List of ethnic sports team and mascot names
Many sports teams are named for an ethnic group or similar category of people. Though these names typically refer to a group native to the area in which the sports team is based, many teams take their names from groups which are known for their strength (such as Spartans or Vikings), despite not being located near the historic homes of these groups.
Professional teams[edit]
American[edit]
- Allen Americans (ECHL) – Allen, Texas, USA
- Houston Texans (National Football League) – Houston, Texas, USA
- New York Knicks (NBA), the name "Knick" is a shortened version of the word "Knickerbocker", a term which comes from a pseudonym used by Washington Irving in his book, A History of New York. The term was used to refer to the descendants of the original Dutch settlers of New York. Later, by extension, the term was used to describe New Yorkers in general.
- New York Yankees (Major League Baseball) – New York City, New York, USA
- Rochester Americans (American Hockey League) – Rochester, New York, USA
- Tri-City Americans (Western Hockey League) – Kennewick, Washington, USA
Bavarians[edit]
Boers[edit]
- Indios del Bóer ("Indians of the Boer") (Baseball) - Managua, Nicaragua
Canadian[edit]
Canadians in general[edit]
French Canadians[edit]
- Les Canadiennes de Montréal (Canadian Women's Hockey League) – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Montreal Canadiens (National Hockey League) – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Celtic/Irish[edit]
- Boston Celtics (NBA) – Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Celta de Vigo – Galician football team whose name reflects Celtic people.
- Celtic FC – Scottish football team whose name reflects Celtic people, both Scottish and Irish.
- Hibernian FC – Scottish football club reflecting Irish origins.
- London Irish (Premiership Rugby) – Brentford, Greater London, England
Cornish[edit]
Cossacks[edit]
- Vinnytski Haidamaky (Ukrainian Hockey Championship) – Vinnytsia, Ukraine
- Kozakken Boys (Tweede Divisie) — Werkendam, Netherlands
Egyptian[edit]
- Al Masry SC – Port Said, Egypt
- Egypt national football team The Pharaohs – Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt
Indian[edit]
Indigenous peoples[edit]
Italian[edit]
- Brooklyn Italians – U.S. Football (soccer) team based in Brooklyn, New York
- Audax Italiano – Chilean Football club based in La Florida
Maccabees[edit]
Poles[edit]
- Polonia Warsaw – Polish Football (soccer) team, founded when Poland was not an independent country
Roslagen[edit]
- Rospiggarna (Allsvenskan)
Saxons[edit]
- The England Saxons, the country's second men's rugby union XV, formerly known as England A
Scots/Highlanders[edit]
- Edmonton Scottish (AMSL) – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Highlanders, a team based in Otago, New Zealand, named for the Scottish population of the area.
- London Scottish F.C. (RFU Championship) – Richmond, London, England
- Victoria Highlanders (USL League Two) – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Spaniards[edit]
- Deportivo Español, Parque Avellaneda, Argentina
- RCD Espanyol, Barcelona
- Real Club España, Mexico City
- San Diego Padres (MLB), San Diego, California, USA
- Unión Española, Independencia, Chile
Alavese[edit]
- Deportivo Alavés, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Asturians[edit]
Viking[edit]
- Canberra Raiders (NRL) – Canberra, Australia – viking logo
- Canberra Vikings (NRC) – Canberra, Australia
- Minnesota Vikings (NFL) – Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Viking FK (Eliteserien) – Stavanger, Norway
- Víkingur (Úrvalsdeild) – Reykjavík, Iceland
School and youth teams[edit]
Arabs[edit]
- Coachella Valley High School, Coachella, California, USA. The nickname has been changed to "Mighty Arabs" and the cartoonish "Arab" mascot and logo have been retired.[1]
Athenians[edit]
- Mount St. Mary's University, Los Angeles, California
Britons[edit]
Cajuns[edit]
Celtics[edit]
Dutchmen[edit]
- Hope College, Holland, Michigan – Flying Dutchmen
- Union College, Schenectady, New York
- Edgerton High School, Edgerton, Minnesota – Flying Dutchmen
Gaels[edit]
- Bishop Gorman High School, Las Vegas
- Iona College, New Rochelle, New York
- Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario
- Saint Mary's College, Moraga, California
Irish[edit]
Indigenous peoples[edit]
Norse[edit]
Quakers[edit]
Samurai[edit]
Saxons[edit]
Scots/Highlanders[edit]
- Alma College, Alma, Michigan – Scots
- Carlmont High School, Belmont, California – Scots
- College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio – Fighting Scots
- Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, Georgia – Scots
- Edinboro University, Edinboro, Pennsylvania • Heathwood Hall Episcopal school, Columbia, South Carolina – highlanders
- Gordon College, Boston, Massachusetts – Fighting Scots
- Incline High School, Incline Village, Nevada - Highlanders
- Lyon College, Batesville, Arkansas – Scots
- Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota – Fighting Scots
- McHenry County College, McHenry County, Illinois – Scots
- MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Illinois – mascot is the Highlander
- Maryville College, Maryville, Tennessee – Scots
- Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois – Fighting Scots
- New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey
- Ohio Valley University, Vienna, West Virginia – Fighting Scots
- Presbyterian College, Clinton, South Carolina – Nickname is Blue Hose, mascot is Scotty the Scotsman
- Radford University, Radford, Virginia
- Rochester Adams High School, Rochester Hills, Michigan - Highlanders
- Shadle Park High School, Spokane, Washington – Highlanders (Based on the Henderson Clan)
- University of California, Riverside, California
Spartans[edit]
Swedes[edit]
- Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas – Terrible Swedes
Tartars[edit]
- El Camino College Compton Center, Compton, California
- Compton High School, Compton, California – In reference to the college, the high school is the "tarbabes".
Trojans[edit]
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas
- Troy University, Troy, Alabama
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Vandals[edit]
Vikings[edit]
- Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois
- Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, Minnesota
- Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio
- Downey High School, Downey, California
- Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor, Illinois
- Lynbrook High School, San Jose, California
- Miamisburg High School, Miamisburg, Ohio
- Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky – Nickname is Norse; mascot is Victor E. Viking.
- Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
Defunct names[edit]
- Atlanta Black Crackers – (Negro league baseball team)
- C.D. Euzkadi (los vascos, "the Basques") - Mexican football team (1938-1939)
- Cleveland Indians - (Major League Baseball team), Cleveland, Ohio, now the Guardians
- Cincinnati Cubans – (Negro league baseball team)
- Edmonton Eskimos – (Canadian Football League) – Edmonton, Alberta. Name use discontinued in 2020. Team rebranded as Edmonton Elks in 2021 after interim period as "EE Football Team."
- Hermosillo Seris
- Hofstra Flying Dutchmen, now the "Pride"
- Nebraska Wesleyan Plainsmen, today the "Prairie Wolves"
- New York Americans – (National Hockey League, 1925–1941)
- New York Black Yankees – (Negro league baseball team)
- New York Cubans – (Negro league baseball team)
- Pekin High School (Pekin, Illinois) Chinks, now the "Dragons"
- Quebec Nordiques – (WHA 1972–1979, NHL 1979–1995)
- San Antonio Black Indians – (Negro league baseball team)
- Sonoma State University Cossacks, now the Seawolves
- Washington Redskins (National Football League) – Washington, D.C., USA, now the Commanders
- Wayne State Tartars, now the Warriors.
See also[edit]
- Mascot
- List of college sports team nicknames
- List of sports team names and symbols derived from Greek and Roman antiquity
- Indigenous peoples
- List of university and college nickname changes in the United States
References[edit]
- ^ Philip J. Victor; Nadeem Muaddi (September 12, 2014). "California high school drops controversial Arab mascot". Al Jazeera.