It was called the National championship (Bulgarian: Държавно първенство).
In 1948, A Republican Football Group (Bulgarian: „А“ Републиканска футболна група) was founded, a new national top division.
The second level of the football league system - the B Republican Football Group (Bulgarian: „Б“ Републиканска футболна група) was founded two years later.
The lower levels of the pyramid - V Republican Football Group (Bulgarian: „В“ Републиканска футболна група) and below - were structured in 1959.
Then experimentally a new Bulgarian Premier Football League (Bulgarian: Висша лига по футбол) was founded replacing A Football Group.