List of British regional nicknames
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In addition to formal demonyms, many nicknames are used for residents of the different settlements and 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 : Aberdonians (demonym), Dorics, Donians (Aberdeen F. C. football team are nicknamed The Dons), Sheep-shaggers (pejorative)[1]
- Accrington : Akkies, Ringpieces (pejorative)[2]
- Acle : Asses[3]
- Alton : Brewers (after the former industry)[4]
- Aldbourne : Dabchicks[5]
- Arbroath : Red Lichties, Lichties, Codheids[6]
- Arundel : Mullets[7]
- Bacup : Buttercups,[8]
- Barnsley : Colliers,[5] Barnzolians (demonym)
- Barnstaple : Barneys (pejorative when alluding to Barney Rubble of the Flintstones)[9]
- Barnoldswick : Barlickers[10]
- Belfast : McCooeys (from a radio series featuring a family of that name),[11] Dunchers (refers to a type of cap)[12]
- Berwick-upon-Tweed: Tweedsiders, Wee Gers (from the football club, Berwick Rangers F. C.), Smacks (refers to a type of boat)[13]
- Bideford : Biddies, Little Whiteys (from the town's nickname “Little White Town”, falsely deprecated owing to apparent racist connotation)[14]
- Birkenhead : Birkos, One-eyes, Plastic Scousers (or Plazzies)[15]
- Birmingham : Brummies[16][5]
- Black Country : Yam Yams[5][17]
- Blackburn : Dodos[18][5]
- Blackpool : sandgronians,[5] Blackpudlians (demonym)
- Bognor Regis : Boggers, Bog Buggers (pejorative, alludes to the last words of King George V)[19]
- Bolton : Trotters (originally a football term, it is now used to describe anyone from Bolton and surrounding area), Noblot (collective noun, anagram for Bolton)[20]
- Bootle : Bootlickers, Bugs-in-Clogs[21]
- Bradford-on-Avon : Gudgeons[18][5]
- Bridgwater : Smellophaners[22]
- Bridport : Ropeys (after the former rope-making industry), Silly Bees (from the Bridport F. C. football club)[23]
- Brighton : Brightonian - pronounced Bri-tonian, Jugs (archaic),[24]
- Bristol : Bristolians, Brizzlies, Wurzels, Piss-tools (pejorative)[25]
- Britain : Limeys in Canada and the United States:[26] Pommies in Australia and New Zealand:[27] Les Rosbifs in France[28]
- Tommy, Island Monkey in Germany[29]
- Broadstairs : Bradstows (former name)[30]
- Buckie : Blethers, Tonics (from Buckfast Tonic Wine)[31]
- Burgess Hill : Buggers-Holes[32]
- Burnley : Burnleyites (demonym), Dingles (pejorative, by people from other Lancashire towns, notably Blackburn. From a family in the Emmerdale soap opera, set in Yorkshire)[33]
- Bury : Shakers (originally a football term, it is now used to describe anyone from Bury and surrounding area)[34]
C–D
- Caernarfon : Cofi[35]
- Caithness : Gallach[36]
- Calne : Lilywhites (from Calne Town F. C. football club), Sausages (from former industry)[37]
- Ceredigion : Cardi[38][5]
- Chatham : Chavs[39]
- Chesterfield : Spireites[40]
- Chippenham : Ham-and-Chips, Washbasins (from town nickname of Little Bath)[41]
- Cleethorpes : Meggies[42]
- Clevedon : Clefts[43]
- Colerne : Hoof-polishers[44][5]
- Congleton : Beartowners,[45]
- Copthorne : Yellow-bellies[18][5]
- Crawley : Creepy Crawlies, Insects[46]
- Darwen : Darreners (from old pronunciation)[47]
- Derby : Derbians
- Dorset : Dorset Knobs (from the famous biscuit), Dumplings[48]
- Dumfries : Doonhamers,[5] Queenies (after the Queen of the South F. C. football club)[49]
- Dundee : Dundonians (demonym), Coagies[18][5]
- Duns : Dingers[50]
E–G
- Eastbourne : Winnicks or Willicks (dialect name of a guillemot or wild person),[51]
- East Kilbride : Polo Mints (the town has too many roundabouts)[52]
- England : Sassenachs (used by Scottish and Irish: Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic word "Sasannach", meaning "Saxon"), Sassies, Red Coats, Inglish,[53] Poms (Australia)
- Epsom : Salts, Shitters (the spa water contains Epsom salts -a drastic purgative.[54]
- Essex : Essex Calves (archaic),[55]
- Exmouth : Sex-bots[56]
- Falkirk : Bairns
- Fife : Fifers, Canny Fifers[57] (in reference to a supposed unscrupulous nature)
- Forfar : Brosies,[58] Loons (particularly Forfar Athletic supporters)
- Fraserburgh : Brochers[59][5] (not to be confused with people from Burghead), Puddlestinkers[31]
- Frinton-on-Sea : Master Gaters (pejorative: the town used to hide behind a set of railway crossing gates), Incontinents (from the old tag “Harwich for the Continent, Frinton for the Incontinent”)[60]
- Galashiels : Pail Merks, Pailies[5] (from the claim that Gala was the last major town in Scotland to have plumbing or running water, and so used buckets as toilets) [61]
- Galloway : Gallovidians (demonym), Galwegians (demonym, also used for Galway)
- Glasgow : Glaswegian, Keelies,[62][63] Weegies[64][5]
- Gosport : Turks[65]
- Great Harwood : Turbans (the town used to weave them)[66]
- Great Yarmouth : Yarcos[67]
- Guernsey : Les Ânes[5]
H–K
- Hailsham : Stringers (from former rope and string industry)[68]
- Harpenden : Harps, Hard-ons (from old pronunciation “Harden”.[69] Acronym HARPENDEN Hot And Randy Persons Enjoying Naked Delights Every Night)
- Hartlepool : Poolies, Monkey Hangers[5][70]
- Harwich : Shrimpers (from the Harwich & Parkeston F. C. football club)
- Haverfordwest : Long-necks[71]
- Hawick : Teris[72]
- Haydock : Yickers[73]
- Hazel Grove : Bullocks (the original name was Bullock Smithy),[74]
- Hertford : Her-farts[75]
- Heswall : Hezzies
- Hexham : Birnies[76]
- Heywood : Monkeys[77]
- 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[78]
- Inverness : Sneckies[79]
- Isle of Wight : Caulkhead[5]
- Jedburgh : Jetharts, Jeddarts, Jobbies[80]
- Jersey : Les Crapauds[5]
- Kilbarchan : Habbies[81]
- Kent : Long-Tails[5]
L
- Lauder : Lousies[80]
- Leeds : Leodensian (demonyn), Loiners[82][5]
- Leicestershire : Rat-eyes, Chisits, Beanbellys,[5] Leicesterites[83]
- Leigh : Leythers, Lobby Gobblers (from lobby)[84][5]
- Lincolnshire : Yellow Bellies[5](after pool frogs once common in the Lincolnshire and East Anglian Fens)[85]
- Linlithgow : Black Bitches, from the burgh coat of arms
- Littlehampton : LA, from the local accent being unable to pronounce the 'h' in Hampton[86]
- Liverpool : Liverpudlian (demonym), Lillipudlian, Scousers (from the stew known as scouse),[87][88][5]
- Plastic Scousers or Plazzies (a person who falsely claims to be from Liverpool)
- Woolybacks or Wools (a person from the surrounding areas of Liverpool,[5] especially St Helens, Warrington, Widnes, or the Wirral)<
- Llanelli : Turks[89][5]
- London : Cockneys (Traditionally those born within the sound of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside), Londoners
- Lossiemouth : Codheids, Gollachs (meaning an earwig)[90]
- Lowestoft : Puds[18][5]
- Luton : Hatters, Looneys, Harpic Dodgers (pejorative, equating the town to a toilet -a brand of one named after the town does exist, made by Johnson Suisse)[91]
M–N
- Macclesfield : Maxies,[92]
- Mansfield : Mannies, Stags, Deer Botherers, Scabs - offensive, linked to the divisions during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985).[40]
- Malmesbury : Jackdaws,[5] Smarmies, Marmites[93]
- Middlesbrough : Smoggies.[94]
- Middleton : Moonrakers, Piddly Middlies (pejorative)[95]
- Millport, Great Cumbrae : Millportonian (demonym)[96]
- Morecambe : Sandgronians[18][5]
- Nantwich : Dabbers,[97][5]
- Newcastle-under-Lyme : Not-pots (no pottery industry there, and the town has denied any connection with Stoke) [98]
- Newcastle upon Tyne : Geordies[5]
- Newquay : Peppermints (from the Newquay A.F.C. football club), Blisters (from the old Cornish name of Towan Blystra)[99]
- Norfolk : Norfolk Dumplings ("Dumplings being a favourite food in that county"),[100]
- North Wales : Gogs[101] North Walians[5]
- Northampton : Cobblers[5]
- Nuneaton: Codders, Treacle Towners[102][5]
O–R
- Oswaldtwistle : Gobbins (but only "above the lamp")[103]
- Padiham : Thick Necks[5][18]
- Paisley : Buddies[104][5]
- Peacehaven : Plotters,[105]
- Peterhead : Bluemogganers,[5] Blue Tooners[106]
- Plymouth : Janners. Originally a person who spoke with a Devon accent,[107][108] now simply any West Countryman.[107] In naval slang (where the place is referred to as Guz[109]), this is specifically a person from Plymouth.[108]
- Portsmouth : Pompey (collective, shared by the city, the naval base and the football club), Skates (pejorative, alluding to frustrated sailors raping skates)[110]
- Reedham : Rats[3]
- Rochdale : Bulldogs,[95]
- Rye :Mudlarks[111]
S
- St Albans : Snorbennies,[112]
- St Helens : Nellies, Woollybacks[113]
- Scotland : Scotties, Jocks,[114] Macs, Sweaties (offensive: from rhyming slang "Sweaty Sock" for Jock).
- Seaford : Shags (alludes to the bird, not the act)[115]
- Selkirk : Souters
- Shaw : Gorbies[116]
- Sheffield : Dee Dars,[5] North Midlanders, Steelmekkers[18]
- Skye : Sgitheanachs
- Slough : Sluffers, Paludians (Latin: Slough means "marsh")[117]
- Stoke-on-Trent : Potters, Clay Heads, Jug Heads[5]
- Sunderland : Mackems[5][118]
- Sutherland : Cattach
- Swansea : Jacks[5]
T–V
W
- Wales : Taffs [Mid/West Welsh] (sometimes considered offensive),[121] Taffies.[122]
- Walsall : Saddlers[5]
- Warrington : Wirepullers (after the local wire industry),[5] Wazzas, Wires,[123] Woolybacks or Wools (in Liverpool)
- Wednesfield : Wedgies,[92]
- West Bromwich : Baggies[124]
- Westhoughton : Keawyeds or Cowheads[5]
- Whitehaven : Jam Eater, Marra[5]
- Wick : Durdy Weekers,[125] Wickers
- Wigan : Pie-eaters[126]
- Wiltshire : Moonrakers[5]
- Worthing : Pork Bolters[111]
Y
See also
- List of regional nicknames
- Lists of nicknames – nickname list articles on Wikipedia
- Demonym