What was the Cincinnati Reds' original nickname?

The Cincinnati Reds' original nickname was the Red Stockings. The name came from the team's distinctive uniform, which featured short knicker-style trousers and prominent red stockings—a striking look in the 1860s, when players generally wore long trousers.

The 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings became baseball's first openly all-professional team. Led by figures including player-manager Harry Wright, the club toured widely and built an extraordinary reputation. It went undefeated against professional opponents during its famous 1869 campaign, helping make both the team and its nickname nationally famous.

The nickname eventually became shortened to the Reds. The modern Cincinnati franchise traces its identity to a later Cincinnati club that joined the American Association in 1882 and moved to the National League in 1890. In the 1950s, the team temporarily used “Redlegs” during the Red Scare, but returned to “Reds” in the early 1960s. “Red Stockings” refers to the original historical nickname.