The Derivation of Each Major League Baseball Team's Nickname

Have you ever wondered where your favorite Major League Baseball club got its name from?

Some are obvious—the Miami Marlins and the Arizona Diamondbacks—but what about clubs like the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates?

Inside, you will find some great stories and history about how each club obtained its nickname.

From fan voting to military units, here's your guide to all 30 MLB teams' name derivations.

Arizona Diamondbacks

It's pretty obvious why Arizona named its club the Diamondbacks when it was created in 1998, given the location of the franchise.

Rattlesnakes, aka Diamondbacks, are notorious sights in the Arizona area.

The team is often referred to as the "D-Backs" for short.

It doesn't hurt that the shape of a baseball field is a diamond. Just saying.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves got their name from the Native American term for "warrior" in 1912.

Originally known as the Boston Red Stockings in the late 1800s, the franchise moved to Milwaukee to become the Milwaukee Braves in the mid-1950s.

From the 1990s to the mid-2000s, the Atlanta Braves truly did live up to the Native American term.

The Braves remain the only franchise to win three World Series in three different home cities.

Baltimore Orioles

Obviously the Baltimore Orioles got their name from the small blackbird, but it goes a little deeper than that.

Apparently, the bird got its name because the male's colors looked like that of the coat of arms of George Calvert, aka Lord Baltimore.

The most obvious of reasons is also because the oriole is the state bird of Maryland.

The whole state bird thing is cool, but there's nothing more prestigious than being named after a Lord.

Boston Red Sox

Though they began by wearing dark blue socks, Boston's baseball franchise was originally referred to as the Bostons or the Americans, since they played in the American League.

In 1907, owner John Taylor announced that the club was adopting red as its new color after Boston's National League club began wearing all-white uniforms.

Boston's AL version came to be known as the Red Sox, a name that was popularized by the Cincinnati Red Stockings in the later 1800s, which you'll read about in a few slides.

I think they should have stuck with the blue uniforms. Maybe I wouldn't have hated them so much.

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs were originally known as the Chicago White Stockings and then transitioned to the Orphans, because they had lost their "pop."

When that name didn't stick, a local newspaper held a contest for a new name, with the term Cubs winning out over Colts in 1902.

Given the way the Cubs have played during the past decade, they might want to think about going back to the Orphans.

Chicago White Sox

Like a few other teams during their time, the Sox portion of the team name was originally known as "Stockings," making them the Chicago White Stockings after it was abandoned by the Cubs.

It was the press that shortened the name to "Sox" sometime in the early 1900s, and the organization quickly printed the shortened team name and logo onto its jerseys.

Regardless of the name, the White Sox have excelled over their crosstown rivals.

Cincinnati Reds

Like the White Sox, the Cincinnati Reds were originally known as the Red Stockings, which was later shortened to the Reds in the late 1800s.

In the early 1900s, the Reds sported just a single "C" on their uniforms before placing the word "Reds" inside the C.

Although the Reds had some trouble with their name being synonymous with Communists, the logo still stands today.

Cleveland Indians

From the Cleveland Spiders, the franchise switched to the Cleveland Naps in honor of their player/manager Nap Lajoie.

When Lajoie was traded, the club needed a new name, and Cleveland owner Charles Somers asked the local newspapers to come up with a new name.

That's when the papers chose the Indians in 1915, possibly referencing the Boston Braves at the time, who were known for an astonishing comeback in 1914.

In case you were wondering, the name change hasn't helped the Indians out much.

Colorado Rockies

It wasn't until 1993 that the Colorado Rockies became a franchise in MLB.

The "Rockies" are a tribute to the Rocky Mountains, which cover a large portion of Colorado.

The NHL's New Jersey Devils were actually the Colorado Rockies from 1976 to 1982 before the franchise relocated to New Jersey.

For New Jerseyans, this was a blessing in disguise. The Devils have been a successful franchise since their establishment.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers' original minor league squad was known as the Wolverines but was also referred to as the Tigers.

Michigan also had a military unit that fought in the Civil War and Spanish-American War that was also known as the Tigers.

When Detroit joined the American League in 1901, it received permission from the military regiment to use its symbol and nickname for its baseball team.

What's cooler than being named after a military regiment?

Houston Astros

Houston's status as the space age capital of the world is what dubbed its baseball franchise the Astros.

Originally known as the Colt .45s, team president Judge Roy Hofheinz felt the team needed a name change to keep up with the times in 1965, which is when the club became the Houston Astros.

Some believe the Colt Firearms Company was putting pressure on the club to change its name.

It's a shame, as the Astros could use some firepower—they've never won a World Series.

Kansas City Royals

It was a name-the-team contest that decided the name of Kansas City's expansion franchise in 1969.

For his efforts in choosing the Royals, Sanford Porte was awarded a free trip to the All-Star game that year.

As Porte wrote:

"

Kansas City's new baseball team should be called the "Royals" because of Missouri's billion dollar livestock income, Kansas City's position as the nation's leading stocker and feeder market and the nationally known American Royal parade and pageant.

"

Would you laugh if I told you Kansas City's Negro League team was the Monarchs? 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Los Angeles Angels have gone through a number of name changes recently, though they were named as such by original team owner Gene Autry (h/t Los Angeles Times) to pay homage to the Pacific Coast League's Los Angeles Angels, which existed from 1903-1957.

Originally the Los Angeles Angels, they were renamed the California Angels in 1965 and then became the Anaheim Angels under the control of the Walt Disney Company in 1997.

In 2005, owner Arte Moreno wanted to market the Angels in the Los Angeles market, thus adding the L.A. portion to the team name to make it the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Regardless of what Albert Pujols' jersey reads, it's not going to help him raise his average this season. 

Los Angeles Dodgers

Originally a Brooklyn franchise, before they were the Dodgers, they were the Bridegrooms, Superbas and the Trolley Dodgers, due to the pedestrians who dodged the trolleys throughout the streets of Brooklyn. 

When the franchise up and left for the National League on the West Coast, they took the Dodger name with them.

Between the two clubs, Los Angeles has arguably had the wackiest name changes for any baseball city.

Miami Marlins

Like many other clubs, the Marlins got their name from a famous aspect of the city—in this case, a large sport fish.

Minor league teams in the area can also be credited with the idea for the MLB franchise's name.

As most of you know, the Florida Marlins got a new name, logo and stadium. They currently sport the tackiest and most ridiculous stadium in the history of baseball.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers—who got their name from the famous beer industry in Milwaukee—were originally the Seattle Pilots, a franchise that lasted just one year.

Under the ownership of Bud Selig the next season, Milwaukee adopted the Brewers nickname.

The Brew Crew moved to the National League in 1998 as part of the reorganization of the league, a move that has yet to pay off for the Brew Crew.

Minnesota Twins

You can thank Minneapolis and St. Paul—the Twin Cities—for the Minnesota Twins' name.

Separated by the Mississippi River, the two cities argued for years over where an expansion team would be located if the opportunity came about.

It wasn't until 1961—when the Washington Senators moved to Minneapolis—that the Twins were established.

The Twins currently rotate their caps between the "M" and the "TC."

New York Mets

When New York was awarded a National League expansion franchise in 1961, fans were asked to choose a nickname.

The New York Metropolitans won out and is a token to the surrounding area of the franchise.

The name was shortened to "Mets," which the press didn't mind. 

There was also a Metropolitan Baseball Club in the 19th Century American Association, so don't give Mets fans too much credit for coming up with the name.

New York Yankees

When the Baltimore Orioles moved to New York in 1903, they became the New York Highlanders, but they were also known as the New York Americans, given that they played in the American League.

It was the press who coined the nickname "Yankees" in 1904, as it was easier to fit "Yanks" into headlines.

They were also most likely influenced by the Yankee Doodle Dandy at the time.

While the Yankees are synonymous with those historic pinstripe jerseys, those throwback Highlanders jerseys are legit.

Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics sport the oldest name in baseball, which dates back to sometime in the early 1860s, with reference to the Athletic Baseball Club of Philadelphia.

The Athletics began in Philadelphia, moved to Kansas City and then eventually surfaced on the West Coast in 1968.

The West Coast has been friendly to the A's, as they've won four World Series titles since moving out to California.

Philadelphia Phillies

Originally known as the Quakers in 1883 (good thing that didn't stick), the franchise quickly changed its name to the Philadelphias, given the city it was playing in.

The Philadelphias was quickly shortened to the Phillies, possibly by the media.

In 1943, owner Robert Carpenter held a contest to rename the club, and Blue Jays was selected as the winner. The team sported a Blue Jay patch on its uniforms for a couple of years, but the nickname never stuck. 

The Phillies nickname is a token to its surroundings, including the Philly cheesesteak and Phillies blunt cigars.

Pittsburgh Pirates

Ever wonder why Pittsburgh's baseball team is named the Pirates?

When the Players' League disbanded in 1890, the Philadelphia Athletics made a crucial error that gave way to the nickname in Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia forgot to add Lou Bierbauer and Harry Stovey to their reserve list, leaving them on what would be today's open market.

Bierbauer and Stovey were added to the Pittsburgh roster, leading a Philadelphia sportswriter to claim that the players were "pirated" away from Philly.

And the nickname was born.

San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres obtained their name from a minor league team in the Pacific Coast League that played from 1936 to 1968.

When San Diego was awarded an expansion team in San Diego in 1969, the club adopted the old nickname, which is Spanish for "father."

I'm still wondering where the camouflage uniforms come into play.

San Francisco Giants

Moving to San Francisco for the 1958 season, the New York Giants retained their nickname, which dates back to 1885, when New York Gothams manager Jim Mutrie dubbed his players "giants" after a compelling win against Philadelphia.

The Giants have certainly lived up to their name, with polarizing figures such as Barry Bonds, Willie Mays and Willie McCovey. 

After his steroid scandal, Barry Bonds truly was a giant.

Seattle Mariners

Like other ballclubs, the Seattle Mariners are an expansion franchise that obtained their nickname through fan voting.

Mariners was the obvious choice, given the fishing and marine activities within the Seattle area. 

Seattle has not been kind to the Mariners. Aside from the great Ken Griffey Jr., the Mariners haven't had much excitement, given that they've never won a World Series or AL pennant.

St. Louis Cardinals

From the St. Louis Brown Stockings to the St. Louis Perfectos, the franchise has certainly come a long way.

After a uniform change from brown to red, it was only a matter of time before the connection was made that the new red stockings resembled that of a cardinal.

The team officially changed its name in 1900 and has won 11 World Series titles since.

Tampa Bay Rays

An expansion club in 1995, this time it was the owner who chose the name Devil Rays out of more than 7,000 public suggestions.

Under the moniker Devil Rays, the team was atrocious, consistently finishing in the bottom of the AL East.

After the 2007 season, the club dropped the "Devil" portion from their name, making them the Tampa Bay Rays.

The team has immensely improved since the 2007 season, as it's finished first in the division twice and clinched a postseason spot three times.

Texas Rangers

When the Senators left Washington in 1972 in favor of Arlington, Texas, owner Robert Short named the team after the Texas law enforcement agency.

Until 2008, the Rangers' home jerseys read "Rangers" and away jerseys read "Texas." Now, whether home or away, their jerseys read "Texas."

Either way, Josh Hamilton doesn't care. He's going to rake regardless of what his jersey says.

Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto natives decided the fate of the franchise when they selected the "Blue Jays" in 1977, after the blue North American bird.

Labatt's brand of beer may have influenced the name as well, as Labatt Blue was the top-selling brand of beer during that time.

Blue is also the color of other Toronto professional sports teams, the Maple Leafs and the Argonauts.

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals were established in 2005 after the Montreal Expos relocated to our nation's capital.

Washington's original baseball club was referred to as the Senators and the Nationals before moving to Minnesota.

The old-time nickname of "Nats" has also been revived, and so have the NL East-leading Washington Nationals in 2012.

It should be noted that the rights to the "Washington Senators" name are owned by the Texas Rangers and are strictly prohibited. 

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