The team is called the New England Patriots because its name blends regional geography with American Revolutionary War history, emphasizing Boston’s role in the nation’s founding.

From Boston Patriots to New England

  • The franchise began in 1959 as the Boston Patriots , a name chosen after locals submitted suggestions for the new American Football League team.
  • “Patriots” referred to the colonial Americans who resisted British rule during the Revolutionary War, a story deeply tied to Boston and Massachusetts.

Why “Patriots”?

  • Boston was a center of early American resistance, including events like the Boston Tea Party and key organizing for independence, so “Patriots” was a natural symbolic choice.
  • A panel of Boston sportswriters selected “Patriots” as the team nickname in 1959, and the club began play under that name in 1960.

Why “New England” instead of Boston?

  • In 1971 the team moved from Boston to Foxborough, a town between Boston and Providence, and wanted to represent the broader New England region rather than a single city.
  • An initial attempt to rebrand as the “Bay State Patriots” (after Massachusetts’ nickname) was rejected by the league, so the team adopted “New England Patriots” to symbolize all six New England states.

What “New England” means

  • “New England” is the historic name given by early English explorers to the northeastern region of the present-day United States, which includes Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
  • Using “New England” in the team name signals that the franchise is meant to be the regional team for that entire area, not just the city of Boston.

Quick Scoop TL;DR

  • “Patriots” = homage to the American colonists who fought for independence, especially around Boston.
  • “New England” = reflects the team’s move to Foxborough and its intention to represent the whole New England region instead of just Boston.

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