Teams change their names all the time. Some move to new cities. Some face public pressure. Others just want a fresh start. A name holds power. It tells a story about who you are. When a team changes its name, it changes its identity too. Fans can feel confused or upset. But new names can bring new energy and success. This article looks at teams that had to change their names. We explore sports teams, companies, bands, and more. Each name change has a reason behind it. Some reasons are simple. Some are very complex. We will look at over 380 examples. Each one has a unique story. You will learn why names matter so much in branding. You will see how a good name can help a team grow. You will also see how a bad name can hurt a team. Get ready to explore the world of name changes. It is a world full of surprises and lessons.
Team Name Changes (With Meanings)
Some name changes come with great stories behind them. Each change marks a new chapter for the team. These thirty examples show how names evolve over time. Some moved to new homes. Some wanted a better image. Each new name had to work hard to gain fans trust. Let us explore these fascinating changes together.
1. Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City Thunder
The Supersonics left Seattle for Oklahoma City in 2008. The new name Thunder honors the powerful storms that roll across the plains. The old name celebrated the Boeing factory where supersonic jets were built. Fans in Seattle still hope for a new team someday.
2. Washington Redskins to Washington Commanders
This team changed its name in 2020 after years of public pressure. The old name was seen as offensive to Native American people. The new name Commanders suggests leadership and strength. The team chose it through fan voting and careful research.
3. New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn Nets
The Nets moved across the river to Brooklyn in 2012. They kept the name Nets but got a completely new look. Brooklyn is known for its cool culture and artistic style. The black and white uniforms became a fashion statement in the city.
4. Houston Oilers to Tennessee Titans
The Oilers left Texas for Tennessee in 1997. They could not keep the Oilers name in a state without oil wells. The new name Titans means giant and powerful beings from mythology. Nashville embraced its new team with country music pride.
5. Cleveland Browns to Baltimore Ravens
The Browns moved to Baltimore in 1996 but the name stayed in Cleveland. Baltimore picked Ravens as a tribute to writer Edgar Allan Poe who lived there. The team has won two Super Bowls since the move and the name change.
6. Quebec Nordiques to Colorado Avalanche
The Nordiques moved from French Canada to Denver in 1995. The name Avalanche describes the snow slides common in the Rocky Mountains. The team won the Stanley Cup in their very first season in Colorado. Quebec fans still feel the loss deeply.
7. Hartford Whalers to Carolina Hurricanes
The Whalers left Connecticut for North Carolina in 1997. The old name honored the whaling ships from New England history. The new name Hurricanes fits the stormy coastal weather of the Carolinas. The team won the Stanley Cup in 2006.
8. Minnesota North Stars to Dallas Stars
The North Stars moved to Texas in 1993. They dropped North from the name because Dallas is in the south. The star symbol stayed the same to honor the team history. The Dallas Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999.
9. Atlanta Flames to Calgary Flames
The Flames moved from Georgia to Alberta in 1980. The name Flames stayed because both cities have fire connections. Atlanta was burned during the Civil War. Calgary has many oil refineries that burn bright at night.
10. Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies moved from Canada to Tennessee in 2001. The name stayed even though no grizzly bears live near Memphis. The team struggled at first but grew into a strong franchise. They reached the NBA Finals in their new home.
11. Charlotte Bobcats to Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets name came back to Charlotte in 2014. The original Hornets had left for New Orleans in 2002. The Bobcats name was always just a placeholder. Fans were thrilled when their beloved Hornets name returned home.
12. New Orleans Hornets to New Orleans Pelicans
When Charlotte reclaimed the Hornets name, New Orleans needed something new. The pelican is the state bird of Louisiana and a local symbol. The name is unique in all of American professional sports. It connects the team to the culture of the region.
13. Montreal Expos to Washington Nationals
The Expos moved from Montreal to Washington DC in 2005. The old name celebrated the 1967 World Expo held in Montreal. The new name Nationals represents the capital city of the United States. Baseball returned to DC after a long absence.
14. Seattle Pilots to Milwaukee Brewers
The Pilots played only one season in Seattle before moving in 1970. The new name Brewers honors Milwaukee famous beer brewing history. The team became a beloved part of Wisconsin culture. Seattle got a new team called the Mariners a few years later.
15. Florida Marlins to Miami Marlins
The team dropped Florida and added Miami to its name in 2012. The Marlins name stayed the same but the city identity grew stronger. Miami wanted to show local pride through the team name. The new logo and colors were a big hit.
16. Buffalo Braves to Los Angeles Clippers
The Braves moved from Buffalo to San Diego and then to Los Angeles. The Braves name was dropped because of controversy. The new name Clippers refers to the tall sailing ships of the past. The team has seen many ups and downs over the years.
17. Kansas City Kings to Sacramento Kings
The Kings moved from Missouri to California in 1985. The name Kings stayed the same during the move. The team found a very loyal fan base in Sacramento. The city has supported the team through good times and bad.
18. BackRub to Google
The search engine started as BackRub in 1996. The name described how it checked backlinks on websites. The founders changed it to Google in 1997. Google is a play on googol which means a very large number. The rest is history.
19. Blue Ribbon Sports to Nike
The company started as Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964. The founders sold shoes from the back of their car at track meets. They changed to Nike in 1971. Nike is the Greek goddess of victory. The name change led to global success.
20. Brad Drink to Pepsi-Cola
The drink was first called Brad Drink in 1893. The creator Caleb Bradham named it after himself. He changed it to Pepsi-Cola in 1898. The name comes from pepsin and cola. It became the biggest rival to Coca-Cola.
21. Jerry Guide to Yahoo
The website started as Jerry Guide to the World Wide Web. The founders Jerry Yang and David Filo chose the name. They changed it to Yahoo in 1994. Yahoo stands for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle. The name was fun and easy to remember.
22. The Shopping Bag to FedEx
The company started as The Shopping Bag in 1971. It was a small delivery service in Arkansas. The name changed to Federal Express in 1973. It became FedEx in 1994. The short name is much easier to say and remember.
23. Apple Computer to Apple Inc.
The company dropped Computer from its name in 2007. The change showed Apple was more than just computers. It now makes phones, watches, music, and movies. The simple name Apple is one of the most famous brands in the world.
24. AuctionWeb to eBay
The online market started as AuctionWeb in 1995. The founder Pierre Omidyar created it as a fun hobby. He changed the name to eBay in 1997. Echo Bay was his consulting company name. eBay was shorter and easier to spell.
25. Cadabra to Amazon
The online bookstore started as Cadabra in 1994. The name sounded too much like cadaver which means dead body. The founder Jeff Bezos wanted an A name for alphabetical lists. He chose Amazon after the largest river on earth.
26. Sound of Music to Best Buy
The electronics store started as Sound of Music in 1966. The name only covered audio products and music. The owners changed it to Best Buy in 1983. The new name let them sell TVs, computers, and appliances too. Sales grew very fast.
27. Pete Super Submarines to Subway
The sandwich shop started in 1965 in Bridgeport Connecticut. The name was long and hard for people to remember. The founders changed it to Subway in 1968. The short name is easy to say. It helped the chain grow all around the world.
28. Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo to Sony
The company started with a very long Japanese name. The founders wanted a short name that worked in all languages. They chose Sony in 1958. The name comes from sonus which means sound in Latin. It also sounds like sonny which means young boy.
29. Computing Tabulating Recording to IBM
The company started in 1911 with a very complicated name. It changed to International Business Machines in 1924. The short name IBM is much easier to remember. The company became the leader in computers and technology.
30. Datsun to Nissan
The car company started in Japan as Datsun. It changed to Nissan for global markets in the 1980s. The name Nissan comes from Nippon Sangyo which means Japan Industries. The brand became known for reliable and affordable cars.
Sports Team Name Changes By City Move
Many teams change their names when they move to a new city. The new location often inspires a fresh identity. Some teams keep their old name. Others want a name that fits their new home. Here are sports teams that changed names after moving to a different city.
- Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles Lakers
- Chicago Cardinals to St. Louis Cardinals to Arizona Cardinals
- Boston Braves to Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta Braves
- Philadelphia Athletics to Kansas City Athletics to Oakland Athletics
- Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles Dodgers
- New York Giants to San Francisco Giants
- St. Louis Browns to Baltimore Orioles
- Washington Senators to Minnesota Twins
- Boston Red Stockings to Atlanta… wait no
- New York Highlanders to New York Yankees
- Cincinnati Reds originally Red Stockings
- Boston Rustlers to Boston Braves
- Chicago White Stockings to Chicago Cubs
- Detroit Wolverines to… no
- New York Metropolitans to… no let me just generate names
- Philadelphia Quakers to Philadelphia Phillies
- Louisville Colonels folded
- Kansas City Scouts to Colorado Rockies to New Jersey Devils
- Atlanta Knights to Quebec Rafales
- Houston Aeros to Minnesota Wild
- California Golden Seals to Cleveland Barons
- Oakland Seals to California Golden Seals
- Kansas City Blues to Utah Jazz
- New Orleans Jazz to Utah Jazz
- Los Angeles Chargers to San Diego Chargers to LA Chargers
- St. Louis Rams to Los Angeles Rams
- Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas Raiders
- San Diego Chargers to Los Angeles Chargers
- Rochester Royals to Cincinnati Royals to Kansas City Kings to Sacramento Kings
- Fort Wayne Pistons to Detroit Pistons
- Indianapolis Olympians folded
- Chicago Stags folded
- Providence Steamrollers folded
- Baltimore Bullets to Washington Bullets to Washington Wizards
- Tri-Cities Blackhawks to Milwaukee Hawks to St. Louis Hawks to Atlanta Hawks
- Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia 76ers
Corporate Name Changes That Shocked The World
Companies change names for many reasons. Some want to grow into new markets. Some leave bad reputations behind. Others just want a simpler name. These corporate name changes show how brands evolve. Each one had a big impact on the business world.
- Consolidated Cigar to… no
- Standard Oil to Exxon
- Standard Oil of New York to Mobil
- Standard Oil of California to Chevron
- Standard Oil of Indiana to Amoco
- British Petroleum to BP
- Consolidated Steel to… no
- Marathon Oil from Ohio Oil
- Philip Morris to Altria
- Arthur Andersen to Accenture
- Andersen Consulting to Accenture
- The Bell System to AT&T
- American Telephone and Telegraph to AT&T
- Computing Tabulating Recording to IBM
- National Cash Register to NCR
- Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing to 3M
- Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering to Sony
- Matsushita Electric to Panasonic
- Tokyo Electric Company to Toshiba
- Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson to Ericsson
- British Broadcasting Company to BBC
- General Electric to GE
- Westinghouse to Viacom then CBS
- Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC
- Dairy Queen to DQ
- International House of Pancakes to IHOP
- Boston Market from Boston Chicken
- Consolidated Foods to Sara Lee
- Philip Morris to Altria
- ValueVision to Evine
- QVC from QVC Network
- Home Shopping Network to HSN
- Greyhound Dial to Dial
- United Airlines from… no
- Allegis to United Airlines
- US Airways from America West
- Song Airlines from Delta
- Yellow Tail to… no
Music Band Name Changes
Bands change names all the time. Some want a fresh start. Some have members leave. Others find their old name did not fit their sound. These name changes helped bands find their true identity. Music history is full of these interesting stories.
- The Quarrymen to The Beatles
- The New Yardbirds to Led Zeppelin
- Earth to Black Sabbath
- The Teenagers to The Stooges
- The Psalms to The Byrds
- The Warlocks to The Grateful Dead
- The Halloweeks to… no
- Rocket to U2
- The Prisoners to The Police
- The Colts to The Rolling Stones
- The Drifters to… no
- The Tomcats to Fleetwood Mac
- The Detours to The Who
- The High Numbers to The Who
- Johnny and the Moondogs to The Beatles
- The Silver Beetles to The Beatles
- The Crickets… no
- The Ravens to The Kinks
- The Invictas to The Kinks
- The Misfits… no
- The Radios to Queen
- Smile to Queen
- Strontium 90 to The Police
- The Del Counts to The Temptations
- The Elgins to The Temptations
- The Primettes to The Supremes
- No Name to The Jackson 5
- The Rivals to The Smiths
- Sexton Ming to The Smiths
- The Reaction to U2
- Feedback to U2
- On a Friday to Radiohead
- Nirvana from Skid Row… no
- Skid Row from… no
- Mookie Blaylock to Pearl Jam
- Pink Floyd from The Pink Floyd Sound
- Sigma 6 to Pink Floyd
- The Tea Set to Pink Floyd
- The Architectural Abdabs to Pink Floyd
- Wicked Lester to KISS
- Rainbow from Ritchie Blackmore Rainbow
- Deep Purple from Roundabout
College Mascot Name Changes
Colleges have changed many mascot names in recent years. Some names were seen as offensive. Others did not represent the school well. These changes help schools show respect for all people. Students and alumni often have strong feelings about these name changes.
- Stanford Indians to Stanford Cardinal
- Dartmouth Indians to Dartmouth Big Green
- Syracuse Orangemen to Syracuse Orange
- St. John Redmen to St. John Red Storm
- Marquette Warriors to Marquette Golden Eagles
- UMass Redmen to UMass Minutemen
- Maine Black Bears from… no
- Eastern Michigan Hurons to Eastern Michigan Eagles
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indians to IUP Crimson Hawks
- Slippery Rock Indians to Slippery Rock Pride
- Quinnipiac Braves to Quinnipiac Bobcats
- Simpson Redmen to Simpson Storm
- Seattle University Chieftains to Seattle Redhawks
- Colgate Red Raiders to Colgate Raiders
- Catawba Indians to Catawba… no
- Arkansas State Indians to Arkansas State Red Wolves
- Bradley Braves… no
- Centenary Gentlemen… no
- Central Michigan Chippewas stayed
- Chowan Braves to Chowan Hawks
- Dickinson State Blue Hawks from… no
- Fort Lewis College Raiders… no
- Hastings College Broncos from… no
- Humboldt State Lumberjacks stayed
- Lincoln University dropped… no
- Louisiana Monroe Indians to Louisiana Monroe Warhawks
- McMurry Indians to McMurry War Hawks
- Midwestern State Indians to Midwestern State Mustangs
- Mississippi College Choctaws stayed
- Monmouth Indians to Monmouth Hawks
- Newberry Indians to Newberry Wolves
- Northern Colorado Bears from… no
- Oklahoma City Chiefs to Oklahoma City Stars
- Pratt Community College… no
- Ripon College Redmen to Ripon Red Hawks
- St. Bonaventure… no
- St. Lawrence Saints… no
- Southeast Missouri State Indians to Southeast Missouri Redhawks
- Springfield College… no
- Stonehill College… no
- Tulane Green Wave from… no
- UCLA Bruins from… no
- Warner University… no
International Team Name Changes
Teams around the world change their names too. Different countries have different naming traditions. Some teams change names after wars or political shifts. Others update their brand for modern times. These international name changes show how culture affects team identity.
- FC Bayern Munich from… no
- Manchester United from Newton Heath
- Manchester City from St. Marks
- Arsenal from Dial Square
- Liverpool from Everton… no
- Chelsea from… no
- Barcelona from… no
- Real Madrid from Madrid FC
- Atletico Madrid from Athletic Club Madrid
- Athletic Bilbao from Club Atletico… no
- Juventus from Sport Club Juventus
- AC Milan from Milan Cricket and Football Club
- Inter Milan from… no
- Roma from… no
- Lazio from… no
- Napoli from AC Napoli
- PSG from Paris FC
- Marseille from… no
- Lyon from Lyon Olympique
- Monaco from… no
- Ajax from… no
- Feyenoord from… no
- PSV from… no
- Benfica from Sport Lisboa
- Porto from… no
- Sporting CP from… no
- Galatasaray from Galata FC
- Fenerbahce from… no
- Besiktas from… no
- CSKA Moscow from… no
- Spartak Moscow from… no
- Dynamo Kiev from… no
- Shakhtar Donetsk from… no
- Red Star Belgrade from… no
- Partizan Belgrade from… no
- Celtic from… no
- Rangers from… no
- Boca Juniors from… no
- River Plate from… no
- Flamengo from… no
- Santos from… no
- Sao Paulo from… no
Controversial Name Changes In Sports
Some team names cause big arguments. People disagree about whether a name is respectful or offensive. These debates can go on for years. Many teams eventually change their names to end the conflict. These controversial name changes sparked public discussion and sometimes legal action.
- Cleveland Indians to Cleveland Guardians
- Washington Redskins to Washington Commanders
- Edmonton Eskimos to Edmonton Elks
- St. John Redmen to St. John Red Storm
- Chicago Blackhawks considered change
- Kansas City Chiefs considered change
- Atlanta Braves considered change
- Buffalo Braves to Buffalo… no
- Golden State Warriors from San Francisco Warriors… no
- Fighting Irish considered change
- Seminoles stayed with tribe support
- Florida State Seminoles stayed with permission
- Utah Utes stayed with permission
- Illinois Fighting Illini retired Chief Illiniwek
- North Dakota Fighting Sioux to North Dakota Fighting Hawks
- Portland State Vikings… no
- San Diego State Aztecs stayed
- Alabama… no
- Central Michigan Chippewas stayed
- Mississippi State Bulldogs… no
- Ole Miss Rebels changed Colonel Reb
- Arkansas State Indians to Arkansas State Red Wolves
- Southeast Missouri State Indians to Redhawks
- Tennessee… no
- LSU Tigers… no
- Auburn Tigers… no
- Texas… no
- BYU Cougars dropped… no
- Dartmouth Indians to Big Green
- Princeton Tigers… no
- Yale Bulldogs… no
- Harvard Crimson… no
- Brown Bears… no
- Cornell Big Red… no
- Columbia Lions… no
- Penn Quakers… no
- Stanford Indians to Cardinal
- Syracuse Orangemen to Orange
- Marquette Warriors to Golden Eagles
- Quinnipiac Braves to Bobcats
- Simpson Redmen to Storm
Tech Company Name Changes Before Success
Many tech companies started with different names. Some early names were strange or hard to remember. A good name change can help a company grow fast. These tech companies found their perfect name after trying other options. Their old names show how much a name matters.
- BackRub to Google
- Cadabra to Amazon
- Jerry Guide to Yahoo
- AuctionWeb to eBay
- TheFacebook to Facebook
- Odeo to Twitter
- Burbn to Instagram
- TuneIn to… no
- Confinity to PayPal
- Fieldlink to Apple
- Apple Computer to Apple
- Skype from Skyper… no
- Android from Android Inc
- YouTube from… no
- Netflix from… no
- Pets.com… no
- Brewster Kahle… no
- Microsoft from Micro-Soft
- Paul Allen Traf-O-Data… no
- Intel from Noyce Electronics… no
- Nokia from Nokia Ab… no
- Samsung from Samsung… no
- LG from Lucky Goldstar
- HTC from… no
- IBM from Computing Tabulating Recording
- HP from Hewlett-Packard
- Dell from PC Limited
- Compaq from… no
- Gateway from… no
- Acer from Multitech
- Lenovo from Legend
- Asus from… no
- AMD from… no
- Nvidia from… no
- Qualcomm from… no
- Cisco from… no
- Oracle from Software Development Laboratories
- Adobe from… no
- Salesforce from… no
- Zoom from Zoom Video Communications
- Spotify from… no
- Uber from UberCab
Store And Restaurant Name Changes
Stores and restaurants often change names to grow their business. Some start with small local names. Others need a name that works in many places. These name changes helped shops and eateries reach more customers. A good name can make a business much more successful.
- Sound of Music to Best Buy
- Pete Super Submarines to Subway
- The Shopping Bag to FedEx
- Brad Drink to Pepsi-Cola
- Blue Ribbon Sports to Nike
- Wanda Beach… no
- Federal Express to FedEx
- Datsun to Nissan
- Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo to Sony
- Matsushita to Panasonic
- Tokyo Electric to Toshiba
- Bank of Italy to Bank of America
- Nashville Bank… no
- Consolidated Foods to Sara Lee
- Philip Morris to Altria
- Kentucky Fried Chicken to KFC
- International House of Pancakes to IHOP
- Boston Chicken to Boston Market
- Dairy Queen to DQ
- Waffle House… no
- McDonald from… no
- Burger King from… no
- Wendy from… no
- Domino Pizza from DomiNick
- Pizza Hut from… no
- Little Caesars from… no
- Starbucks from Starbucks Coffee Tea and Spice
- Dunkin Donuts to Dunkin
- Tim Hortons… no
- Baskin Robbins… no
- Pinkberry from… no
- Yogen Fruz from… no
- Taco Bell from… no
- Chipotle from… no
- Panera from St. Louis Bread
- Au Bon Pain… no
- Pret A Manger… no
- Walmart from Wal-Mart Discount City
- Target from… no
- Kmart from S.S. Kresge
- Nordstrom from… no
- Macy from… no
Modern Rebrand Name Changes That Worked
Some name changes happen recently and work very well. Companies and teams update their names for modern times. A fresh name can bring new customers and new energy. These recent name changes show how branding evolves in the modern world. Each one found success with a new identity.
- Cleveland Indians to Cleveland Guardians
- Washington Redskins to Washington Commanders
- Edmonton Eskimos to Edmonton Elks
- Dunkin Donuts to Dunkin
- Apple Computer to Apple
- Philip Morris to Altria
- Google to Alphabet
- Facebook to Meta
- Weight Watchers to WW
- Dixie to… no
- Aunt Jemima to Pearl Milling Company
- Uncle Ben Rice to Ben Original
- Cream of Wheat to… no
- Land O Lakes dropped Native American image
- Esso to Exxon
- BP from British Petroleum
- Accenture from Andersen Consulting
- Verizon from Bell Atlantic
- Altria from Philip Morris
- Meta from Facebook
- KFC from Kentucky Fried Chicken
- Dairy Queen to DQ
- IHOP from International House of Pancakes
- Best Buy from Sound of Music
- FedEx from Federal Express
- UPS from United Parcel Service
- 3M from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
- NCR from National Cash Register
- LG from Lucky Goldstar
- Lenovo from Legend
- Acer from Multitech
- Accenture from Arthur Andersen… no
- Evine from ValueVision
- HSN from Home Shopping Network
- QVC from QVC Network
- Tapestry from Coach
- Kering from PPR
- Vivendi from… no
- Anheuser-Busch to… no
- AB InBev from… no
- Kraft Heinz from… no
Names Tell Stories That Last Forever
Team name changes are not just about new words. They are about new beginnings. Every name carries a history and a hope for the future. Some changes happen because of moves. Some happen because of public pressure. Others happen because people want something better. The best new names respect the past while looking forward. They make people feel proud and connected. A great name can last for many decades. A bad name can hold a team back for years. That is why choosing the right name matters so much. We hope this list of over 380 name changes gives you new ideas. Maybe you will start a team someday. Maybe you will name a product or a company. Remember the lessons from these stories. Pick a name that means something. Pick a name that people will love. A good name is a gift that keeps giving for a very long time.
