List of city nicknames in the United Kingdom explained

This partial list of city nicknames in the United Kingdom compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities and towns in the United Kingdom are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to locals, 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 by adopting 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.

A

B

C

D

E

G

H

I

K

L

M

N

O

P

S

'Sheffield by the Sea', on account of people from said city visiting the seaside resort during the Summer months.

T

W

See also

General:

Notes and References

  1. Muench, David "Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts", December 1993, accessed 10 April 2007.
  2. Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :), MU.DOT magazine, 10 September 2007
  3. Web site: From Somewhere in the North Sea. The Aberdare Leader. 4 November 1916.. Papurau Newydd Cymru Arlein (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru) – Welsh Newspapers Online (National Library of Wales) . 3 November 2017.
  4. News: BBC Have Your Say: Regional accents: Your experiences. 20 May 2007 . 16 August 2005. BBC News.
  5. Web site: The Granite City. 20 May 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080509185556/http://www.agtb.org/aberdeen-scotland.htm. 9 May 2008.
  6. Web site: Granite City Wanderers Hockey Club . 20 May 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070405123924/http://www.granitecity.org.uk/about . 5 April 2007 . dead .
  7. News: A burst of energy in Europe's oil capital. 20 May 2007 . BBC News . 12 November 2003. James. Arnold.
  8. Web site: OIL & GAS SITUATION REPORT : UKCS and North East Scotland (Mid 1999). 20 May 2007. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070521225423/http://www.oilandgas.co.uk/editorial.html. 21 May 2007.
  9. Web site: Accy's Easter Rising. MEN Media – Accrington Observer. 5 July 2011. 21 April 2011. 12 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121112192113/http://menmedia.co.uk/accringtonobserver/sport/football/accrington_stanley/s/1418758_accys-easter-rising. dead.
  10. https://www.britannica.com/place/Bath-England
  11. News: The light young things. 26 November 2015. Barnsley.
  12. Web site: What's in a place name?. Ordnance Survey. 1 April 2016. 20 October 2010.
  13. http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/ireland/belfast.htm Rick Steve's Europe – Belfast
  14. http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/cs/Satellite?c=Page&childpagename=SystemAdmin%2FPageLayout&cid=1223092760210&packedargs=website%3D1&pagename=BCC%2FCommon%2FWrapper%2FWrapper&rendermode=live Birmingham or Brummagem?
  15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/7560392.stm Chiefs admit Brum skyline mix-up
  16. News: Smith . Oliver . Quiz: Birmingham or Venice – can you tell the difference? . The Daily Telegraph. 4 February 2016 .
  17. http://www.barclayscorporate.com/inperspective/business-strategy-and-insights/birminghamoutlook/Birmingham_Outlook_Report.pdf The Workshop of the World – An Outlook for Birmingham
  18. News: No love lost between Firm friends in Second City derby . Tongue . Steve. 25 April 2010 . independent.co.uk. 25 September 2013 . London.
  19. http://www.penroom.co.uk/index.php/articles/98-articles/128-pen-trade-of-birmingham Pen Trade of Birmingham
  20. https://babe.net/2016/07/11/like-growing-bracknell-britains-number-one-chav-town-1229 Bracknell #1 Chav Town
  21. Web site: 'Appen tha'll be from Bratford then!. Bradford Telegraph and Argus. en. 19 December 2018.
  22. Web site: By 'eck! Bratford-speak is dyin' out. Bradford Telegraph and Argus. en. 19 December 2018.
  23. Web site: city slicker Bradford. 3 July 1995. The Independent. en. 19 December 2018.
  24. 10.1177/0038038505052493. 39. 3. 407–425. Hussain. Yasmin. Paul Bagguley . 143223835. Citizenship, ethnicity and identity: British Pakistanis after the 2001 'Riots'. Sociology. 1 July 2005.
  25. News: Shackle. Samira. The mosques aren't working in Bradistan. New Statesman. 20 August 2010.
  26. Web site: Bradford's Sculpture Trail . Bradford City Centre Management . 6 March 2019.
  27. Baxendale . John . 'I Had Seen a Lot of Englands': J. B. Priestley, Englishness and the People . History Workshop Journal . Spring 2001 . 51 . 51 . 98 . 10.1093/hwj/2001.51.87 . But it is Bruddersford, obviously Priestley's Bradford, where the most vivid and successful scenes are set. 4289722 .
  28. Web site: Previous Winners . https://web.archive.org/web/20140806180649/http://www.currycapitalofbritain.org.uk/previous-winners/. dead. 6 August 2014. Curry Capital of Britain. 6 August 2014. 19 December 2018.
  29. Web site: Bradford crowned Curry Capital of Britain for sixth year in a row. ITV News. en. 19 December 2018.
  30. Jim Greenhalf, "Sir Mark hails our musical tradition", Telegraph & Argus, 20 September 2010
  31. Web site: The rise and fall of Wool City. Yorkshire Post. en. 19 December 2018.
  32. Book: Cudworth . William . Worstedopolis: A Sketch History of the Town and Trade of Bradford, the Metropolis of the Worsted Industry . 1888 . W. Byles and Sons . Bradford .
  33. Jowitt . Tony . A Town Built on Cloth: The Making of 'Worstedopolis' . Costume . 1989 . 23 . 1 . 86–97 . 10.1179/cos.1989.23.1.86 .
  34. News: Wainwright . Martin . 11 June 2009 . Bradford wins Unesco City of Film award . en-GB . The Guardian . 19 December 2018 . 0261-3077.
  35. Web site: 22 June 2009 . Bradford, City of Film... Really? . 19 December 2018 . NME . en-US.
  36. Darwin Porter, Frommer's England 2011
  37. William Davenport Adams, Songs of society, from Anne to Victoria, 1880
  38. [John Lane (publisher)|John Lane]
  39. Book: Antram. Nicholas. Morrice. Richard. Brighton and Hove. Pevsner Architectural Guides. Yale University Press. London. 2008. 978-0-300-12661-7. 3.
  40. http://www.theargus.co.uk/opinion/comment/4859671.Brighton_s_come_a_long_way_from_Skid_Row_on_Sea/ "Brighton's come a long way from Skid Row-on-Sea"
  41. News: Weaver. Paul. The light young things. 29 October 2010. The Guardian. 3 August 1999. London.
  42. Book: Stoke, Harry . Vinny Green . A Dictionary of Bristle . 2003 . Broadcast Books . Bristol . 978-1-874092-65-0 .
  43. Book: Frederic Raphael . The Glittering Prizes . registration . 1976. New York : St. Martin's Press . 9780312329570 .
  44. Book: Graham Chainey . A literary history of Cambridge . 1995 . CUP Archive . 277.
  45. Book: Perspiring dreams: Cambridge students' alternative prospectus . Cambridge Students Union . 1979.
  46. News: The Cambridge cluster: University challenge . The Economist . 2 September 2010 . 27 September 2010.
  47. News: Hot Spot: Cambridge . Robert Liebman . The Independent . 2 April 2003 . 27 September 2010 . London.
  48. News: Revitalised Cardiff sheds rust belt past . Chicago Tribune . 2 April 2021.
  49. Web site: Arcades were Victorian version of St David's 2. . 14 March 2010. 24 February 2009 .
  50. Web site: Morgan Quarter – Our History . . Morgan Quarter website . Morgan Quarter . 1 April 2016 .
  51. Web site: Cardiff is the City of Arcades . Visit Cardiff . 1 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160415180923/http://www.visitcardiff.com/cardiffis/cardiff-is-the-city-of-arcades/ . 15 April 2016 . dead . dmy-all .
  52. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/A+world+behind+the+shop+fronts%3B+Cardiff+is+famous+for+its+arcades,+...-a0209620737 The Free Library A world behind the shop fronts
  53. Book: Abbreviations Dictionary. 10. 233. CRC Press. 2001. Dean A. . Stahl . Karen . Landen. 9781420036640.
  54. https://www.ilivehere.co.uk/chippenham-chip-numb.html
  55. News: How the West Midlands became the driving force behind an urban revolution . Sarah . Probert . Birmingham Post . 14 February 2014 . 31 March 2016 . Birmingham.
  56. News: Look: When Coventry was transformed into Britain's 'Motor City' . Sarah . Probert . Coventry Telegraph . 25 February 2014 . 31 March 2016 . Coventry.
  57. Book: Beaven, Brad . Leisure, Citizenship and Working-class Men in Britain, 1850–1945 . Manchester University Press . Manchester . 2005 . 2.
  58. Web site: Coventry's history . . Coventry City Council website . Coventry City Council . 31 March 2016.
  59. http://www.cityofsanctuary.org/coventry City of Sanctuary – Coventry
  60. 10.1111/j.1468-0130.2008.00519.x. Coventry-Memorializing Peace and Reconciliation. Peace & Change. 33. 4. 582–599. 2008. Kaczka-Valliere. Jeanne. Rigby. Andrew.
  61. http://www.camelotintl.com/heritage/counties/england/warwickshire.html Warwickshire
  62. Iain Soden, A Typical English Churchyard?, BuildingConservation.com
  63. News: It was once Britain's motor city. Now Coventry's wheels are turning again. The Observer. London. Guardian Media Group. 23 April 2016. Graham. Ruddick.
  64. News: 1 April 2014 . Soapbox, Rachel Fernie: If you don't like living in Derbados, why not just leave? . . Derby . . 1 April 2016 .
  65. Lisa Smyth, "New twist in Maiden City name change row", The Belfast Telegraph, 24 September 2009
  66. http://imagesofireland.tripod.com/maiden_city.htm Images Of Ireland – The Maiden City
  67. Derry / Londonderry: Stroke City
  68. News: Burke . Darren . 5 November 2015. 10 things that prove you're from Donny . Thorne and District Gazette . Johnston Publishing Ltd.. Doncaster . 1 April 2016.
  69. News: 26 March 2016 . Made In Doncaster: The pies the limit for upper crust town bakery . South Yorkshire Times . Johnston Publishing Ltd.. Doncaster . 1 April 2016 .
  70. News: Macfarlane . Stuart . 21 March 2016 . Stuart Macfarlane: Coming up with a deal to save Scotland's heritage . . Johnston Publishing Ltd. Edinburgh . 1 April 2016 .
  71. News: 5 March 2016 . 7 reasons to visit Dundee before the V&A opens . Scotland Now . Media Scotland Ltd. . Glasgow . 2 April 2016.
  72. News: Moss . Chris . 16 July 2024 . Where tourists seldom tread, part 10: four more towns with hidden histories . 16 July 2024 . The Guardian.
  73. News: 9 February 2005 . We don't want a return to 'Beastly Eastleigh' . 17 June 2024 . Southern Daily Echo.
  74. Stana Nenadic, "The Rise of Edinburgh", British History in-depth, BBC
  75. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article4622343.ece "Auld Reekie is the most miserable place to live in Britain"
  76. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16357102&method=full&siteid=66633&headline=deadly-green-place-name_page.html "Deadly Green Place"
  77. Iain Maclean, "No Mean City : 1914 to 1950s", The Glasgow Story
  78. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/victorian/trails_victorian_glasgow.shtml "Victorian Glasgow"
  79. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/media_museum/victorian_popup.html "Victorian Scotland"
  80. Web site: Why is Hebden Bridge the lesbian capital? . Robehmed . Sophie . 9 February 2012 . . 3 July 2019.
  81. Web site: Hebden Bridge Is Famously A Safe Home For Gay Men, Women And Allies – Here's Why . Pert . Sean . 28 February 2019 . HuffPost UK . 3 July 2019.
  82. News: Hundreds take part in protest to save Hudds A & E. ITV. 27 February 2016. 3 April 2016.
  83. http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_nicknames.htm Did You Know? – Nicknames of Scottish Town
  84. Web site: Kendal - The Auld Grey Town . 15 June 2024 . Cumbria Tourist Guides.
  85. Encyclopedia: Kingston upon Hull . Encyclopædia Britannica Online . 25 October 2010 . 2010 . Encyclopædia Britannica.
  86. News: Hull on earth as Murphy mauls Tigers . The Guardian . London . Alan . Biggs . 14 September 1999.
  87. http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/209092/europe_destinations/leeds_is_the_north_unofficial_capital_city.html "Leeds is the North Unofficial Capital City"
  88. https://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2005/02/08/living_stars_leeds_chart_capital_feature.shtml "Leeds astrological chart: Capital of the north?
  89. http://www.yorkshire-forward.com/our-wonderful-region/our-cities/Leeds-the-facts "Leeds: the facts and figures"
  90. Web site: Dawson . James . Life as a goth in 1980s Yorkshire . . 11 April 2016 . 1 December 2019.
  91. News: City is 'Knightsbridge of North'. BBC News website. BBC. 24 May 2005. 3 April 2016.
  92. Book: Hollands . Robert . Chatterton . Paul . Brynes . Bernie . Read . Cait . Youth Cultures, Urban Change and Nightlife in Leeds . . 1.
  93. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/architecture/london-roads-to-nowhere-2207351.html "London: Roads to nowhere"
  94. Web site: From Lichfield to Lich Vegas: MP claims new scheme will make his city the place to be. 7 December 2015.
  95. Web site: King of Lich Vegas. 9 March 2010.
  96. News: 12 reasons Liverpool is Ireland's second capital. 29 September 2015.
  97. News: McDermott . Paul . Welcome to my place ... Liverpool . . 31 October 2020.
  98. News: O'Connor . Brian . Long-standing love affair: Irish eyes riveted on Liverpool's title quest . . 31 October 2020.
  99. Web site: Second capital of Ireland: Liverpool's unique Irish history and culture and what it means to the city . 25 July 2021 . 23 August 2022.
  100. News: Is Liverpool still the world in one city?. 1 May 2010.
  101. Web site: How Liverpool became known as 'the capital of North Wales'. March 2021 . 1 March 2021.
  102. Web site: It's official – Liverpool rocks!. 31 October 2020.
  103. Web site: Graves . Steve . 2015-05-14 . Scouseland or Scotland? Things we wouldn't mind taking from the Scots . 2024-04-28 . Liverpool Echo . en.
  104. Book: Mills, A. D.. Dictionary of London Place Names. 2001. Oxford.
  105. Book: Cobbett, William . William Cobbett . Rural Rides . 1 . Cosimo Classics . First published 1830 . November 2005 . 978-1-59605-577-3. 43. Rural Rides .
  106. News: Glancey. Jonathan. London's grime hard to scrub away. The Guardian. 31 October 2010. 30 November 2002.
  107. News: Pizzichini. Lilian. The big smoke. New Statesman. 9 December 2002.
  108. News: Wills . Matthew. Old Smoke: London's Famous Fog. JSTOR Daily. 24 August 2015.
  109. News: Rutter Pooley . Cat . 1 March 2022 . Londongrad will stand so long as enforcement stays weak . 15 June 2024 . Financial Times.
  110. News: Thomas . Daniel . Hughes . Laura . Hammond . George . Morris . Stephen . Beioley . Kate . 4 March 2022 . The 'London laundromat': will Britain wean itself off Russian money? . 16 June 2024 . Financial Times.
  111. Book: Partridge . Eric . Eric Partridge . Simpson . Jacqueline . Jacqueline Simpson . The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang . 1973 . Routledge . 214 . 9780710077615 .
  112. Web site: Manchester 'the north's dynamite capital'. 2007-09-11. England's North West. 2007.
  113. Web site: About Manchester. 2006-10-24. The University of Manchester. 2003. 2006-10-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20061027095605/http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/manchester/. dead.
  114. Web site: Northern Soul Club UK Life Guide. 2006-10-24. British Council. 2003.
  115. News: What is the Northern Powerhouse?. BBC News. 14 October 2015.
  116. Web site: Manchester, UK: The new 'cool' capital north of London. 2022-01-07. Traveller.au. 2016.
  117. Web site: Is Manchester the Capital of the North?. 2022-01-07. Insider Media. 2016.
  118. Web site: Capital of the North: A guide to Manchester. 2022-01-07. HBAA. 2017.
  119. News: Manchester on TV: Ghosts of Winter Hill . BBC News . 30 October 2009.
  120. News: 15 September 2006 . North West: Trying to banish 'Gunchester' . Tom . Randell . BBC . . 25 October 2010.
  121. News: 20 July 2007 . 'Gunchester' fears after tit-for-tat gangland murder . Martin . Wainwright . . 25 October 2010 . London.
  122. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8182856.stm Sounds of 1989 – Madchester
  123. Jonathan Schofield, Music Capital City – Introduction, in Music Capital – History of Manchester Pop in four chapters
  124. Web site: 'Sound' Mancunian words wanted . BBC . 22 May 2023.
  125. http://www.bbcshop.com/comedy/acorn-antiques-dvd/invt/bbcdvd1641/ Acorn Antiques (DVD)
  126. Rupert Smith, "Little shop of horrors", The Guardian, 7 February 2005
  127. Web site: Manchester and the City Centre . Manchester City Council . spinningtheweb.org.uk . 25 September 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928133352/http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/m_display.php?irn=5&sub=cottonopolis . 28 September 2011 . dead .
  128. Web site: Mancunia . 2024-04-28 . Michael Symmons Roberts . en-GB.
  129. Web site: Lewis . Stephen . 2015-05-27 . 5 reasons why Manchester is definitely the UK's second city . 2024-04-28 . I Love Manchester . en-GB.
  130. Book: Nicknames of Places: Origins and Meanings of the Alternate and Secondary Names, Sobriquets, Titles, Epithets and Slogans for 4600 Places Worldwide. Adrian Room. 37. 2006. 978-0786424979. registration. Jefferson, North Carolina . McFarland & Co..
  131. Book: Lloyd, Anthony . Labour Markets and Identity on the Post-Industrial Assembly Line. 2013. 978-1472402325.
  132. Web site: England's North East – Middlesbrough and surrounds.
  133. News: Morecambe: The holiday hotspot that drew many from factories, mills and schools . . 29 July 2015 . 5 November 2015.
  134. Web site: Geordie Slang Dictionary . Geordies.co.uk . 28 March 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070222083326/http://www.geordie.co.uk/dictionary/h.htm . 22 February 2007 . dead . dmy-all .
  135. Web site: 'Up the 'Port': Good luck messages sent to County players and fans ahead of Middlesbrough match.
  136. Web site: About Newport RFC – NEWPORT RFC.
  137. Web site: Norwich | England, United Kingdom | Britannica .
  138. Web site: Pronunciation - the mysterious, unenunciated "w" in the "-wich" of English place names .
  139. Web site: Introducing Norwich the City of Stories .
  140. News: Jenkins. Simon. From green belt to rust belt: how the Queen of the Midlands was throttled. 30 November 2011. The Guardian. 20 October 2006. London.
  141. Web site: Oxford – city of dreaming spires . . Visit Britain. 22 September 2013.
  142. News: Rick Stein defends impact of his seafood empire on Padstow. 14 October 2008. Savill. Richard.
  143. Web site: Britain's Ocean City.
  144. Web site: A new life in the New World. The BBC. 1 February 2008. 2 September 2008.
  145. Web site: How Plymouth Command Got its Two Proverbial Names.
  146. Web site: Pompey, Chats and Guz Origins of the Naval Town nicknames for Portsmouth, Chatham and Devonport . Royal Naval Museum website . Royal Naval Museum . 30 November 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101220215401/http://royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_nicknames.htm . 20 December 2010 .
  147. The parish of Preston . 1912 . A History of the County of Lancaster . 72–91 . 7 . 27 September 2010.
  148. News: 'Proud Preston' wins city status . BBC News Online . 14 March 2002 . 27 September 2010.
  149. Web site: Civic crest . preston.gov.uk . Preston City Council . 27 September 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928031626/http://www.preston.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/mayor-and-civics/civic-regalia/civic-crest/ . 28 September 2011 . dead .
  150. Web site: Triathlon . World . 2006-07-27 . Sunny Salford hosts round 10 . 2024-04-28 . World Triathlon . en.
  151. Web site: Mirror.co.uk . 2005-11-04 . COSTA DEL SALFORD . 2024-04-28 . The Mirror . en.
  152. https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/690
  153. News: 2019-02-21. Sunny Scunny was the joint-warmest place in England today. en-GB. GrimsbyLive. 2022-08-02. 0307-1235.
  154. News: 2021-04-10 . Seven ways you told us you were from Scunthorpe without actually saying . en-GB. GrimsbyLive . 2022-08-02. 0307-1235.
  155. Web site: Rebecca. Nicholson. 2013-02-10. Why Scunthorpe is not the least romantic place in Britain. 2022-08-02. The Guardian. en.
  156. http://www.hrionline.ac.uk/matshef/symonds/MSsym.htm Steel City: an Archaeology of Sheffield's Industrial Past
  157. Web site: Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster . House of Commons Hansard Debates for 19 May 1997 (pt 17) . Publications.parliament.uk . 11 October 2009.
  158. http://pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/isj69/howard.htm The rise and fall of socialism in one city
  159. http://www.sheffield.org.uk/largest-village/ "Sheffield – 'the largest village in England
  160. Naldrett (2016), p. 126.
  161. Web site: Snozzle Fun.
  162. http://www.thepotteries.org/bennett.html Arnold Bennett – Son of Stoke-on-Trent
  163. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/472855/the-Potteries the Potteries
  164. Book: Hughes , Stephen . 2nd Revised. Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historical Monuments of Wales. 978-1-871184-27-3. Copperopolis: Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea. April 2005.
  165. News: Plans to celebrate 'Copperopolis'. BBC News. 28 October 2010. 8 March 2010.
  166. Web site: The English Riviera. Visit South Devon Community Interest Company. Visit South Devon.
  167. http://www.wakefieldfhs.org.uk/Facts%20&%20Snippets.html Wakefield facts
  168. News: Himelfield . Dave . 10 July 2023 . The unlikely little Yorkshire city which used to attract coachloads of partygoers from all over the country . 15 June 2024 . Yorkshire Live.
  169. The Pitkin City Guides, Winchester
  170. Winchester A Miscellany
  171. http://worcestercathedral.co.uk/The_Civil_War.php Worcester Cathedral during the English Civil War – 1642 to 1651