List of British regional nicknames explained

In addition to formal demonyms, many nicknames are used for residents of the different regions of the United Kingdom. For example, natives and residents of Liverpool are formally referred to as Liverpudlians, but are most commonly referred to as Scousers (after their local dish). Some, but not all, of these nicknames may be derogatory.

A - B

Aberdeen : Dorics, Donians or Teuchters. Football team are nicknamed The Dons
  • Arbroath : Red Lichties or Lichties, Codheids
  • Basingstoke :Amazingstoke, Bas Vegans after Bas Vegas, Basingjoker, Stokie
  • Barnsley : Barnzolians, Tykes, Colliers (a former mining community), Dingles (by people from Sheffield)
  • Barrow in Furness : Shipbuilders
  • Belfast : McCooeys, Dunchers
  • Beverley : Bevsters
  • Birkenhead : Plastic Scousers (or Plazzies)
  • Birmingham : Brummies
  • Black Country : Yam Yams,[1] Nineheads
  • Blackburn : Horse Botherers (by people from Burnley and other Lancashire towns, after bestiality convictions)[2]
  • Blackpool :Blackpudlians, Sand Grown 'Uns, Seasiders, Donkey Lashers / Botherers (the town has been rumoured to feature a donkey brothel),[3]
  • Bolton : Trotters (originally a football term, it is now used to describe anyone from Bolton and surrounding area), Noblot (collective noun, anagram for Bolton)
  • Bournemouth Coffin Dodgers (due its popularity as a retirement area)
  • Bradford : Bradfordian
  • Bramley : Villagers (by people from other areas of Leeds)
  • Brighton : Jugs (archaic)
  • Bristol :Bristolians, Wurzels
  • Britain : Limeys in Canada and the United States : Pommies in Australia and New Zealand : Les Rosbifs in France[4]
  • Tommy, Island Monkey in Germany[5]
    Burnley : Burnleyites, Dingles (by people from other Lancashire towns, notably Blackburn)
  • Bury : Shakers (originally a football term, it is now used to describe anyone from Bury and surrounding area)

    • C - D

    Caernarfon : Cofi
  • Caithness : Gallach[6]
  • Cambridge : Fenners, Swamp People
  • Carlisle : Carlers, Gypsies
  • Ceredigion : Cardi
  • Chatham : Chavs[7]
  • Chesterfield : Spireites, Chessies
  • Cleethorpes : Meggies
  • Colchester : Colchies, Romans, Camuloonies, Steamies, Castlers, Cross 'n' Crowners (after Colchester's coat of arms).
  • Corby : Plastic Jocks
  • Cornwall : Kernowicks, Merry-Jacks, Mera-Jacks, Uncle Jacks or Cousin Jacks (when abroad).
  • Crawley : Creepy Crawlies, Insects[8]
  • Darlington : Quakers, Darloids, DCs, Monte Darlo
  • Derby :Bockers, Sheep Shaggers, Rams
  • Devon :Janners
  • Dingwall : Gudgie
  • Doncaster : Flatlanders (especially by people from Sheffield), Knights, Doleites
  • Dorchester : Dorchvegas
  • Dorset : Dorset Knobs (from the famous biscuit), Dumplings
  • Dover : Dovorian
  • Droitwich Spa : Monners
  • Dumfries : Doonhamers
  • Dundee : Dundonians
  • Duns : Dingers
  • Durham : Durhamites, Posh Mackems, Posh Geordies, Cuddies, Pit Yackers (due to Durham's mining heritage)

    • E – G

    Eastbourne : Winnicks or Willicks (dialect name of a guillemot or wild person)[9]
  • Edinburgh : Edinburgers or Edinbourgeois (used more so when referring to people from more affluent suburbs of Edinburgh), Dunediner (Gaelic Origin), Toonies (Scots)
  • England : Sassenachs (used by Scottish and Irish; Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic word "Sasannach", meaning "Saxon"), Sassies, Red Coats, Inglish, Nigels, Guffy (primarily in Northeast Scotland from the Scots 'pig'), Sais (Welsh), Englandshire (in Scotland), The Shire (in Scotland)
  • Essex : Essex Calves (archaic), Easties, Essers, Wideboys, Saxons, Scimitars (from the county Coat of Arms)
  • Fleetwood : Codheads
  • Forest of Dean : Foresters, Deaners, Offers
  • Fraserburgh : Brochers, not to be confused with people from Burghead
  • Frodsham : Jowie Heads (from old Runcorn area Cheshire meaning turnip, reference to the rural position of the town)
  • Galashiels : Pale Merks (from the claim that Gala was the last major town in Scotland to have plumbing/running water)
  • Glasgow : Glaswegian, Keelies,[10] Weegies[11]
  • Glossop : Hillmen (due to its proximity to the Peak District)
  • Gloucester : Gloucestrian(s)
  • Goole : Goolies
  • Grimsby : Codheads, Haddocks, Grimmies
  • Gillingham, Kent: Medwayers
  • Gosport, Hampshire : Turk Towners
  • Great Yarmouth : Yarcos
  • Guisborough : Woollybacks

    • H - K

    Hampshire : Hampshire Hogs, Bacon Faces (reference to Hampshire as a pig-raising county in former times)
  • Hartlepool : Monkey Hangers,[12] Poolies
  • Hawick : Teri
  • Haydock : Yickers
  • Heywood : Monkeys[13]
  • Highlands and Islands (of Scotland) : Teuchters, used by other Scots and sometimes applied by Greater Glasgow natives to anyone speaking in a dialect other than Glaswegian
  • Hinckley : Tin Hatters
  • Huddersfield : Dog Botherers
  • Hull : Codheads, Hully Gullies, 'Ullites
  • Inverness : Sneckies
  • Ipswich : Tractor Boys, Carrot Crunchers
  • Irthlingborough : Irthlings
  • Isle of Wight : Caulkheads (named after the caulking of boats)
  • Kettering : Sheep shaggers, Ketteringers pansies
  • Kendal : Kendalians
  • Kilbarchan : Habbie
  • Haverfordwest : Long necks

    • L

    Lancashire : Yonners (specifically south-eastern Lancashire around the Oldham and Rochdale areas)
  • Leeds : Loiners
  • Leicester : Rat Eyes (from the Roman name for the city: Ratae), Chisits (from the pronunciation of "how much is it," which sounds like "I'm a chisit"); Foxes, Bin Dippers (named after Foxes)
  • Leicestershire : Leicesterites, Bean Bellies (from the eating of broad beans)[14]
  • Leigh : Leythers, Lobby Gobblers (from lobby)
  • Lincolnshire : Yellow Bellies (after a species of frog common in the Lincolnshire and East Anglian Fens)[15]
  • Linlithgow : Black Bitch, from the burgh coat of arms
  • Littlehampton : LA, from the local accent being unable to pronounce the 'h' in Hampton
  • Liverpool : Scousers (from the stew known as scouse),[16]
  • Plastic Scousers or Plazzies (a person who falsely claims to be from Liverpool),[17]
  • Woolybacks or Wools (a person from the surrounding areas of Liverpool, especially St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, or the Wirral)[18] [19]
    Llanelli : Turks
  • London : Cockneys (Traditionally those born within the sound of the bells of St Mary le Bow, Cheapside)
  • Lossiemouth : Codheids
  • Louth : Luddites
  • Luton : Hatters

    • M - N

    Manchester : Manc, the shortened version of the demonym Mancunians
  • Mansfield, Nottinghamshire : Scabs - offensive, linked to the divisions during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985)[20]
  • Malmesbury : Jackdaws
  • Middlesbrough : Smoggies.[21]
  • Montrose : Gable Endies
  • Nantwich : Dabbers[22]
  • Neath : Abbey-Jacks, Blacks, Blackjacks.
  • Newcastle upon Tyne : Geordies
  • Norfolk : Norfolk Dumplings ("Dumplings being a favourite food in that county")[23]
  • Northampton : Cobblers, after the ancient shoe industry that thrived in the town.
  • Northern Ireland : Paddies, Huns (sectarian offensive term for pro-British Unionists), Taigs (sectarian offensive term for pro-Irish Nationalists)
  • North Shields, Tyne and Wear : Cods Heeds, Fish Nabbers
  • North Wales : Gogs
  • Northwich : Salter Boys
  • Norwich: Canaries
  • Nottingham: Boggers, Scabs (insult; see Mansfield)
  • Nuneaton, Warwickshire: Codders, Treacle Towners

    • O - R

    Oldham : Yonners (from Oldham pronunciation of 'yonder' as in 'up yonner'), Roughyeds, Biffos
  • Paisley : Buddies,[24]
  • Peterhead :Bluemogganers, Blue Tooners
  • Plymouth :Janners. Originally a person who spoke with a Devon accent, now simply any West Countryman. In naval slang (where the place is referred to as Guz[25]), this is specifically a person from Plymouth.
  • Portsmouth : Pompey (shared by the city, the naval base and the football club), Skates
  • Redcar : Codheads
  • Rotherham :Chuckles, Rotherbirds
  • Royston, Hertfordshire :Crows
  • Rye :Mudlarks[26]

    • S

    St Helens : Woollybacks[27]
  • Scarborough : Algerinos, Bottom-enders (for those born or raised in the old town)
  • Scotland : Scotties, Jocks Macs, Sweaties (offensive; from rhyming slang "Sweaty Sock" for Jock).
  • Selkirk : Souters
  • Shavington : Tramps
  • Sheffield : Dee Dars, Steelmekkers.
  • Sheringham : Shannock
  • Shrewsbury : Salops (shortened version of the demonym Salopians)
  • Skelmersdale : Skemheads, Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
  • Skye : Sgitheanachs
  • Southampton : Scum(mers)
  • South Shields : Sand Dancers:
  • South Wales : Hwntws (by people from North Wales)
  • Southern England : Southern Fairies, Shandy Drinkers
  • Southport : Sandgrounders, Groundies
  • Stalybridge : Stalyvegas
  • Stockport : Stopfordians (from an old name for Stockport), Hatters
  • Stockton on Tees : Smoggies
  • Stoke-on-Trent : Potters, Clay Heads, Stokies, Jug Heads, kidsgrove spiders,
  • Stranraer : Cleyholers
  • Strood : Long Tails, Stroodles
  • Stroud : Stroudies
  • Sunderland : Mackems[28]
  • Sutherland : Cattach
  • Swansea : Jacks, Swansea Jacks
  • Swindon : Moonrakers

    • T - V

    Tarbert, Loch Fyne : Dookers (named after guillemot and razorbill, sea-birds once a popular food among Tarbert natives)
  • Teignmouth : Muffians
  • Telford : Telfies, Chavs

    • W

    Wales : Taffs [Mid/West Welsh] (sometimes considered offensive), Taffies.[29]
  • Wallingford, Oxfordshire : Wallies
  • Walsall : Saddlers
  • Warrington : Wire, Wirepullers (after the local wire industry), Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
  • Welshpool : Soup Heads
  • Westhoughton: Keawyeds (Cowheads, after local legend)
  • West Riding of Yorkshire : Wessies (in other parts of Yorkshire)
  • Weymouth and Portland : Kimberlins (Portland name for a person from Weymouth)
  • Weymouth : Weybiza (due to the wild nightlife the town has adopted)
  • Whitehaven : Marras, Jam Eaters, Wetties
  • Widnes : Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
  • Wigan : Pie-eaters(after eating humble pie), Pie-noshers, Purrers,[30]
  • Wiltshire : Moonrakers
  • Wolverhampton : Yam Yams (from local dialect where people say "Yam" meaning "Yow am" meaning "You are")
  • Worthing : Pork Bolters[26]
  • Workington : Jam Eaters
  • Whitby : Codheads

    • Y - Z

    York : Yorkies, Old Yorkers
  • Yorkshire : Tykes, Yorkies, Yorkie Bars

    • See also

    References

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Wolverhampton researches Black Country dialect. The Guardian. 27 January 2003. 3 October 2010.
    2. Web site: Man Charged with Having Sex with Horse. Lancashire Telegraph. 9 July 2012.
    3. Web site: BBC report 2011 Blackpool Councillor Sorry for Donkey Botherer Jibe. 14 January 2024.
    4. News: Why do the French call the British 'the roast beefs'? . 3 April 2003 . . 7 November 2016.
    5. News: Few laughs for 'humorous' Kraut . 24 October 2001 . BBC News Online . 7 November 2016.
    6. Book: Transactions of the Gaelic Society . Gallach caithness. . 1907 . Gaelic Society of Inverness . 97 . 30 September 2010.
    7. Web site: Definition of Chav in English . https://web.archive.org/web/20170831091840/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/chav . dead . 31 August 2017 . Oxford Dictionaries . 22 February 2018.
    8. Web site: MOST Crawley residents have probably, at some time, referred to the town by its well-known nickname – Creepy Crawley . This Is Sussex . 20 October 2010 . 9 June 2014.
    9. Book: Wales, Tony. Sussex as She Wus Spoke, a Guide to the Sussex Dialect. SB Publications. Seaford. 2000. 978-1-85770-209-5.
    10. Book: Brewer, E. Cobham . http://www.bartleby.com/81/12073.html . E. Cobham Brewer . Dictionary of Phrase & Fable . Nicknames . Bartleby.com . 29 September 2010.
    11. Web site: Michelle . Castillo . Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Glasgow, Scotland . Peter Greenberg Travel Detective . 20 August 2009 . 29 September 2010.
    12. Web site: The Hartlepool Monkey, Who hung the monkey? . This is Hartlepool . 29 September 2010.
    13. Web site: Hey, Hey, We're Monkey Town . Chris . Dawson . Ten Thousand Years in Monkey Town.
    14. Book: Evans, Arthur Benoni . Arthur Benoni Evans . 1881 . Leicestershire Words, Phrases, and Proverbs . enlarged . Sebastian . Evans . Sebastian Evans . London . N. Trübner for English Dialect Society . 101.
    15. Book: Brewer, E. Cobham . http://www.bartleby.com/81/17670.html . Dictionary of Phrase & Fable . Yellow-belly . Bartleby.com . 30 September 2010.
    16. Fazakerley, p. 24
    17. Web site: Plastic Scouser. Allwords.com .
    18. Web site: Woolyback. Slang.org.uk .
    19. Web site: Woolyback. Allwords.com .
    20. Emery . Jay . Belonging, memory and history in the north Nottinghamshire coalfield . Journal of Historical Geography . 77–89 . en . 10.1016/j.jhg.2017.11.004 . 1 January 2018. 59 . free . 2381/42989 . free .
    21. News: I was made in Middlesbrough . Harley . Shaun . BBC News Online . 16 July 2007 . 29 September 2010.
    22. Web site: White . Jonathan . A Dabber Debate - what's your preferred derivation? . Nantwich News . 22 March 2022 . 3 May 2020.
    23. Web site: Grose . Dictionary of the vulgar tongue . Words from old books . 28 March 2022.
    24. Web site: Paisley Buddies . Paisley Scotland . 6 April 2014 . 9 June 2014.
    25. News: Plymouth's nickname 'Guz' and the reasons behind it . Plymouth Live . 29 September 2019.
    26. Book: Arscott, David. David Arscott. Wunt Be Druv - A Salute to the Sussex Dialect. Countryside Books. 2006. 978-1-84674-006-0.
    27. Web site: Who are the woollybacks? . St Helens Star . 9 February 2006 . 13 January 2022.
    28. News: Quiz: How Much of a Mackem are YOU? . . 4 January 2009 . 29 September 2010 . dead . https://archive.today/20120911032354/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/lifestyle/culture_2_9148/quiz_how_much_of_a_mackem_are_you_1_1088796 . 11 September 2012 . dmy-all .
    29. Cf. the nursery rhyme "Taffy was a Welshman / Taffy was a thief / Taffy came to my house / To steal a piece of beef."
    30. Dialect term for "kicker"

    This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of British regional nicknames".

    Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.