Quick answer: "Yankee" was born in 1683 in New York itself, when the Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam used it as a jab at the English of Connecticut. Over the centuries it came to name the people of New England, Northerners and, outside the country, any American. The baseball team was first called the Highlanders; the press began calling it the Yankees in 1904 because it fit better in headlines, and by 1913 that name was settled.
If you have walked through New York, you have seen the cap with the "NY" everywhere. But almost nobody knows that the word the team carries is more than 340 years old and began as an insult. In this guide we tell you the whole story, with sources, and how to experience it in person in the Bronx.
| Key fact | Answer |
| First record of "Yankee" | 1683, in New Amsterdam (today New York) |
| Most accepted origin | Janke, Dutch diminutive of Jan (John) |
| Spanish form | yanqui |
| Demonym of New York | New Yorker (neoyorquino in Spanish) |
| Original team name | Highlanders (1903) |
| First "Yankees" in the press | April 7, 1904 |
| Name settled for good | 1913, with no official announcement |
Where Does the Word "Yankee" Come From? It Was Born in New York
The first written record of "Yankee" is from 1683. The Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam, the city that is now New York, used it with contempt to refer to the English settlers of neighboring Connecticut (Etymonline).
In other words: before being the name of a New York team, "Yankee" was already a New York word. This detail almost never appears in articles on the subject.
The theories about its origin
Linguists do not have a definitive answer. These are the best-supported explanations. The first is Janke ("Little John"), a diminutive of Jan, the most common Dutch name, equivalent to John. In Dutch the J sounds like our Y, so "Janke" is pronounced almost "yanke." It is the most accepted theory. The second is Jan Kees, a familiar form of a Dutch compound name, something like "John Cornelius." The third is Jan Kaas ("John Cheese"), the mocking nickname the Flemish gave the Dutch. At the time it was common to ridicule another people with the name of a typical food.
Theories with no support
Other versions circulate on the internet. One says that Native Americans pronounced "English" as "yenkees"; another, that "Yankee" meant "pirate." Neither has solid evidence, and the first one does not even sound similar. If you read them elsewhere, take them as legend.
From Insult to Pride: "Yankee Doodle" and the Revolution
In the 18th century, "Yankee" already referred mostly to the people of New England: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Watch out: New York is not part of that region (Oxford Learner's Dictionaries).
British soldiers had a song to make fun of the colonial militiamen: "Yankee Doodle." It mocked them as clumsy peasants who thought themselves elegant.
Everything changed in April 1775, with the battles of Lexington and Concord, which opened the War of Independence. The colonists won, took over the song and sang it as a victory anthem (Library of Congress).
Thus the insult turned into pride. By 1778 the short form "Yank" already existed, and it is still used in English (Etymonline). Today "Yankee Doodle" is a patriotic song that children learn in U.S. schools.
What Does "Yankee" Mean? It Depends on Who Says It
"Yankee" does not have a single meaning. In 1827, a Massachusetts newspaper explained it with a rule that is still valid: the Yankee is always someone who lives farther north than the person using the word (Etymonline).
| Who says it | Who they call "Yankee" |
| A Southern American | Any Northerner; use skyrocketed during the Civil War (1861-1865) |
| A Northern American | The people of New England |
| A Brit | Any American, often as "Yank" |
| A Spanish speaker | Americans in general, written "yanqui" |
| A baseball fan | The New York team |
"Yanqui": the Spanish word
In Spanish the adapted form is yanqui, documented in Mexican Spanish since 1835 (Etymonline). If you write in Spanish, "yanqui" is the correct spelling; "Yankees" stays in English only for the team name.
The tone changes by country. In Spain it is usually a neutral synonym for American. In parts of Latin America it can carry a critical edge toward U.S. political influence, as in the expression "imperialismo yanqui" (Economipedia).
From Highlanders to Yankees: How the Team Got Its Name
The club did not choose to be called the Yankees: the newspapers gave it the name. "Highlanders" was long and awkward for headlines, while "Yankees" fit better and sounded patriotic (MLB).
| Year | What happened |
| 1901-1902 | The team plays in Baltimore as the Baltimore Orioles. |
| 1903 | The American League moves it to New York. It plays at Hilltop Park, at Broadway and 168th Street, one of the highest points in Manhattan. That is why it was called the "Highlanders" (Yankees yearbook). |
| April 7, 1904 | First printed mention: the New York Evening Journal runs a headline saying the "Yankees" are heading home from their southern camp (MLB). |
| 1904-1912 | "Highlanders," "Hilltoppers" and "Yankees" live side by side in newspapers, ads and tobacco cards. |
| 1913 | The team leaves Hilltop Park and shares the Polo Grounds with the Giants. By then, everybody calls it the Yankees. |
| 1923 | The first Yankee Stadium opens, in the Bronx. |
| 2009 | The current stadium opens, next to the site of the original. |
The detail almost everyone gets wrong
Many articles say the team "officially changed its name in 1913" when it moved to a "new stadium." That is not accurate. There was never an official announcement: by 1913 it was simply taken for granted that the team would be the Yankees forever (MLB en español). Also, the Polo Grounds was not theirs, but the Giants' stadium.
And why did "Yankees" win out? Fans never liked "Highlanders." They preferred a name with the patriotic echo of the Revolution and of "Yankee Doodle."
The "NY" Logo: Older Than the Team Itself
The famous interlocking "NY" was not designed for baseball. It was created by Louis Tiffany, of the jeweler Tiffany & Co., for a medal of valor that the New York police gave in 1877 to officer John McDowell, who was shot in the line of duty (MLB). The medal is kept today at the New York City Police Museum.
The logo came to the team in 1909, still in the Highlanders era, thanks to one of its co-owners, Bill Devery, who had been the city's police chief (6sqft).
A curiosity for fans: Babe Ruth never played with the "NY" on his chest. The team removed it from the home uniform in 1916 and did not bring it back until 1936, although Ruth did wear it on his cap (MLB).
The Team's Other Nicknames
The Bronx Bombers get their name from the neighborhood of their stadium and the power of their hitters. The "Mulos de Manhattan" (Manhattan Mules) is a nickname widely used in Spanish-language broadcasts and almost unknown in English. "Yanks" is the short form, heir of the "Yank" of 1778. And "The Pinstripes" comes from the vertical stripes of their uniform.
So, Are New Yorkers Called Yankees?
Not as a demonym. A person who lives in New York is a New Yorker (neoyorquino or neoyorquina in Spanish). If you call a New Yorker a "Yankee," they will most likely think you are talking about the team.
The confusion makes sense for three reasons. The word was born here: the first recorded "Yankee" was said in New Amsterdam in 1683. From the outside, everyone is a Yankee: for someone from the American South or from another country, a New Yorker does fall into the group. And the team made it global: the cap with the "NY" became one of the most recognized symbols of the city.
And a fact that surprises many visitors: not all New Yorkers are Yankees fans. A good part of the city supports the Mets, the other baseball team, which plays in Queens. That rivalry, known as the "Subway Series" when they face each other, is part of New York's identity.
How to Visit Yankee Stadium
Reading the history is fine; living it is something else. Yankee Stadium is in the Bronx, at 1 E 161st St, and is easy to reach from Manhattan.
How to get there by subway: get off at the 161 St-Yankee Stadium station, on the 4, B and D lines (the B does not run on weekends). From Times Square the trip takes about 30 minutes.
What you cannot miss: Monument Park, the garden of plaques and retired numbers of the team's legends, and the stadium museum. For more on the ballpark, read our guide to the history of Yankee Stadium and our guide to buying Yankees tickets.
Three ways to live it in Spanish with Real's Tours NYC
| Experience | Who it is for | Duration |
| Contrasts Tour + Yankee Stadium entry | Those who want to see the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn and end inside the stadium | 4.5 hours |
| Yankee Stadium Classic Tour | Those who already know the city and only want the stadium from the inside | Guided visit |
| New York Yankees game | Those who want the full experience, with a packed stadium | One game |
Our Contrasts Tour goes through the Bronx, the cradle of hip hop, and tells you how the neighborhood became the home of the Yankees. We run it 100% in Spanish and with our own vehicles. If you prefer a small group, choose the VIP Contrasts Tour, limited to a maximum of 14 passengers.
Do you like stories about names? Also read our guide to New York's nicknames, from the Big Apple to Gotham.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they called the Yankees?
Because New York newspapers began calling the team that in 1904: it was shorter than "Highlanders" and sounded patriotic. By 1913 it was its settled name.
What does "Yankee" mean?
It depends on the context: someone from New England, a Northerner in the United States, any American or the New York baseball team.
What is the origin of the word "Yankee"?
It is not known for certain. The most accepted theory links it to Janke, a Dutch diminutive of Jan (John). Its first record is from 1683, in New Amsterdam, today's New York.
Is "yankee" the same as "yanqui"?
Yes. "Yanqui" is the Spanish-adapted form of the English word "Yankee."
Is "yanqui" an insult?
Not always. In Spain it is usually neutral. In some Latin American countries it can be used with a critical tone toward the United States.
What do you call people from New York?
New Yorkers (neoyorquinos or neoyorquinas in Spanish).
Why was the team called the Highlanders?
Because its first stadium, Hilltop Park, was in one of the highest areas of Manhattan.
Who designed the Yankees' NY logo?
Louis Tiffany, of Tiffany & Co., for a New York police medal in 1877. The team adopted it in 1909.
What does "Yankee Doodle" mean?
It is a song the British used to mock the colonists. After the battles of 1775, Americans adopted it as a patriotic song (Library of Congress).
Related Articles
The History of Yankee Stadium: From a Bronx Lumberyard to the Cathedral of Baseball
How to Buy New York Yankees Tickets: The Complete First-Timer's Guide (2026)
Guided NYC Boroughs Tour with Yankee Stadium Inside Access
Sources
Etymonline, "Yankee"; Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, "Yankee"; Library of Congress, Today in History, April 19; Library of Congress, "Yankee Doodle"; MLB, How the Yankees got their name; MLB en español, "¿Por qué los Yankees se llaman Yankees?"; MLB, NYPD & Tiffany, the story behind the Yanks' logo; 6sqft, The history behind the interlocking NY logo; Economipedia, "Yankee."
Real's Tours NYC is an independent tour operator and is not affiliated with the New York Yankees, Major League Baseball, Tiffany & Co., the New York City Police Department or any other organization mentioned in this article.
