NFL Origins: The Stories Behind All 32 Team Names

Origins of NFL Team Names

Prior to the 2020 NFL season, the Washington Redskins were pressured into changing their team moniker and logo which many believe are offensive toward Native Americans. “On July 3rd we announced the commencement of a thorough review of the team’s name…,” the team said in a statement on July 13, 2020. “Today, we are announcing we will be retiring the Redskins name and logo upon completion of this review.” For the entire 2020 season, the organization played under the banner of the “Washington Football Team,” as executives brainstorm a suitable replacement. Team names are important and should represent moments and ideas that cities can be proud of. Let’s take a brief look at the stories behind each of the 32 NFL teams.

Buffalo Bills (1960)

The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) had a team from Buffalo named the Bisons. In 1947, the team was renamed the Bills after Indian Scout William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, who was a trailblazer in the American Frontier. Unfortunately, the AAFC wasn't able to compete with the NFL. That AAFC team is where the Bills' name was derived when the Buffalo team was founded in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). Ten years later, in 1970, the team from Buffalo joined the NFL, following the AFL-NFL merger.

Miami Dolphins (1966)

The Miami Dolphins team is actually the oldest professional sports team in Florida. The Miami Seahawks from the AAFC was the last professional football team in the region, back in the '40s. The Dolphins began in the AFL in 1966 and then joined the NFL as a result of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Miami’s football club got its name via a fan contest. The winner of the contest allegedly received two lifetime passes to home games. Founder and former owner Joe Robbie said he liked the name Dolphins because it was “one of the fastest and smartest creatures in the sea.”

New England Patriots (1960)

There were many suggestions for Boston’s AFL football team, including Minutemen and Colonials. However, Patriots was the leading candidate in a fan-entry contest. The team was founded in 1959 and was a charter member of the AFL until the AFL-NFL merger of 1970. In 1971, they changed the name from Boston to New England. Although the name was a perfect choice at the time, I'm sure that football fans as of late are tired of seeing it in the headlines. Hey, you've got to call it like you see it.

New York Jets (1960)

The New York Jets entered the American Football League as the Titans (no relation to the current Tennessee team or the Houston Oilers) but changed their name three years later. Why? Well, the new owner liked the color green and the name Jets. While they used to play their games in New York, their home stadium is now located in New Jersey. The Jets now share the MetLife Stadium with the New York Giants. The Jets are also headquartered in New Jersey.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1933)

When Pittsburgh’s football program first enter the NFL, the team was named after the city’s baseball team. It was changed to the Steelers, obviously as a nod to the city’s steel-making industry. Did you know, the Steelers combined with the Eagles to form the “Steagles” after many NFL players went to serve in World War II? Of course, the alliance didn’t last long, and the Steelers were soon back. They have since won six Super Bowls under the Steelers banner.

Cleveland Browns (1950)

Before the city of Cleveland received an official football team, a contest was held to determine the name. The most popular suggestion was Browns, after former Ohio State University head coach Paul Brown. He was already a beloved figure in the state of Ohio. After some strong convincing, Brown finally relented and allowed the football club to use his name. The original Browns team is now in Baltimore and the current Cleveland team joined the NFL in 1999 during expansion.

Baltimore Ravens (1996)

On March 28, 1984, Baltimore Colts owner Bob Irsay moved the team from the “Charm City” to Indianapolis. Over a decade later, Baltimore acquired Art Modell’s Cleveland Browns. Shortly after the move, open forum discussions, focus groups, and fan surveys were held to come up with a suitable name. One name that kept coming up was Ravens, named after Edgar Allen Poe’s famous poem. The infamous author lived and died in Baltimore. It was the perfect homage to the writer.

Cincinnati Bengals (1968)

At one point, the American Football League’s newest addition in Cincinnati heavily considered calling themselves the Buckeyes. However, this is the same moniker as Ohio State University's mascot. After this idea was rightfully shot down, Paul Brown felt that Bengals was an appropriate name. Another Cincinnati Bengals team had existed and played in three previous AFL leagues from 1937 to 1942. Additionally, the city’s world-famous zoo housed a rare white Bengal tiger, so the name worked on several levels at the time.

Indianapolis Colts (1953)

Similar to many other teams on this list, the Colts moniker came as a result of a fan contest. The team was originally located in Baltimore. The city has a rich history of horse breeding and racing, so Baltimore residents understandably suggested the name Colts. When the NFL returned to Baltimore in 1996, the new team tried to regain the rights to the Colts name by offering Indianapolis $5 million. Indianapolis refused to give it up and were able to keep the name.

Tennessee Titans (1960)

In 1997, the Houston Oilers, named after the massive oil production in the city, moved to Tennessee. During the team's first two seasons in a new state, the team was still using the Oilers name. But in 1999, owner Bud Adams decided to rename the team to better reflect the city of Nashville. “Titans come from early Greek mythology and the fact that Nashville is known as the `Athens of the South’ makes the Titans name very appropriate,” Adams said.

Houston Texans (2002)

Houston was originally home to the Oilers, but that team moved to Nashville and eventually became the Tennessee Titans. Approximately five years after the city of Houston lost its football program, the NFL decided to add another expansion team and realign the league. There were months of research and consideration. During this time, five names were suggested: Apollos, Bobcats, Stallions, Texans, and Wildcatters. Of course, the Texans moniker was the name selected, and Houston’s new football club was the 32nd NFL team.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1995)

In 1993, two years before Jacksonville's team played its first NFL game, the franchise conducted a contest to determine what the team name would be. Seems to be a common thread for NFL teams! Some of the finalists included the Sharks, Stingrays, and even the Panthers. However, one Jacksonville resident, Ray Potts won the name contest and the Jaguars were born. A pretty uneventful story, but there you go. There are Jaguars in Jacksonville. Fortunately, they aren’t all that fierce.

Las Vegas Raiders (1960)

After bouncing back and forth between Oakland and Los Angeles, the Raiders will finally have a new home in Las Vegas. Oakland, California was where the team originated. While the team's moniker was voted on by the people, there could have been a much different one. The team’s original owner, Chet Soda, insisted on a completely different name — the Señors. Soda loved calling people “señor," so he thought it would be an appropriate name. Ultimately, they went with Raiders.

Los Angeles Chargers (1960)

The Chargers were first founded in Los Angeles in 1959, but they relocated to San Diego after their first season. They spent a whopping 56 seasons as the San Diego Chargers. It wasn't until 2017 that the team relocated back to Los Angeles, following the Rams' move to Los Angeles from St. Louis. The Chargers’ first manager, Frank Leahy, is who suggested the team name. It was because he liked the “Charge!” bugle chant at the University of Southern California games.

Kansas City Chiefs (1960)

The Kansas City Chiefs were originally the Dallas Texans of the American Football League. After the NFL established the Dallas Cowboys, Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt moved his team to Kansas City where there was no competition. While he intended on keeping the Texans name, he decided against it. He felt a new team moniker would create more interest. As a way to honor Kansas City Mayor H. Roe Bartle — whose nickname was “Chief” — for his efforts in bringing the Texans to Missouri, team ownership named the franchise after him.

Denver Broncos (1960)

The story behind the naming of the Denver Broncos is not all that exciting. There is a small amount of history attached to it though. While the moniker came about because a “name-the-team” contest was held, the name Broncos was also the name of a local baseball team decades before. Ever since the team’s establishment, the bronco has become a mainstay in the city’s culture. There’s even a mythical, albeit creepy, bronco-like statue at the Denver airport. Its eyes glow at night as it watches you enter the city.

Dallas Cowboys (1960)

“America’s Team” had a few other names picked out before settling on the Cowboys in 1960. Before an owner was named for Dallas’ football team, the league referred to them as Steers. Seeing as a castrated bovine wasn’t all that intimidating, the team’s first GM, Tex Schramm, decided to go with Rangers. That name, however, was already taken by a minor baseball team in the area. Schramm finally landed on Cowboys, for whatever reason. Third time's the charm, I guess.

New York Giants (1925)

The original owner of the New York Giants, Tim Mara, named his team after the National Baseball League team, the Giants, because of their existing popularity. He wanted to piggyback off of their success, especially since baseball was much more popular at the time. In 1937, Mara officially changed the name of the team to the “New York Football Giants” in order to avoid confusion. Both the MLB and NFL names were inspired by the giant buildings sprawled across the city.

Philadelphia Eagles (1933)

In 1933, two men bought the bankrupt Frankford Yellow Jackets, an NFL team from 1924 to 1931. Although it was once a successful team, it suffered economic hardships thanks to the Great Depression. After their stadium was severely damaged by a fire, the team never quite recovered. The new owners, Bert Bell and Lud Wray, moved the team to Philadelphia. And wanting a fresh start, they decided to give the team a fresh new name, too. As a nod to President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal National Recovery Act, the team was renamed Eagles — the official symbol on the National Recovery Act emblem.

Washington Redskins (1932)

Washington’s NFL team was first founded as the Boston Braves in 1932. During the franchise’s second year in the league, team owner George Preston Marshall hired Native American head coach Lone Star Dietz. He also brought on Native American players during his time. The players were not too keen on the name Braves, so Marshall decided to rename the club with the name Redskins. The team kept the new moniker, and Marshall moved the franchise to Washington D.C. in 1937.

Green Bay Packers (1921)

In 1919, Curly Lambeau decided to start a local football franchise in northern Wisconsin. At the time, he was working for the Indian Packing Company, a company that distributed canned meat products. Somehow, Lambeau convinced his employer to sponsor the team. The packing company not only financed the team but let the players use its athletic field for practice. In return, the team was to be named the Packers. The company felt it was easy advertising. To this day, the Packers play their games at Lambeau Field, named in honor of their founder.

Minnesota Vikings (1961)

The Minneapolis ownership group of the Minnesota Vikings had originally planned to join the American Football League in 1960. Right before the draft, however, the NFL approached the franchise to jump ship and join their league as an expansion team. They took the offer. The team now needed a new name. Since the area was a hot spot for Scandinavian culture, General Manager Bert Rose settled on Vikings. He also changed the name from Minneapolis to Minnesota in order to represent the entire region. Other candidates for names were Miners, Chippewas, and Voyageurs.

Detroit Lions (1930)

This franchise began to play as the Portsmouth Spartans, located in Ohio. While the team tied the Chicago bears for the best record in the league in its second season, shrinking attendance and the Great Depression sealed their fate. In 1934, a group from Michigan decided to purchase the team and relocate the franchise to Detroit. Inspired by the city’s baseball team named the Tigers, the new owners renamed the franchise the Lions. “The lion is the monarch of the jungle, and we hope to be the monarch of the league,” the owners explained.

Chicago Bears (1920)

The Chicago Bears were once called the Decatur Staley when they were members of the American Professional Football Association in the early 1900s. In 1922, the team moved to Chicago but kept the team name in honor of the team’s sponsor, the Staley Starch Company. A year after the franchise moved, player George Halas purchases the team. He originally wanted to rename them after the Chicago Cubs. He eventually decided to go with the Bears since football players are traditionally larger, similar to how an adult bear is much larger than a cub.

New Orleans Saints (1967)

On Nov. 1, 1966, the city of New Orleans was awarded a football team. This day also just happened to be All Saints Day. While this did have an influence on the team name, there were a few other factors involved. While the Saints moniker was submitted in a “name the team” held by a local newspaper, team owner John Mecom selected the name to honor the city’s rich jazz heritage as well as the popular song, “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1976)

This nickname is fairly straight forward. Like many other teams on this list, the franchise held a “name the team” contest back in 1975. They ended up with over 400 different name suggestions. Tampa Bay owner Hugh F. Culverhouse and several local sportswriters ultimately selected Buccaneers from the massive list. For anyone familiar with Florida's history with pirates, the name clearly draws on the state's past. It is a reference to all the pirates who frequented Florida's coast during the 17th century through the 19th century.

Atlanta Falcons (1966)

Not long after the NFL awarded the city of Atlanta a professional football team, the franchise held a “name the team” contest in order to create interest for the new club. These contests sure are a popular way to decide! More than 500 names were submitted, including Vibrants, Confederates, Firebirds, and Peaches. Yes… Peaches. Thank goodness the team settled on Falcons. The school teacher who was credited for the name explained that “the falcon is proud and dignified with great courage and fight.”

Carolina Panthers (1995)

Joining the Jacksonville Jaguars as the other expansion team in 1995 was the Carolina Panthers. Before settling on Charlotte, the franchise considered other locations such as St. Louis, Baltimore, and Memphis. The son of team owner Jerry Richardson is the one responsible for the Panthers name and its black, blue, and silver team colors. He said he chose the nickname because “it’s a name our family thought signifies what we thought a team should be — powerful, sleek and strong.”

Seattle Seahawks (1976)

This northwestern football franchise also got its moniker via a “name the team” contest. The contest actually resulted in well over 20,000 entries! Of those, there were over 1,700 different names suggested. I can't imagine they were all good suggestions, but some of the suggestions included Pioneers, Lumberjacks, Seagulls, and Skippers. The Seahawks name, however, repeatedly came up as team executives filtered through all the submissions. It was actually suggested by 153 different people. It was also the name of a local minor league hockey team.

Los Angeles Rams (1937)

Despite the team’s movement across the United States, the Rams moniker remained untouched. Established as the Cleveland Rams in 1936, the franchise relocated to Los Angeles a decade later in 1946. The founders of the team named the franchise after a college football team, the Fordham Rams. The team stayed in Los Angeles until 1995, when they moved over to Missouri and became the St. Louis Rams. Approximately two decades after that, the Rams moved back home to Los Angeles.

Arizona Cardinals (1920)

The team started out in Chicago as members of the Morgan Athletic Club. Not long after, they were called the Racine Normals since they played their home games at a football field at the corner of Racine St. and Normal Blvd. Team owner Chris O’Brien got a ridiculous deal on a bunch of red football uniforms used by the University of Chicago. While the team manager said the jerseys were faded, O’Brien corrected him, saying they were just cardinal run. The rest is history.

San Francisco 49ers (1950)

The San Francisco 49ers are one of a few NFL teams that have neither changed their city nor team name. Since their inception in 1950, they have been the same team. That’s quite impressive. Upon receiving an NFL franchise, the organization immediately discussed possible nicknames. Allegedly, a couple of the owner’s wives convened and suggested the 49ers in honor of the pioneers who gathers at the Sierra Nevada mountains as part of the 1849 gold rush. Before the team changed its colors to red, white, and gold, the original squad wore uniforms that were silver in lieu of gold. Not sure why though, unless there was a secret “silver rush” somewhere else in the mountains.