About the choosing of Ailsa, the first name of the daughter of gold-medal winning Olympic curler Joe Polo:
Both her parents were curlers, members of a tight-knit sport where an intense reverence for the game tends to bleed over into the players’ personal lives. And so it was only natural that Joe and Kristin Polo decided to name their future daughter Ailsa, after the Scottish island where the granite that makes curling rocks is mined.
(Ailsa Craig is an uninhabited islet located about 10 miles off the coast of southwestern Scotland. “Ailsa” may derive from the Old Irish word ail, meaning “rock.”)
About the coining of Kikkan, the first name of gold-medal winning Olympic cross-country skier Kikkan Randall:
After Randall’s birth on Dec. 31, 1982, Ronn wanted to name her Kikki, after Kiki Cutter, the first American skier, male or female, to win a race in a World Cup event, a slalom in 1968. Deborah preferred Meghan. They compromised on Kikkan.
(Kiki Cutter = Christina “Kiki” Cutter.)
From an article about Rose Collom in True West Magazine:
Rose was the perfect name for the Grand Canyon’s first official botanist, because self-taught Rose Collom blossomed when exposed to the state’s flora.
…
Rose discovered several varieties of plants previously unknown, and each was named after her.
For more quotes about names, check out the name quotes category.