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]

* FC Bayern Munich (Association football) – Munich, Germany

### Boers[edit]

* Indios del Bóer ("Indians of the Boer") (Baseball) - Managua, Nicaragua

### Canadian[edit]

#### Canadians in general[edit]

* Vancouver Canucks (National Hockey League) – Vancouver, British Columbia

#### 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]

* London Cornish (Rugby Union) – London, England

### 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]

* Mumbai Indians, Cricket, (Indian Premier League) – Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

### Indigenous peoples[edit]

Main article: List of sports team names and mascots derived from indigenous peoples

### 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]

Main page: Category:Maccabi World Union

### 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]

* Asturias F.C., Mexico City

### 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

Further information: List of sports team names and symbols derived from Greek and Roman antiquity § After Greek antiquity

### Britons[edit]

* Albion College, Albion, Michigan

### Cajuns[edit]

* University of Louisiana, Lafayette, Louisiana

Further information: Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns

### Celtics[edit]

* Carlow University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Further information: Celtic#Sports

### 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

Further information: Iona Gaels

* Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

Further information: Queen's Golden Gaels

* Saint Mary's College, Moraga, California

Further information: Saint Mary's Gaels

### Irish[edit]

* University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana

Further information: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

### Indigenous peoples[edit]

Further information: List of college sports team names and mascots derived from indigenous peoples

Further information: List of secondary school sports team names and mascots derived from indigenous peoples

### Norse[edit]

* Luther College, Decorah, Iowa
* Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky

Further information: Northern Kentucky Norse

### Quakers[edit]

* University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

### Samurai[edit]

* Sheridan Japanese School, Sheridan, Oregon

### Saxons[edit]

* Alfred University, Village of Alfred, New York

### 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

Further information: Edinboro Fighting Scots

• 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

Further information: NJIT Highlanders

* 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

Further information: Radford Highlanders

* 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

Further information: UC Riverside Highlanders

### Spartans[edit]

Main article: List of sports teams named Spartans

### 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]

Main article: Sports teams named Trojans

* University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas

Further information: Little Rock Trojans

* Troy University, Troy, Alabama

Further information: Troy Trojans

* University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Further information: USC Trojans

### Vandals[edit]

* University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho

Further information: Idaho Vandals

### Vikings[edit]

* Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois
* Augustana University, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Further information: Augustana University Vikings

* Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, Minnesota
* Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio

Further information: Cleveland State Vikings

* 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

Further information: Portland State Vikings

* Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington

Further information: Western Washington Vikings

## 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
* Indigenous peoples
* List of university and college nickname changes in the United States

## References[edit]

1. ^ Philip J. Victor; Nadeem Muaddi (September 12, 2014). "California high school drops controversial Arab mascot". Al Jazeera.