Why are they called darts?

Oct 15, 202311 min read

They are called darts because the object being thrown was already called a dart: a small pointed missile, light spear or arrow-like projectile. The sport took its name from the thing players throw, not from a modern brand, a board layout or a single confirmed pub legend.

Last reviewed: 24 August 2026. This guide separates the reliable word origin from the less certain folklore around how the pub game developed.

Etymology infographic explaining why darts are called darts from small pointed missile to sport name — The short version: the word named the projectile first, then the projectile named the game.

The direct answer

Darts are called darts because a dart is a pointed object thrown by hand. Older English and Anglo-French usage connects the word with small missiles, light spears and arrow-like projectiles. When the pub game developed around throwing small pointed objects at a target, the name followed naturally.

That is the safest answer. There are colourful stories about soldiers, archers, wine casks, tree trunks and pub practice, and some may contain pieces of truth. But the name itself does not need a complicated explanation. The thrown object was a dart before the organised sport was darts.

What did the word dart mean originally?

In older English usage, a dart meant a pointed missile weapon or light spear thrown by hand. Modern dictionary entries still preserve that meaning, even though most people now think of the small sporting dart with a barrel, point, shaft and flight.

This is why the name makes sense. A dart is not called a dart because of the numbered board. It is called a dart because of its form and action: a compact pointed projectile thrown at a target.

The important distinction: word origin vs sport origin

There are two different questions hidden inside this topic. One is "Where did the word dart come from?" The other is "How did the game of darts develop?" The first question is linguistic. The second is historical and cultural.

The linguistic answer is more stable: dart refers to a pointed missile or hand-thrown projectile. The sport-history answer is messier, because pub games evolved locally, boards varied, rules differed, and stories were repeated long before every detail was documented. A high-quality answer should not pretend those two questions have the same level of certainty.

From weapon word to pub game

Many histories of darts connect the game to older throwing pastimes. The common story is that short arrows, spear tips or similar projectiles were thrown at wooden targets, barrel ends or tree sections. Over time, the projectile became smaller and the target became more standardised.

Some of those details are hard to prove cleanly, so they should be treated as context rather than certainty. What is clear is the pattern: a word for a thrown pointed object became the natural name for a game built around throwing pointed objects.

Why folklore sticks to darts history

Darts is a pub sport, so its history has always travelled through stories as much as through official documents. Soldier stories, archery stories and tree-trunk stories are memorable because they feel plausible and give the game a rugged origin. They also explain the physical resemblance between darts, arrows and old target practice.

The problem is that a plausible story is not the same as a proven origin. That does not make the stories useless. It means they should be used carefully. They help explain why people imagine darts as a descendant of older projectile games, but they do not replace the simpler reason for the name: the thrown item is a dart.

Are darts related to arrows?

Yes, in the ordinary sense that both are pointed projectiles designed to fly towards a target. Darts are sometimes nicknamed arrows, and French accounts often use terms connected to small arrows. The modern sporting dart is much shorter than an archery arrow, but the resemblance is obvious: point at the front, stabilising flight at the back, and a throw or launch towards a target.

The difference is how it is used. An arrow is normally shot from a bow. A dart is thrown by hand in the pub and sport context. That hand-thrown quality is central to the name.

Why not call the game arrows?

People do call darts arrows as slang, especially in British darts culture, but the formal game name stayed darts because the thrown objects themselves are darts. The word is shorter, specific and tied to the equipment used in the game.

Arrows also creates ambiguity because it can mean archery equipment. Darts is more precise: three small hand-thrown projectiles, usually aimed at a dartboard from a fixed oche.

What about the soldier origin story?

A popular version says soldiers or archers passed time by throwing shortened arrows or spear points at barrel ends or tree trunks. It is a plausible route for a target game to develop, but it is not the same as proving the name. The word dart already described a thrown pointed missile.

Good historical writing separates those two claims. The name comes from the projectile. The pub game may have developed through several local traditions, military pastimes and target games before becoming standardised.

How the board became part of the identity

The modern game is not just a projectile. It is also the board, the numbers, the oche and the scoring format. Older boards varied by region, and the familiar numbered layout became one of the features that made darts recognisable as a specific game rather than just throwing at a target.

That is why the word darts now means more than the objects. It means the whole sport: the board, the three-dart visit, the scoring, the doubles, the match format and the culture around pub and professional play.

A simple timeline of the name

First, dart meant a pointed missile. Then small hand-thrown darts became objects used in target games. Later, the pub game became organised around boards, scores, leagues and competitions. Eventually, darts became the name of the whole sporting culture rather than just the equipment.

This is a common pattern in sport. Sometimes the object names the game. Football is named from the ball and how it is played. Bowls is named from the bowls. Darts follows the same logic: the equipment became the shorthand for the activity.

When did darts become organised?

Darts became more formal during the twentieth century as leagues, competitions and governing bodies developed. The National Darts Association and later organisations helped turn a pub pastime into a more structured competitive activity.

By the time televised darts and professional tournaments became familiar, the name was already settled. The equipment name had expanded into the sport name.

What should beginners take from this?

The origin of the name also explains the equipment. A dart needs a point, a weighted body and a stable rear section because it is a thrown projectile. The board and rules matter, but the basic action is ancient and simple: throw a small pointed object accurately.

That is why beginner technique focuses on repeatability, alignment and release. You are not striking a ball or swinging a racket. You are controlling a projectile by hand, which is exactly what the word dart suggests.

How darts differs from the dartboard and the oche

The dart is the object. The dartboard is the target. The oche is the throw line. Keeping those terms separate helps beginners understand instructions more quickly. If someone says "stand behind the oche", they mean the line. If someone says "retrieve your darts", they mean the three thrown projectiles.

This also explains why the sport name can feel broad. Darts includes all of those parts, but the name points back to the object in the player's hand. Without the darts themselves, the board is only a target.

Why the name still works

The word has lasted because it is short, visual and accurate. A dart looks fast even before it is thrown. The name captures the essential action of the sport in one syllable: a small object travelling sharply towards a mark.

That clarity matters for a game with many local formats. Whether someone plays 501, cricket, around the clock or a regional board game, the common element is still the dart. Rules change, targets change, and scoring systems change, but the projectile gives the family of games its name.

What the name is not based on

Darts are not called darts because of the treble 20, the bullseye, the 501 format or the oche. Those are parts of the modern game, but they came after the basic word for the thrown object. This distinction helps avoid circular explanations: the sport is called darts because players throw darts, not because the board created the word itself historically.

How the modern dart keeps the old idea

A modern steel-tip dart has changed from any old missile into a specialised sporting object. The point enters the board, the barrel creates weight and grip, the shaft positions the flight, and the flight stabilises the dart in the air. The old idea remains, but the engineering is more precise.

This is why choosing equipment matters once a player understands the basics. Weight, grip and flight shape all affect how the projectile leaves the hand and enters the board.

Equipment links for context

If you are learning the modern game, start with a good dartboard, safe dartboard surrounds and a measured setup. A dartboard stand helps when wall mounting is not practical.

For the projectiles themselves, compare darts and beginner-friendly dart sets. Keep darts accessories such as flights and stems available, because those small parts are what make a dart fly consistently.

Visual guide: how to apply this at the board

A practical decision map for applying the why are they called darts answer at a real board.

Use this matrix to turn the why are they called darts question into the right practice, scoring or setup decision.

Sources used

The name follows the object

The word makes sense because the game is built around a small pointed missile thrown by hand. The sport's modern rules, scoring and stage culture came later, but the plain object-name remains. That is why “darts” can mean both the things being thrown and the game itself.

Bottom line

Darts are called darts because the thrown object was already a dart: a small pointed missile or hand-thrown projectile. The sport inherited the name from its equipment, while the pub-game origin stories add context rather than replacing the basic word history.