What Is the Chicago Bears Logo?
The Chicago Bears logo is an orange bear head, which the team made its primary mark in August 2023, alongside the wishbone C that has been on the team's helmets since 1962. Both belong to the Chicago Bears, the NFL team that started in Decatur, Illinois, in 1920 as the Staleys, moved to Chicago in 1921 and was a charter member of the league.
The team also uses a Bears wordmark next to the two symbols. The bear head is available as the Chicago Bears logo SVG.
Chicago Bears Logo Facts
| Introduced | Wishbone C 1962; bear head primary mark from 2023 |
| Symbol | An orange bear head (primary); the letter C (secondary) |
| Logo type | Pictorial mark: the bear head |
| Earlier mark | The wishbone C, co-primary with the bear head until 2023 |
| Owner | Chicago Bears |
What the Chicago Bears Logo Means
The bear comes from the team name, and the name comes from baseball. When the team moved to Chicago it played at the home of the Chicago Cubs, and George Halas took the nickname Bears as a nod to the Cubs, since a bear's young are called cubs.
The colours have a separate source. The Bears wear navy blue and orange, darker versions of the colours of the University of Illinois, where Halas had studied. The C stands for Chicago, and its wishbone shape closely resembles the C of the University of Chicago's old Maroons football team.
Chicago Bears Logo History
The team began in 1920 as a works team sponsored by the Staley starch company in Decatur. That year the Staleys, with Halas as their representative, joined the American Professional Football Association, which became the NFL in 1922. In 1921 the company gave Halas the team and permission to move it to Chicago, on condition that he kept the Staleys name for one more season. In 1922 the team became the Chicago Bears.
The wishbone C arrived on the helmets in 1962. It was first white with a black outline, and the Bears wore that white C from 1962 to 1972, including in the 1963 NFL Championship Game, when they beat the New York Giants 14–10 at Wrigley Field. After the 1972 season orange was added to the C.
In August 2023 the Bears changed their brand guidelines. The bear head, which had been a co-primary mark for many years, became the single primary mark, and the C became the secondary mark. The team said the change gave clarity to retail, media and league partners, and that the C would stay in the middle of Soldier Field. In its guidelines the team calls the bear head "the primary visual identifier of the Chicago Bears".
The C on the Helmet
The 2023 change was narrower than it sounded. The bear head was to feature more in broadcasts and highlight shows, but the C kept its place on the helmet, and the team's guidelines prefer the C for embroidery. The Bears said the change had nothing to do with their search for a new stadium.
For more teams like the Chicago Bears, browse our sports logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main Chicago Bears logo?
Since August 2023 the bear head has been the primary mark of the Chicago Bears, and the wishbone C has been the secondary mark.
Why are the Chicago Bears called the Bears?
The team played at the home of the Chicago Cubs, and George Halas chose Bears as a nod to the baseball team, since young bears are cubs.
Why are the Bears' colours navy and orange?
They are darker shades of the colours of the University of Illinois, George Halas's alma mater.