Yesterday, we listed the American League teams and said how they got their names (Here you can find the list). Today, we’re going to list all of the National League teams and tell you how they got their names.

National League East:

– Atlanta Braves: Originally the Doves, changed the name to Braves after they were purchased by James Gaffney in 1912. Gaffney was from Tammany Hall, and the political organization used an Indian as its symbol.

– Florida Marlins: Florida it’s close to the ocean and the Marlin is a fish, we don’t need to say anything else about it.

– New York Mets: Took name from the original 19th century team, the Metropolitans.

– Philadelphia Phillies: Originally called the “Quakers,” then they changed the name to “Philadelphias,” shortened to “Phillies.” Name actually officially changed to “Blue Jays” in 1943, but never caught on and disappeared.

– Washington Nationals: Formerly known as Montreal Expos took the name “Nationals” after the old Washington Senators, a franchise that used the nickname “Nationals” too.

National League Central:

– Chicago Cubs: Formerly the “White Stockings,” name changed with new ownership in 1905, and possibly references a bunch of new, young players on the team that year.

– Cincinnati Reds: Originally “Red Stockings,” and used the name “Redlegs” in the 1950’s to distance themselves from any Communist overtones.

– Houston Astros: Originally the Houston Colt .45’s. They changed the name when they moved into the Astrodome in 1965 and references the space age.

– Milwaukee Brewers: Named for the city’s close ties with the brewing industry.

– Pittsburgh Pirates: Known as the “Alleghenys,” were called “Pirates” by the rival American Association for raiding the roster of the Philadelphia Athletics. The name stuck, and became official in 1912.

– St. Louis Cardinals: First called the Perfectos, it’s said a sportswriter overheard a woman in the stands say the uniforms were a “lovely shade of Cardinal” in 1899. The scribe took it and ran, and within a year, the name was made official.

National League West:

– Arizona Diamondbacks: Chosen by ownership after a newspaper contest, the name references the Western diamondback rattlesnake.

– Colorado Rockies: Obviously named after the Rockie Mountains in Colorado.

– Los Angeles Dodgers: Known as the Grays, Grooms, Bridegrooms, Superbas and Robins. They officially changed the name to “Dodgers” in 1933 after being used unofficially for years. The name comes from “trolley dodger,” which was a phrase used by New Yorkers for anyone from Brooklyn (then different cities), who spent a majority of their time literally dodging trolleys as they walked the streets.

– San Diego Padres: The Padres took the name of the Pacific Coast League team, who took their name to honor the Spanish Franciscan friars who founded San Diego in 1769.

– San Francisco Giants: Originally the Gothams, named the Giants because manager referred to the his charges as his “giants.”