The club's nickname is 'the Robins'. A Robin is a little bird with a red chest.

The club was founded as The Black Arabs in 1883. 'Black' because of the shirt and 'Arabs' was inherited from the rugby club that played on the same ground. In 1897 the club was renamed to Bristol Rovers FC.
The official nickname of the club is 'The Pirates' as the city of Bristol has a maritime history. Another nickname is 'The Gas'. This comes from the gasworks next to the old Eastville Stadium. The Rovers fans are called 'Gasheads'.