Around the time the team adopted the Pirates nickname , the United States Board on Geographic Names forced the city of Pittsburgh to undergo a controversial name change by having them drop the `` h '' at the end of the name , making the team 's official name the `` Pittsburg Pirates '' from the adoption of the Pirates nickname until Pittsburgh was able to get the `` h '' restored to its name in 1911 .
Later the team adopted the name as their official team name , the Pittsburgh Pirates .