List of city nicknames in Connecticut explained

This partial list of city nicknames in Connecticut compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that Connecticut cities and towns are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders or their tourism boards or chambers of commerce. City nicknames can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community because of its nickname; promote civic pride; and build community unity.^[1] Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth" are also believed to have economic value. Their economic value is difficult to measure, but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves with new slogans.^[2]

Some unofficial nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.

• Ansonia – The Copper City
• Berlin – Geographic Center of Connecticut^[3]
• Bethlehem – The Christmas Town^[4]
• Bridgeport – The Park City
• Bristol
  • Clock City^[5]
  • Mum City
• Cheshire – Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut^[6]
• Danbury – Hat City^{[5] [7]}
• Derby – Connecticut's Smallest City^[8]
• East Hampton – Belltown USA
• Groton – Submarine Capital of the World^{[9] [10]}
• Hamden – Land of the Sleeping Giant^[11]
• Hartford
  • Insurance Capital of the World^[12]
  • Homicide Hartford^{[5] [13]}
• Manchester – Silk City^[5]
• Meriden – Silver City^[5]
• Middletown – Forest City^[14]
• Naugatuck – Rubber City^[5]
• New Britain
  • Hardware City^{[5] [13]}
  • Hard-hittin' New Britain^[15]
• New Haven – The Elm City^{[5] [16]} (reported in the 1880s as City of Elms^[17])
• New London - The Whaling City
• Norwich – Rose City^[18] or The Rose of New England^[19]
• Stamford
  • Lock City (a reference to the now-defunct Yale & Towne lock factory)^[13]
  • "The City that Works!"^[20]
• Waterbury – The Brass City^{[5] [21]}
• West Haven – Connecticut's Friendliest City^[22]
• Willimantic – Thread City^[5]
• Winsted – Laurel City^[23]

See also

• Administrative divisions of Connecticut
• List of city nicknames in the United States
• List of municipalities of Connecticut by population

Notes and References

1. Web site: Muench, David . Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts . University of Wisconsin Extension . December 1993 . April 10, 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130309175857/http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/economies/communityindicators/communityslogans.pdf . March 9, 2013.
2. Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :), MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
3. http://berlinctchamber.org/welcome.html Berlin Chamber of Commerce website
4. http://www.ci.bethlehem.ct.us/ Bethlehem, CT
5. Bill Ryan, What's in a Name? Old Industrial Fame, The New York Times, January 21, 1996
6. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/plants.html Claims to Fame – Plants
7. Perrefort, Dirk. "Lawmakers honor Hat City, 4 veteran politicians", The News-Times, April 1, 2008. Accessed April 10, 2008. "Lawmakers tipped their hats to Danbury on Wednesday during the first Danbury Day at the Capitol. Legislators from throughout the state wore hats of every shape, size and color to honor the Hat City's history."
8. http://www.connquest.com/connecticut/directory/newhaven/towns/derby.html ConnQuest – Derby, Connecticut
9. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/7243 Groton, Connecticut – Submarine Capital of the World
10. Web site: Bases battle over title of "submarine capital of the world." . Friedrich, Ed . . July 10, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120407064444/http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/34630 . April 7, 2012.
11. http://www.hamden.com/ Hamden, Connecticut – Town Official Website
12. http://www.hartford.gov/history City of Hartford, Connecticut
13. http://www.epodunk.com/slogans/business.html Claims to Fame – Business
14. http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2009/04/21/news/doc49ee8b81cf0f2225813623.txt City to celebrate 100th anniversary of arboretum
15. https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=grant/070427&sportCat=ncf Glasper learns the hard lessons of football
16. Web site: The World Capital of Whatever. The New York Times. Harold . Faber. 1993-09-12. 2018-11-15.
17. Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
18. http://www.towngreens.com/exhibits/index.cgi/7/ Norwich: The Rose City
19. Sharma Howard, Norwich's 350th: Roses of all ages share pride in city, Norwich Bulletin, July 3, 2009: Lists several theories of the names origin: (1) "the hills seen from Norwich harbor resemble unfurling rose petals", (2) "the loveliness of Norwich when the magnificent mansions of prosperous mill owners graced the streets," (3) "a speech delivered by 19th-century evangelist Henry Ward Beecher."
20. http://www.cityofstamford.org/content/36/106/default.aspx The City of Stamford, CT – About Stamford
21. http://www.towngreens.com/exhibits/index.cgi/6/ Waterbury: The Brass City
22. http://www.cityofwesthaven.com/ West Haven: Connecticut's Friendliest City
23. https://www.townofwinchester.org/ Winsted: Laurel City