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Everyone knows where an NFL team comes from — it’s right there in the name. But the nicknames? Those have stories. Let’s break down how all 32 NFL franchises earned their nicknames.
Arizona Cardinals
The familiar red bird on the Cardinals’ logo may match the name, but that’s not how the nickname originated. Back in 1901, team owner Chris O’Brien described a batch of second-hand jerseys as “cardinal red” — and the name stuck.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were given their name via a contest in 1965 which saw 558 separate nicknames submitted. Several people suggested Falcons and the name was chosen due to the falcon being “proud and dignified with great courage and fight”.
Baltimore Ravens
After the Colts left town, Baltimore’s NFL void was filled in 1995 by the relocated Cleveland Browns. Fans had the final say in naming the team, choosing ‘Ravens’ over ‘Americans’ and ‘Marauders’ — a poetic tribute to Edgar Allan Poe, the city’s most famous literary son.
Buffalo Bills
Formerly called the Bisons, fans were given the chance to rename the team in 1947 with James F. Dyson’s suggestion of Bills getting the nod. Dyson, who pocketed $500 for his winning contribution, got his inspiration from famous Wild West showman, William “Buffalo Bill” Cody.
Carolina Panthers
Taking inspiration from the now-extinct Carolina panther and wanting the team colours to be black, blue and silver, owner Jerry Richardson’s son Mark settled on the big cat moniker when the city was awarded a team in 1995.
Chicago Bears
One of the NFL’s most historic franchises started out as the Staleys, but in 1922, George Halas gave them a new name: the Bears. He toyed with calling them the Cubs — like the city’s baseball team — but figured football players were bigger, so ‘Bears’ felt more fitting.
Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Brown, synonymous with fellow Ohio franchise the Cleveland Browns, formed the Bengals in 1965 after three years away from football. In a nod to Cincinnati’s football past, he went with the Bengals nickname, snubbing several other suggestions, including Buckeyes.
Cleveland Browns
Back in 1946, fans wanted the team to be called the Panthers, but a local businessman already owned the name. So, after a second vote, they went with ‘Browns’ in honour of coach Paul Brown — even though he wasn’t keen on the idea at first.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas franchise started out as the Steers, then tried on the name Rangers — until a local baseball team claimed it first. Without making a fuss, owner Clint Murchison Jr. settled on ‘Cowboys’ just before the 1960 season kicked off.
Denver Broncos
A founding member of the AFL, the Broncos were given their nickname via a fan-lead contest in 1960. Broncos was the most submitted suggestion, partly due to the success of a baseball team in the 1920s with the same name.
Detroit Lions
After purchasing the then-Portsmouth Spartans in 1934, new team owner George Richards wanted to be consistent with Detroit’s history of having big cat-nicknamed sports teams. With the baseball team called the Detroit Tigers, Richards ultimately picked the Lions.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay started with two nicknames: Indians and Packers. ‘Indians’ honoured their first sponsor, Indian Packing, but ‘Packers’ won local favour. By 1921, Acme Packing came aboard — sealing ‘Packers’ as the lasting name.
Houston Texans
Houston went through several months of intense nickname research when awarded a franchise in 1999, producing five candidates; Stallions, Bobcats, Texans, Wildcatters and Apollos. In a live tv broadcast, owner Bob McNair made his decision and went with Texans.
Indianapolis Colts
From Miami Seahawks to Dallas Texans to Baltimore Colts — this franchise has had quite the journey. The ‘Colts’ nickname, a nod to Baltimore’s horse racing heritage, was reinstated in 1953 and stayed put when the team relocated to Indianapolis in 1984.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The football fans of Jacksonville selected the nickname of their team in 1993, two years before the Jaguars made their debut via a contest. From many suggestions, the four finalists were Stingrays, Sharks, Jaguars and Panthers with Jaguars chosen at random.
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City mayor H. Roe Bartle, nicknamed ‘The Chief’, helped attract a team to the city in 1963 and in honour of his contribution, team owner Lamar Hunt picked Chiefs from over 1,000 fan suggestions as the franchise’s new nickname.
Los Angeles Chargers
Fan Gerald Courtney suggested Chargers as the team’s nickname in a 1960 contest due to fans at the LA Coliseum, the franchise’s first home, shouting ‘charge’ during college games staged at the stadium.
Los Angeles Rams
For nearly nine decades, the franchise has called multiple cities home, but the name ‘Rams’ has followed them everywhere. The nickname was selected by original GM Damon Wetzel, who named them after his alma mater’s team, the Fordham Rams.
Las Vegas Raiders
The team began as the Oakland Senors in 1960 after winning a local name-the-team contest. But just nine days later, they switched to the Raiders due to intense fan backlash. It wasn’t until three years later that the iconic black and silver colours came into play.
Miami Dolphins
A contest to name the new AFL franchise in 1965 attracted nearly 20,000 entries which were whittled down to eight finalists: Mustangs, Moons, Sharks, Dolphins, Suns, Mariners, Missiles and Marauders. Dolphins was the overwhelming favourite with team co-founder Joseph Robbie happy to go with the name due to Dolphins being “one of the fastest and smartest creatures of the sea.”
Minnesota Vikings
When naming the team in 1960, the Minnesota Vikings considered several options, including the Chippewas, Miners, and Voyageurs. Ultimately, general manager Bert Rose selected “Vikings” to reflect the state’s Scandinavian roots and the fierce reputation of the Norse warriors.
New England Patriots
A panel of sportswriters selected the name Patriots from fans’ submissions in 1959. The nickname was considered a good fit, honouring Boston’s role in establishing the United States.
New Orleans Saints
The league announced on November 1, the date of the Christian holiday All-Saints Day, that New Orleans was to receive a team. The date of the announcement, coupled with the team wanting to pay tribute to the city’s Jazz musicians, such as Louis Armstrong, who famously recorded “When the Saints Go Marching In”, made Saints the obvious nickname choice.
New York Giants
Team founder Tim Mara tried to piggyback off the success of the hugely popular baseball team the New York Giants when selecting the name for his NFL franchise in 1925. The baseball team took their name from all the ‘giant’ buildings in the city.
New York Jets
Originally called the Titans, the team changed its name in 1963 when it moved to Shea Stadium, which is located close to LaGuardia Airport. Ownership also liked the name Jets as it rhymed with the baseball team they shared Shea Stadium with, the New York Mets.
Philadelphia Eagles
Starting out life as the Frankford Yellow Jackets, the team moved to Philadelphia in 1933 and picked the nickname Eagles in a nod to President Franklin Roosevelt and the eagle logo used on his administration’s National Recovery Act emblem.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Another franchise that shared its name with a baseball team originally, the Pittsburgh Pirates became the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1940 following a name the team contest. The nickname Steelers was picked by Art Rooney Sr to honour the history of steel production in the region.
San Francisco 49ers
One of a handful of teams to never change their city or nickname, the moniker 49ers was suggested by co-owner Allen E. Sorrell as a tribute to the men who rushed west in search of gold in 1849.
Seattle Seahawks
Ahead of their inaugural 1975 NFL season, Seattle held a naming contest that saw over 1,700 entries, with suggestions such as Bigfoots, Rainbirds, and Space Needles. General Manager John Thompson eventually selected “Seahawks”, the top choice from 153 submissions.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay’s name-a-team contest produced over 400 suggestions in 1974 but Buccaneers seemed the obvious choice given the historical link between Florida’s western coast and the pirates who frequented the region in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Tennessee Titans
The team kept its Oilers name after moving from Houston to Tennessee in 1997. But after just two seasons, owner Bud Adams decided to change it. The advisory board pushed for “Titans,” paying homage to Nashville’s ‘Athens of the South’ nickname.
Washington Commanders
Having been the Washington Redskins for 87 years up until 2020, Washington simply became the Football Team while a 20-month search for a new nickname was conducted. They eventually settled on Commanders in 2022 due to the military connection to the US capital.
