In a move that is bound to upset the Village People, the YMCA has rebranded itself as simply "the Y"

The organisation which was founded 166 years ago in Britain as the Young Man's Christian Association, has decided that it is time for a change and has moved to officially adopt a nickname that has been used for decades. The logo has also been altered to do away with the MCA letters.

"It's a way of being warmer, more genuine, more welcoming, when you call yourself what everyone else calls you," said Kate Coleman, the organisation's senior vice president and chief marketing officer, told the New York Times.

The new name is part of a campaign to publicise the Y's youth programs.

"We're trying to simplify how we tell the story of what we do, and the name represents that," said Neil Nicoll, president and chief executive of the organisation, told the paper.

Membership of the Y, which is now based in Chicago in the United States, peaked in 2007 and has since levelled out.

The YMCA monicker was made famous by the Village People's eponymous 70s hit in which young men were invited to "get yourself clean... have a good meal" and "do anything you feel" at the YMCA.

The song, a party favourite, was accompanied by four dance moves, in which partygoers would exuberantly form the YMCA letters with their arms.

The Village People have said they won't be changing the hit to keep in step with the organisation's new name.

The lead singer of the original group, Victor Willis, released a statement saying that the change won't affect the song – or the dance that goes along with it.

The name switch for the Y comes after more than two years of research indicated many people don't understand what the group does. The group's mission is to strengthen communities by focusing on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.