12 EFL Championship clubs that used to have completely different names | OneFootball

A look at the 12 EFL Championship clubs that began their history under a different name to now.

The Championship season is now just a few weeks away and it is expected to be one that is more competitive than ever before which, by Championship standards, is going some.

Only four of the 24 clubs have now played in the top-flight during the Premier League era and all four of those are upwardly mobile: Bristol City, Millwall, Preston North End and Wrexham.

Eight of the 12 founding members of the Football League are now put together in the 2026-27 Championship campaign, with some of the biggest fanbases in England dotted throughout the second-tier.

The Championship has and always will be known for bolstering some of the proudest and most historic clubs in world football, let alone England or even Europe, and the 2026-27 season is no different.

There are several top-flight title winners, including a Premier League era winner in Blackburn Rovers, as well as some of the most famous cup teams in the country, such as Bolton Wanderers. The 'Invincibles' of Preston North End and even a European trophy winner in West Ham United add to the eclectic and proud second division, without even touching on the likes of Burnley, Derby County, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers to name just a few of the storied clubs represented in the Championship.

Remarkably, representative of the strength-in-depth and the history of the clubs in the division, only three clubs were established after 1900 with the youngest club in the 2026-27 Championship season being Swansea City, albeit they did begin life under a different name when they were formed in 1912.

In fact, those long and storied histories across the Championship have produced several clubs who began life under a different name alongside Swansea, including the previously discussed Bolton, Stoke, West Brom, West Ham and Wolves - as well as Cardiff City, Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, Southampton and Watford.

12 clubs, to be exact, began life operating under a different name before opting to change to what they have become known as today and FLW has taken a look at when and how all 12 of those clubs came to be who they now are.

Birmingham City (Small Heath Alliance)

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In 1875, the club now known as Birmingham City was established under the name ‘Small Heath Alliance’, after the name of a suburb of England’s second city, Birmingham.

In 1888, the club dropped ‘Alliance’ from the name to simply be known as Small Heath before becoming ‘Birmingham FC in 1905 as they moved from Muntz Street to St Andrew’s. Birmingham didn’t adopt the suffix of City until 1943, having now been known as Birmingham City for 83 years.

Bolton Wanderers (Christ Church)

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Although the club recognises its origins as being in 1877 when it changes its name to Bolton Wanderers, The Trotters initially began as a football club in 1874 under the name ‘Christ Church’.

The club changes its name from Christ Church to Bolton Wanderers following a dispute with the vicar of the church adjacent to its first home on Deane Road in Bolton. The use of three venues for home games in that time gave birth to the name ‘Wanderers’ that has been used ever since.

Cardiff City (Riverside AFC)

Cardiff City was initially formed as Riverside AFC in 1899 in order to keep cricketers from Riverside Cricket Club in shape during the winter months and through the cricketing off season, playing at Sophia Gardens – now the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club.

They tried to change the name to Cardiff City in 1905 after Cardiff was given city status but that was rejected at first before being approved in 1908, a year after joining the South Wales League.

Millwall (Millwall Rovers)

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Millwall Football Club as we know it to be today began life as Millwall Rovers, having been formed in the Millwall area of the Isle of Dogs in London.

The Rovers suffix was eventually replaced by Athletic in 1889 when they moved to play at The Athletic Grounds, also in the Isle of Dogs. Millwall Athletic did not become simply ‘Millwall’ until they entered into the Football League in 1920.

Queens Park Rangers (Christchurch Rangers)

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A merger between St Jude’s and Christchurch Rangers gave birth to the club that we now know as Queens Park Rangers in 1886.

However, given that QPR themselves acknowledge their founding to have come in 1882, the founding date of Christchurch Rangers, it is fair to acknowledge that QPR itself began life as Christchurch Rangers.

Southampton (St Mary’s YMA)

In November 1885, the club now known simply as Southampton FC was formed under the name of St Mary’s Young Men Association FC – or more succinctly, St Mary’s YMA.

Shortly afterwards, the club dropped YMA from their name before adopting the name Southampton St Mary’s for the 1894-95 season when they began playing in the Southern League. A couple of years later, in 1896, the club eventually changed its name to just Southampton.

Stoke City (Stoke Ramblers)

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There are debates around whether or not Stoke City, as we know the club today, was properly established in 1863, when evidence of a game being played was, or when it became known as Stoke Ramblers in 1868.

The Ramblers suffix was eventually dropped from the club’s name in 1878 when they became simply ‘Stoke’. In 1925, after Stoke-on-Trent earned city status, the club changed its name to Stoke City.

Swansea City (Swansea Town)

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This one is a much simpler timeline. In 1912, Swansea formed its first professional club known as Swansea Town because Swansea, at the time, was a Town. That name stayed until early 1970 when it became Swansea City, with Swansea having been granted city status the previous year.

Watford (Watford Rovers)

Much like Millwall in the Isle of Dogs, Watford FC initially established themselves as Watford Rovers in 1898, sticking with that name until 1893 when they changes to become ‘West Herts’, Herts being the shortening of the county of Hertfordshire.

In the spring of 1898, with attendances falling at West Herts but rising at Watford St. Mary’s, the two clubs merged to become Watford Football Club, the name that has stuck ever since.

West Bromwich Albion (West Bromwich Strollers)

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Formed by the workers at George Salter’s Spring Works in West Bromwich, West Bromwich Albion were initially known as the West Bromwich Strollers in 1878.

The ‘Strollers’ suffix only lasted a couple of years, though, before becoming known as West Bromwich Albion due to the suburb of West Bromwich known as Albion, which is now Greets Green today.