They’re called the Cleveland Browns because the team was named after its first head coach and co‑founder, Paul Brown, one of the most influential figures in early football history.

Origin of the name

  • In the mid‑1940s, businessman Arthur “Mickey” McBride founded a new Cleveland football franchise in the All‑America Football Conference.
  • He hired highly respected Ohio coach Paul Brown to run the team, and Brown’s popularity quickly made him the face of the franchise.

Fan contest and “Browns”

  • McBride held a fan contest to name the team; “Cleveland Panthers” was a top suggestion but was rejected because it belonged to a failed earlier team.
  • The next most popular choice was “Browns,” in honor of Paul Brown, and that name was officially adopted for the franchise.

Paul Brown’s reluctance and alternate story

  • Paul Brown initially disliked the idea of a team being named after him and pushed for “Panthers” instead.
  • For a time he claimed the name referenced boxer Joe Louis, the “Brown Bomber,” likely to deflect attention from himself, but he later acknowledged the team was in fact named for him.

Modern quick take

  • Today, the official explanation is that the Cleveland Browns are named after their original coach and co‑founder, Paul Brown, and not after the color or any mascot.
  • The unusual, simple name has become a core part of the team’s identity and NFL lore, even without an official helmet logo.

TL;DR: The Cleveland Browns got their name from legendary coach Paul Brown, chosen through a fan naming process, despite his early attempts to steer the name elsewhere.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.