How were the Philadelphia Eagles named?

When I wrote about the name Nira yesterday, I was sure to include an NRA poster featuring the Blue Eagle emblem.

Why?

So I could post this follow-up, of course. :)

I’ve discovered two names that were inspired by that Blue Eagle, if you can believe it.

The first is a personal name. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Knapinski of Milwaukee had a baby boy on September 20, 1933. They named him Franklin Delano Blue Eagle Knapinski after both the president and the Blue Eagle.

The second is a (very familiar!) sports name. A National Football League team was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1933 out of the ashes of the Frankford Yellow Jackets (1899-1931). The new team was named the Eagles after the NRA emblem.

Sources:

  • Bowen, Les. Philadelphia Eagles: The Complete Illustrated History. Minneapolis: MVP Books, 2011.
  • “Franklin Blue Eagle, Proud Infant’s Name.” Milwaukee Journal 21 Sep. 1933: 11.

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