borne by the American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).
RhodesEnglish Topographic name derived from Old English rod meaning "cleared land", or a locational name from any of the locations named with this word.