Who Invented Table Tennis? The Jaques of London Story

Most people know table tennis as a fast, competitive sport played in school gyms and Olympic arenas. Fewer know that it began as an after-dinner parlour game in an English drawing room, played with improvised equipment on a dining table. Fewer still know that the company most responsible for turning it into a proper game — with standardised rules, proper equipment, and a commercial name — was Jaques of London, the oldest games company in the world. The story of table tennis is a story about Victorian ingenuity, a company that saw the potential in an idea, and a sport that refused to stay in the parlour.

The Origins: Cricket on a Table

The first versions of table tennis were not invented by any single person. In the 1880s and 1890s, wealthy English families began playing improvised versions of lawn tennis on their dining tables during winter, when outdoor play was impossible. Early versions used books as nets, cigar box lids as bats, and carved champagne corks as balls.

The game spread rapidly across drawing rooms and gentlemen's clubs throughout the 1880s and early 1890s. Several people filed patents for variations during this period — James Gibb, a British sports enthusiast, is often credited with introducing the lightweight celluloid ball around 1901, which transformed the game's speed and playability. But it was Jaques of London who standardised the rules and brought the game to the public.

Jaques of London and the Birth of Gossima

In the early 1890s, Jaques of London — already established as Britain's pre-eminent maker of games and sports equipment — began manufacturing and selling the first commercial table tennis sets. They called it "Gossima." The game came with a proper net, lightweight paddles, and the newly introduced celluloid ball that made it significantly more playable than its improvised predecessors.

Gossima did not immediately capture the public imagination. The name lacked the descriptive quality that made games memorable. But in 1901, Jaques rebranded it — trademarking the name "Ping-Pong," inspired by the sound the ball made against paddle and table. The name was an instant success. Ping-Pong became a craze across Britain and spread rapidly to America and Europe.

Browse Jaques of London's games range — made by the company that invented the game.

Why the Name Ping-Pong Has a Complicated History

The Ping-Pong trademark owned by Jaques of London was one of the most valuable in Victorian British sports. It was eventually licensed to Parker Brothers in the United States, who commercialised it aggressively in America. This created a bifurcation that persists to this day: in casual speech, people say "ping pong." In formal competition, the sport is always called "table tennis" — partly to avoid trademark complications, and partly because the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was established with a name that distinguished itself from the Jaques trademark.

From Parlour to Olympics: How Table Tennis Grew Up

The early 20th century saw table tennis expand rapidly beyond Britain. The sport established governing bodies in England, Hungary, and Germany in the 1920s, and the International Table Tennis Federation was founded in 1926. The first World Championships were held the same year.

By the mid-20th century, Asian nations — particularly China, Japan, and South Korea — adopted the game with extraordinary intensity and developed playing styles that revolutionised competitive play. The sport's entry into the Olympic Games at Seoul in 1988 represented a complete transformation from Victorian parlour entertainment to global competitive sport.

Table Tennis and Screen-Free Family Play

The irony of table tennis's history is that a game designed to entertain Victorian adults on winter evenings has come full circle. In 2026, as families look for screen-free activities that are genuinely engaging for adults and children alike, table tennis is experiencing a quiet revival in British homes.

Unlike many recreational activities, table tennis improves with practice in a way that is immediately visible. Children who start playing at six or seven years old can hold their own against adults within a year or two. It requires focus, coordination, and the kind of spatial reasoning that screens don't develop. It is exactly what Jaques intended it to be in 1890: a proper game for proper play.

The Games Jaques Brought to Britain

Jaques of London has been introducing, standardising, and manufacturing Britain's favourite games since 1795. Alongside table tennis, the company commercialised croquet, standardised the Staunton chess set, and patented Ludo. All are still made and sold today, as they have been for well over a century.

Frequently Asked Questions About Table Tennis

Who invented table tennis?

Table tennis was not invented by a single person. It evolved in Victorian England in the 1880s and 1890s from improvised after-dinner games played on dining tables. Jaques of London played the central commercial role, manufacturing and selling the first standardised equipment under the name "Gossima" in the 1890s before rebranding it "Ping-Pong" — a Jaques trademark — in 1901. James Gibb is credited with introducing the celluloid ball. The sport was formally standardised by the International Table Tennis Federation, founded in 1926.

What was table tennis originally called?

Table tennis has gone by several names. Early versions were called "whiff-whaff" or simply "indoor tennis." Jaques of London first sold it commercially as "Gossima" in the 1890s, then rebranded it "Ping-Pong" in 1901 — a name they trademarked. The formal name "table tennis" became standard in competitive sport to avoid trademark complications, and is the name used by the International Table Tennis Federation and the Olympic Games.

When did table tennis become an Olympic sport?

Table tennis became an Olympic sport at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, nearly 100 years after Jaques of London first manufactured commercial equipment for the game. It has been contested at every Summer Olympics since. China has dominated the sport at Olympic level, winning the vast majority of gold medals in both singles and doubles events since 1988.

Is table tennis good for children?

Table tennis is excellent for children from around age six onwards. It develops hand-eye coordination, reflexes, spatial reasoning, and focus. Because both players must engage simultaneously, it also builds social skills and the ability to manage competition gracefully. Unlike many screen-based activities, skill improvement in table tennis is immediately visible, which makes it intrinsically motivating for children. It is also genuinely multigenerational — adults and children can play together competitively within a relatively short time.

The Parlour Game That Became a Sport. Made by the Company That Started It.