The nicknames for Premier League teams range from the obvious to the downright strange.
They come from both long-standing traditions and more recent marketing and branding efforts. Here are the answers if you’ve ever wondered where the names come from.
Premier League Teams Nicknames
Arsenal F.C.
The Gunners, The Gooners
Arsenal was started by people who worked in a factory that made weapons for the military. This is how the club got its name and nickname.
Spurs fans made up the insult “Gooners” to make fun of Arsenal fans, but now Arsenal fans are happy to use it and make fun of themselves.
Aston Villa F.C.
The Villans
a straightforward play on the word “villa.” The first part of the club’s full name comes from a neighbourhood in England’s second-largest city, Birmingham. The second part comes from a famous Georgian house that used to be there.
A.F.C. Bournemouth
The Cherries
Some say it’s because of their cherry-red shirts, while others say it’s because their stadium was built on an estate where there used to be an orchard of cherry trees.
Brentford F.C.
The Bees
You might think that Brentford’s logo is the reason why they are called “The Bees.” You would be wrong, because it’s the other way around.
In the 1890s, some Borough College students went to a game to cheer on their friends who played for the club.
During the game, the college students came up with a chant called “Buck up Bs.” Local newspapers later wrote about it as “Buck up bees.” Since then, the name has stuck.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club
The Seagulls
Both Brighton and its neighbouring town, Hove, are on the south coast of England, where a lot of seagulls choose to live. The club’s name is really that easy to remember!
Chelsea F.C.
The Blues, The Pensioners
The name “Blues” is self-explanatory, but the name “Chelsea Pensioners” comes from the nearby Royal Military Hospital, where retired soldiers live.
Chelsea FC continues to provide free tickets to every home game to retirees so they can watch the Blues legends play.
Crystal Palace F.C.
The Eagles, the Glaziers
The first Crystal Palace was a huge building made of plate glass. It was built in 1851 for the Great Exhibition in London. The club is called the Glaziers, which comes from the name of the building.
In 1973, during a rebranding effort, it was decided that the new club crest would have an eagle holding a football. This is how the Eagles got their new name.
Everton F.C.
The Toffees
No one really knows how the Toffeemen got their weird name. The story goes that hungry fans would stop at Ye Ancient Everton Toffee House or Mother Noblett’s Toffee Shop on their way to games to buy toffee.
Some people think the name comes from the word “Taffies,” which is often used to refer to people from nearby Wales.
Fulham F.C.
The Cottagers, The Whites, The Lily Whites
Craven Cottage is the name of Fulham’s stadium because it was built on top of a cottage in 1896. The team became known as the cottagers because of this.
As for the other two names, “the whites” and “the lily whites,” I’m afraid the history behind them isn’t quite right. Fulham’s nicknames include “the whites” and “the lily whites” because they wear white uniforms.
Leeds United F.C.
The Whites, The Peacocks
The stadium for Leeds United, Elland Road, was built on land that used to belong to a brewery called the “Old Peacock Ground.”
“The Whites” is another nickname that comes from the colours of the team’s uniforms.
Leicester City F.C.
The Foxes
Hugo Meynell from Leicestershire started the sport of fox hunting in the middle of the 18th century.
This tradition is reflected in Leicester’s name, but the two riding crops that used to be behind the club’s fox logo have been taken away now that we live in a more enlightened time.
Liverpool F.C.
The Reds
Liverpool is called “The Reds” because its team is known for wearing red shirts, shorts, and stockings. But things weren’t always like that.
The famous all-red kit was first worn in 1964, when legendary manager Bill Shankly was in charge. He is said to have thought that it would scare the other team.
Before, Liverpool’s kit had white shorts and looked a lot like that of their fierce rivals, Manchester United.
Manchester City F.C.
The Citizens, The Sky Blues
Compared to some other clubs, City’s nicknames seem a bit more, well, normal. Maybe “Citizens” is a reference to the Sky Blues’ loud neighbours and shows that they think people from Manchester support City and people from other places support United.
Manchester United F.C.
The Red Devils
The name of the most famous club in England came from a nearby club, Salford Rugby League Club.
Back in the 1950s, the decision was made by the well-known manager Matt Busby. Before that, United was called the Heathens to honour their first name, which was Newton Heath.
Newcastle United F.C.
The Magpies, The Geordies
The shirts of Newcastle United are black and white, just like magpies. Easy! A person from the city of Newcastle is called a “Geordie.” It’s not clear where the word “Geordie” came from, and people argue about it a lot!
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Forest, The Reds, The Tricky Trees, The Garibaldi
Because the club’s colours are red and white, they have been called “The Reds” and “The Garibaldi.”
The names “Forest” and “The Tricky Trees” make a story more interesting. The first games for the club were played on a field near Sherwood Forest.
As you might have guessed, this forest was full of trees, which is how this club got its name, logo, and sense of self.
Southampton F.C.
The Saints
In 1885, the St. Mary’s Church of England Young Men’s Association Football Club began. Soon, the church team became St. Mary’s FC, and in the end, it changed into what is now Southampton FC.
The name “Saints” comes from the fact that the team started out in a church, and it was fun when the club named its new home, St. Mary’s Stadium, in 2001.
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Spurs, The Yids
The second part of the club’s name comes from Sir Harry Hotspur, a famous English nobleman who also appears in a play by Shakespeare. Tottenham and the area around it have been linked to Jews for a long time.
The second name for the team came from the word for the Jewish language, which is Yiddish. It was meant to be mean to Jews.
As with Arsenal, the fans turned the situation around and started calling themselves the “Yid Army,” which helped to get rid of any negative associations with the word.
West Ham United F.C.
The Hammers, The Irons
The fact that the club is in the London borough of West Ham doesn’t have anything to do with the name “Hammers.” The famous riveting hammers on the club logo were already there before the club moved there.
The names Hammers and Irons are derived from the fact that the first team was made up of employees from the famous shipbuilding yard Thames Ironworks.
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
The Wolves, The Wanderers
The simple explanation of how Wolverhampton got its name isn’t particularly interesting. However, because of the traditional colour of their shirts, wolves are also known as the Old Gold.
Other Historic Premier League Teams Nicknames
Burnley F.C.
The Clarets
The people of Burnley got their name from the colour of their shirts, which is also a well-known and historic color.
West Ham and Aston Villa are the other two teams in the Barclays Premier League that wear claret-colored jerseys. All three teams have done this for well over 100 years.
Norwich City F.C.
The Canaries
People from Europe who came to Norwich to work as weavers are said to have brought canaries there in the 16th century. Norwich’s logo, nickname, and team colours were all based on the yellowish-green birds.
Sheffield United F.C.
The Blades
In England, Sheffield is known as “steel city” because it has a long and proud history of making high-quality steel and related products, like cutlery, from steel. The current club logo, with its name and two blades, shows that Sheffield is proud of its steel industry.
Watford F.C.
The Hornets
Watford has had many names over the years, such as the Brewers and the Blues. The current name comes from 1959, when a gold and black kit in the colour of a hornet was given to the team.