The Compelling Reasonings Behind Popular City Nicknames

The Big Apple, City of Angels, and Sin City are only a few of the mainstream nicknames for popular cities in the world. There are way more, and every one has a history, whether the origins stem from hundreds of years ago or not, there's some exciting lore behind it all. You can probably guess the reasoning for Las Vegas getting the name Sin City, but what about Baltimore earning "Charm City?" Be our guest and continue reading; you're in for some pleasant surprises.

New Orleans - The Big Easy

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Sean Gardner/Getty Images

In regards to every other nickname, "The Big Easy" is relatively new. Home of one of the wildest celebrations in America, New Orleans is a city of life and passion. The nation witnessed that first hand after mother nature showed no remorse with Katrina.

"The Big Easy" wasn't a term anyone used that much until the '70s. A newspaper columnist by the name of Betty Guillaud used the phrase as a response to New York's "Big Apple." It soon caught on after a titled The Big Easy starring Dennis Quaid came released in 1986.

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Chicago - Windy City

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Chicago could have earned its nickname in several manners, so here's the first way. New York and Chicago were in a battle to host the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition when New York Sun editor Charles A. Dana dismissed Chicago as "that windy city."

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Now, it could have also stemmed from Cincinnati, and it wasn't a compliment. They used it in a way that described the weather and the shady politicians. Either way you look at it another city is to blame for this nickname.

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Portland - Rip City

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It seems like a morbid name, but the origins of Rip City aren't bad at all. Portland Oregon has sports to thank for this interesting name, but more specifically, commentator Bill Schonely.

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During an intense basketball game featuring the Portland Trail Blazers in the '70s, Schonely lost all control. The Blazers lost the lead and were down, so they needed some magic to get back in the game. Soon enough, Jim Barnett made a game-tying shot, and as the ball went in, listeners get an earful of "Rip City, all right!" The rest is history.

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San Fransico - Frisco

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The most expensive city to live in has one of the shortest nicknames. Natives aren't all that fond of "Frisco," and where it stems from has much to do with that.

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A New Englander wrote a judgy letter in 1849 and used the abbreviation in it. Since then, it began showing up in books and Irving Berling songs. Soon enough, a famous motorcycle gang began using it, and those aren't the kind of people you want to correct.

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Seattle - Emerald City

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Emerald City has a nice ring to it and would be a fitting name for many places. Seattle happened to luck up thanks to a 1982 contest held by the Seattle King County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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They challenged the citizens to conceive a proper nickname for the city, and Emerald City took home the honors. The entry read, "the jewel of the Northwest, the queen of the Evergreen State, the many-faceted city of space, elegance, magic, and beauty."

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Detroit - Motor City

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Detroit's nickname origins might be a bit obvious, but not all the way. If you think it's because of all the cars, you guessed correctly. Henry Ford and Ransom Olds were already based in Michigan, so that's where they decided to stay when they began building the auto industry.

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When people started moving there for all the work, it caused the city to grow. It was a symbiotic relationship, so people began to dub Detroit "Motor City."

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Philadelphia - City of Brotherly Love

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Is this a city filled with brothers? Not really, the nickname comes from the city's name itself. In Greek, Philos is love, and adelphos translates to "brother." What happens when you put the two together?

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The Quaker William Penn wanted to name it that because he wanted his city to be friendly, kind, and somewhere all religions had a place. That was how he operated, and it's one of the more delightful stories we've heard in a while.

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Boston - Beantown

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Boston's nickname could come from multiple sources. Beantown could stem from Boston's baked beans, the treats the Pilgrims got from the Native Americans in the 1600s. While that could be the case, there's another reason too.

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During the Civil War, veterans held a convention where all the vets received tiny bean pots as souvenirs. When people asked where they got them, the men would supposedly reply, "Beantown." Go with whatever floats your boat; we're not here to judge.

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Miami - Magic City

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If you think Miami gets called Magic City thanks to some wizard or magician, that's not the case, and we're upset. The Florida city became Magic City because it became a place seemingly overnight.

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A wealthy widow by the name of Julia Tuttle bought a citrus plantation and moved there before it was anything. She then convinced her wealthy friends to make the railroad there longer, build power systems and streets and throw in a resort. Soon enough, the city became incorporated, and people showed up in packs.

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Dallas - The Big D

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Before you burst into laughter, the Big D doesn't refer to anything other than the city's size. That nickname dates back a few decades as well, since at least the '30s.

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The Big D figured into the Bonnie and Clyde saga, so there's that. The alternative name also received its own number in a musical called The Most Happy Fella. Which leads us to ask, why exactly is he the happiest guy. We may never find out that answer.

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Las Vegas - Sin City

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Well, what better nickname could anyone have thought of for a place that hosts bachelor parties every night? Oh, and there's this slogan they have, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

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Good luck going solely for the casinos, when every ten paces a man hands you a card giving you free entry at the nearest club with one drink purchase. Sin City is the perfect nickname for a place like this, and there's no denying that. The Las Vegas Sun thinks the name stems from an early 20th-century brothel.

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Atlanta - Hotlanta

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If you've only resided in cities that don't get muggy and if you've also never visited one, then you're blessed. For those who know what it feels like to step into a smoldering heat thanks to the sun and then the added humidity, you understand why Atlanta gets called "Hotlanta."

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You can also thank the Allman Brothers Band, who help bring the name mainstream by making a song called "Hot 'Lanta" in 1971. Thank you, Allman Brothers Band.

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Pittsburgh - Steel City

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In case you have no clue about the history of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, here's a little lesson. It's an industrial city that has a past of steel production. Are the dots starting to connect now?

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You can date this back to the late 1800s after Andrew Carnegie took his Carnegie Steel Company to the city. The company provided tons of jobs to the locals, so why wouldn't they make Steel City the nickname? It's almost as obvious as Sin City.

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Houston - Space City

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In what is one of the most famous catchphrases, one could put two and two together and figure out why they call Houston Space City. The nickname isn't as popular as it used to be, though, so we'll cut some slack.

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You can find the Johnson Space Center in Houston, which is an integral part of the city. In case you were unaware of what catchphrase we mentioned above, then Houston, we have a problem.

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Denver - Mile High City

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Denver, the city where athletes with lung conditions can't play because of the abnormal elevation. People will probably warn you about the altitude change there if you tell them you're going.

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It isn't something to start small talk, either. Denver is exactly one-mile high. It's one of the nicknames that makes the most sense. This also gives the athletes who play there a slight advantage when they play at regular altitude because they're used to rougher conditions.

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New York - The Big Apple

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Well, why do they call New York the Big Apple? While "big apple" predates its history with New York, it doesn't surprise that it became attached to the city that never sleeps.

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The New York Public Library describes the phrase comes from the 1800s to illustrate "something regarded as the most significant of its kind; an object of desire and ambition." Edward Martin referred to New York as the "big apple" when compared to other cities.

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Baltimore - Charm City

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It's head-scratching when you think about it. How can a place with the reputation of Baltimore could have a nickname like "Charm City?" Well, an ad campaign is how come in this situation.

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Mayor William Donald Schaefer called upon the cities best marketing heads in 1975 in hopes of helping the poor image Baltimore had. Bill Evans came up with, "Baltimore has more history, and unspoiled charm tucked away in quiet corners than most American cities out in the spotlight." Would you figure that?

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Los Angeles - City of Angels

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Now, we could dive deep into how angels swarmed into Los Angeles in prehistoric times to fight off evil spirits. We could also say that the Angels MLB team was the most loved professional team at one point, so they earned the nickname.

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We would enjoy to tell you any of those made up iterations, but we hoped that your Spanish was up to par. Los Angeles means angels when you translate it; therefore, you get the City of Angels.

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Amsterdam - Venice of the North

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Amsterdam is a tourist haven, but for a good reason. There are over 165 canals in the city limits. Due to that, it respectfully earned the nickname Venice of the North.

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If you're there visiting, be prepared for one of the more serene scenes. The city has over 90 islands and 1,500 bridges, so if you go on a bike ride, you're in for one of the most picturesque trips you've gone on in a while.

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Paris - The City of Light

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Paris is one of the most beautiful locations in the world. It earned the nickname of The City of Light, but not for the reason you may think. While the destination does light up when the sun falls, from bridges to hotels, the name has historical origins.

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Remember the Age of Enlightenment? Well, Paris played a leading role during that era, hence the nickname. Paris was also one of the first cities to use gas street lighting in Europe.