New Orleans Saints Logo History: 1967 to Today
Posted by JerseyZenith on Oct 26th 2026
- Shield alternate logo, with Sir Saint holding the shield as a variant.
- The table below runs from 1967–1984 to 2025.
- Photos show uniforms and equipment; standalone logo artwork is not reproduced.
This guide covers the New Orleans Saints logo and helmet marks from the first design to 2026, mostly from Wikipedia and team news. It does not cover every minor change.
New Orleans Saints logo history timeline
| Year | Change | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1967–1984 | Shield alternate logo, with Sir Saint holding the shield as a variant | Early secondary mark |
| 1967–1999 | Black fleur-de-lis with a thin black and white outline (SportsLogos, search summary) | Primary logo |
| 1969 | Black helmets worn in the preseason; barred by Commissioner Pete Rozelle for the regular season | League had not been notified |
| 1985 | Fleur-de-lis over a Louisiana outline becomes a secondary logo | State pride |
| 1986–1995 | Fleur-de-lis in a Louisiana outline with a star for New Orleans on sleeves and pants | Sleeve mark |
| 1996 | Louisiana outline dropped; plain fleur-de-lis on sleeves and pants | Simplified |
| 2000 | Fleur-de-lis becomes old gold with a black, white and black outline (SportsLogos, search summary) | New primary logo |
| 2002 | Gold lightened with a platinum touch (SportsLogos, search summary) | Refinement |
| 2006 | Louisiana outline and fleur-de-lis patch | Return to the state after the hurricane season |
| 2022 | Black alternate helmet with gold fleur-de-lis | After the NFL repealed the one-helmet rule |
| 2025 | White alternate helmet with gold fleur-de-lis silhouettes | Worn with the all-white Color Rush uniform |
This guide describes logos in words and tables. Standalone logo artwork is not reproduced.
What the fleur-de-lis means
The fleur-de-lis is the team's primary symbol. It reflects New Orleans and Louisiana culture and France's royal heraldry, per Wikipedia. Black, old gold and white are the team colors, and founder John W. Mecom Jr. chose black for his oil business, since "black gold" is a term for oil.
1967 to 1999: the black fleur-de-lis
The first fleur-de-lis logo was pitch black with a thin black and white outline, according to a SportsLogos summary. Between 1967 and 1984 a shield was used mainly as an alternate logo, and in 1985 a fleur-de-lis over the outline of Louisiana became a secondary logo. From 1986 to 1995 a version with a star marking New Orleans sat on the sleeves and pants, and in 1996 the plain fleur-de-lis replaced it.
2000 to now: old gold and new helmets
In 2000 the fleur-de-lis changed to old gold with a wider black, white and black outline, and in 2002 the gold was lightened. A black alternate helmet debuted in London on October 2, 2022, against the Vikings, and a white alternate helmet with a thick gold stripe and fleur-de-lis silhouettes was introduced in 2025.
Saints helmet and logo placement
The base helmet is gold with a black fleur-de-lis. The 2022 black alternate helmet has gold fleur-de-lis, and the 2025 white alternate helmet has a gold facemask.
Reading the Saints timeline: old logo, new logo
Fans search for the Saints logo, the Saints old logo and the Saints new logo, and this page answers all three. The newest entry is the last row of the table; earlier rows are older logos and wordmarks. A logo can change on the helmet, on the sleeves or on the chest at different times, so the same year can appear in more than one row. To date an older jersey, compare the product photo with the table: look at the wordmark, the sleeve mark and the facemask color. Where the sources we read disagree or give no year, the table leaves the year out rather than guess.
Logo changes and jersey changes
A logo and a jersey do not always change together. For the uniform side of the story, read the New Orleans Saints uniform history and the New Orleans Saints jerseys 2026 guide. For retired-player styles, see legends jerseys.
Old logo, new logo: which jersey to buy
If you like an older look, New Orleans Saints jerseys is the place to start. If you want what the team wears now, choose the current home or away jersey. Nike Game is the everyday tier and Limited adds sewn-on numbers; compare them in the Nike Game vs Limited vs Elite guide, and check the NFL jersey size chart. Men's, women's and youth sizes are available. Logo patches and decals vary by style, so look at the product photo before you order.
New Orleans Saints Logo History FAQ
What is the Saints logo?
A fleur-de-lis.
What does the Saints logo mean?
It reflects New Orleans and Louisiana culture and French royal heraldry.
What color is the Saints logo?
Old gold with a black outline since 2000; it was black before that.
What is the Saints logo called?
The fleur-de-lis.