When it comes to sport, what's in a name?

Social scientists believe that names produce a ‘Dorian Gray Effect' – influencing personality, how we’re perceived, and even physical appearance.

But what about your chance of becoming a sporting star?

The team at Myprotein Australia have looked at sports stars around the world to discover the names popping up the most, as well as those that don't make the cut.

Down Under, they discovered that the top 10 boy names for sporting stardom, in order, are: John, Bill, James, David, Bob, Mike, Tom, Peter, Jack and George.

For female athletes, the top 10 names for sporting stardom, in order, are: Christine, Kim, Anna, Mary, Sarah, Susan, Jennifer, Laura, Emily and Julie.

When looking at men in sport, Myprotein Australia compiled a list of 5,835 sports stars, from tennis legends to soccer stars, while looking at women, the list comprised 2,702 sports stars, from Olympic athletes to champion surfers.

John Hunt, writer of the article for Myprotein Australia, said: “We all want the best for our children – for them to be happy and healthy and successful in whatever they choose to do with their lives. But if we’re honest, wouldn’t we love to see our kid lifting the Cricket World Cup or being presented with an Olympic gold medal?

“If you’re hoping to raise a future sports star, there are, of course, things you might do to help them achieve their dreams, but what if that help could start before they can even take their first steps? What if you could give them a sporting superstar name?

“We wanted to find out which names are most likely to become sports stars so you can give your kids a sporting start. Compiling a list of more than 8,500 sporting personalities, we were able to discover the most popular names for men and women at the top of their game in a huge variety of sports all over the world.”