# What was the first sports team to have a nickname? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 4, 2004, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625 "2004-01-04T09:03:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/1 "2004-01-04T09:03:57Z")
Which was the first sports team to have a team nickname, in any sport, in any country (Yankees, Giants, Crimson, Bulldogs, ect)? The answer can be a name that is no longer in use or the name of a team that no longer exists. A second related question, what is the nickname that has been in continuous use the longest (if different than above)? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/2 "2004-01-04T09:22:31Z")
I don’t know much, but the teams that played that Aztec game with the balls in the court probably had names. And they were probably awesome names, too, like Quetzalcoatl’s Thugs, or some such craziness. The Iroquois played lacrosse for ages too. I’m sure they named their teams. So what I am saying is that I am sure that for as long as team sports have been played, people have been using team nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/3 "2004-01-04T10:54:56Z")
The first recorded baseball game took place in 1846 between the New York Knickerbockers (organized in 1845) and the New York Baseball Club at a field in Hoboken, New Jersey. Both teams were amateurs. In 1869, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first completely professional baseball team. Name longest in continuous use? The history of the Los Angeles Dodgers begins with the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers in 1884. The San Francisco Giants were the New York Giants in 1885 (founded as the New York Gothams two years earlier). The Pittsburgh Pirates have had the same name since 1891 (founded as the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1882). ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/4 "2004-01-04T11:04:57Z")
Although the first intercollegiate football game was played between Princeton and Rutgers in 1869, the Tigers nickname was not bestowed on Princeton until 1880, and there it remains today. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/5 "2004-01-04T12:09:56Z")
The English Football Association has been in existence since 1863. Many English clubs have fascinating nicknames and I imagine many are as old as the teams. The oldest football cul in the world is Sheffield FC which is an amateur side in existence since 1857. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/6 "2004-01-04T12:32:21Z")
The oldest football club is Sheffield Wednesday FC (who were founded by mebers of a cricket club) founded in 1867 (nickname: the Owls), there’s two professional clubs in Sheffield, the other being Sheffield United which was founded in 1889 (nickname ‘the Blades’). Of course there were university and public school teams before this the rules of association football were based mainly on the code played at Cambridge University, whereas Rugby and American football were based on the code played at Rugby Public School (be aware that ‘public school’ in the UK and ‘public school’ in the US have almost opposite meanings). Much of the conevntions of modern team sport are based around those in cricket which is by far the oldest modern team sport (for example team captains, XI players in football, international ‘caps’, etc.). Mitcham Cricket club claims to of been founded in 1685, Hambledon CC was definetly founded about 1750 and it was at Hambledon that the codifcation of the game began rto be completed by Marylebone Cricket Club founded in 1767. Howvber cricket clubs don’t really go in for nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/7 "2004-01-04T12:37:42Z")
As I said the world’s oldest football club is [Sheffield F C](http://www.sheffieldfc.com/) founded in **1857**. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/8 "2004-01-04T12:51:41Z")
I have to admit I’ve never heard of SFC, Sheffield Wednesday are the oldest professional club tho’. ---
**Author:** ![Avenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Avenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avenger)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/9 "2004-01-04T12:54:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies \* > \*\*I have to admit I’ve never heard of SFC, Sheffield Wednesday are the oldest professional club tho’. \*\* Notts County, surely? ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/10 "2004-01-04T12:59:25Z")
hmm looks like your right, I don’t know why I’ve got Sheffield Wednesday stuck in my head as the oldest football team then. (another corrction the MCC was founded in 1787). ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/11 "2004-01-04T13:11:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies \* > \*\*I have to admit I’ve never heard of SFC, Sheffield Wednesday are the oldest professional club tho’. \*\* I don’t think so, Notts County “The Magpies” was formed in 1862 and is generally considered the world’s oldest professional football club. Stoke City have on the club badge 1863 but some doubt that any games were played by the club before 1868. Stoke claim to be “the second oldest league club”. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/12 "2004-01-04T13:12:04Z")
The important question is not when those English football teams were founded, but **when** did those English football teams acquire their nicknames? ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-first-sports-team-to-have-a-nickname/222625/13 "2004-01-04T13:23:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*The important question is not when those English football teams were founded, but **when** did those English football teams acquire their nicknames? \*\* Difficult question as many football teams have had several nicknames, for example my football team Reading FC (founded 1871, making it one of the older clubs in England) was known as ‘the Biscuitmen’ until I think as late as the 70’s, but now are known as ‘the Royals’. I also now that ‘the Red Devils’ is not MUFC’s first nickname.