Did you know our city’s premier baseball team was called something completely different about 60 years ago? Originally named the Houston Colt .45s in 1962, the team got its name through a fan contest, a nod to the famous “gun that won the West.” In 1965, the Colt .45s moved to their new indoor stadium, the Astrodome—an architectural marvel at the time. To align with their new home, the team was renamed the Astros, a name reflecting Houston’s burgeoning role in the space industry. The name has stuck ever since, and the Astros continue to shine in Major League Baseball.

One of our city’s younger athletic squads, the women’s soccer team shares ties with its male counterpart, the Houston Dynamo. Introduced in 2014 as the first expansion team of the National Women’s Soccer League, the Houston Dash’s name reflects the speed, energy, and power of the sport. The name is also a throwback to Houston’s early days when horses were our main mode of transportation.

Our Major League Soccer team originated from San Jose, California, where they were known as the San Jose Earthquakes—a name rooted in the Bay Area’s seismic activity and a fitting tribute to the region’s shaky natural phenomenon. When they moved to earthquake-less Houston, they needed a new name and landed on Dynamo—perfect for an energy powerhouse built on oil and gas. And it fits the fast-paced action of soccer.

Our NBA team carries a title fit for Space City. The Houston Rockets were originally based in San Diego and named after the city’s then-growing ties with space technology. The name fit H-Town perfectly­—you know, because of all the space stuff—when the franchise moved to Houston in 1971. If you pay close attention to the logo, you can even see a rocket ship launching.

When the Oilers left us for Tennessee in 1997, we were heartbroken and needed a new football team. We also needed a name that screamed Houston. So, we became the Texans when our new team joined the National Football League in 2002. The name is like a big, bold statement about who we are. Simple, effective, and proudly Texan.

The newest of Houston’s teams and one you might not know, the Volts are the city’s first professional padel association. What’s padel, you ask? It’s a growing sport that combines elements of tennis and squash—similar to pickleball. Officially joining the Professional Padel League in 2023 as the newest group, the Volts compete against nine other national and international teams in the league. The founder chose the name to resonate with Houston’s electric foundation, and the logo features the mascot, Zeus, holding a lightning bolt, driving the energy theme further.