# Where did the name "soccer", come from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 18, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086 "2006-02-18T14:00:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/1 "2006-02-18T14:00:17Z")
Is the United States the only country to call english football, soccer? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/2 "2006-02-18T14:07:50Z")
Soccer is the nickname for Association Football. Since we have our own brand of football it makes a lot of sense to refer to it as soccer. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/3 "2006-02-18T14:08:05Z")
> [@BluePitbull](#): > > Is the United States the only country to call english football, soccer? Well call it soccer in Canada too. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/4 "2006-02-18T16:13:44Z")
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football\_(word)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_(word)) will help you out - it’s not unheard of in Britain, particularly in rugby-dominated areas, and is also commonly used in Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/5 "2006-02-18T16:18:53Z")
In Bend it Like Beckman, there was a Soccer store prominently featured. That movie, of course, took place in England. Also all of the Asian Indians at work call it soccer, too, but I don’t know if that’s just adaptation to the American lingo or not. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/6 "2006-02-18T21:21:55Z")
Wow, Wiki and Merriam-Webster are tragically unclear, but apparently Airman Doors’ note that soccer is a “nickname” for Association Football is close–it appears that “soccer” is actually an _abbreviation_ of the words “Association Football.” How? Beats me. Webster doesn’t say. But I guess it was like “Assoc. Football”, then “Soc Football” then “Soccer.” ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/7 "2006-02-18T21:29:56Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > -it appears that “soccer” is actually an _abbreviation_ of the words “Association Football.” How? Beats me. Webster doesn’t say. But I guess it was like “Assoc. Football”, then “Soc Football” then “Soccer.” I read about this a while ago. Adding -er to the end of a word was a type of slang. So breakfast became brecker. Associated became 'soccer. ---
**Author:** ![6\_6\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e0b2c6/32.png) [@6\_6\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6_6_6)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2006, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/8 "2006-02-18T22:42:21Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I read about this a while ago. Adding -er to the end of a word was a type of slang. So breakfast became brecker. Associated became 'soccer. And rugby is sometimes known as _rugger_. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/9 "2006-02-19T02:08:02Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > In Bend it Like Beckman, there was a Soccer store prominently featured. Funny. I noticed that too, and even asked [a question about it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=275110). ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/10 "2006-02-19T03:31:54Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > Wow, Wiki and Merriam-Webster are tragically unclear, but apparently Airman Doors’ note that soccer is a “nickname” for Association Football is close–it appears that “soccer” is actually an _abbreviation_ of the words “Association Football.” How? Beats me. Webster doesn’t say. But I guess it was like “Assoc. Football”, then “Soc Football” then “Soccer.” There is an alternative derivation, which I recently saw put forward by Rory McGrath on the BBC programme ‘Balderdash and Piffle’. His explanation is retold here: [http://gavinrymill.com/origin-of-the-word-soccer.html](http://gavinrymill.com/origin-of-the-word-soccer.html) ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/11 "2006-02-19T07:13:44Z")
In Australia it was called soccer and the national team is called the Socceroos but they’re trying to get people to call it football now… > [@toadspittle](#): > > …it appears that “soccer” is actually an abbreviation of the words “Association Football.” How? Beats me. Webster doesn’t say. But I guess it was like “Assoc. Football”, then “Soc Football” then “Soccer.”… Association…Sociation… soccer… ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/12 "2006-02-19T07:52:09Z")
As a general rule Football is known as Soccer in countries with their own sports called Football. In America you have American Football and is Australia they have Aussie Rules Football so it makes sense to call Football something else. In England it is quite rare to hear Football called Soccer and indeed it isn’t uncommon to hear the use of the word Soccer followed by “It’s called Football fer Og’s sake, you aren’t American!!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/13 "2006-02-19T22:24:31Z")
Just some confirmation – at dinner last night with three Indian couples, they confirmed “football” as the word they use in English as well as in their 22 native languages. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2006, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-name-soccer-come-from/345086/14 "2006-02-19T22:46:25Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > Funny. I noticed that too, and even asked [a question about it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=275110). Two summers ago I worked at a UK sports retailer called Soccer Sports (it was hell on Earth). Soccer is widely understood over here.