# City Nomenclature **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230 "2001-04-08T05:30:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![IBBen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85f322/32.png) [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/1 "2001-04-08T05:30:22Z")
Seattlite: One who lives in Seattle,WA. I have lived in many other cities, including Aberdeen (I was an Aberdonian) and my real home town Cosmopolis (you’d better believe it, I was a Cosmopolite) Is there a rule I can easily apply to all city names? Is there a grammatical equation to determine the suffix? **If you answer this thread, please tell me what you call people who live in your town.** ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/2 "2001-04-08T12:19:45Z")
I don’t think there’s any set rule – it depends on usage and history. I come from Auckland, New Zealand. We call ourselves Aucklanders. Rotorua, near the centre of the island has Rotoruans. We call the folk from Wellington, Wellingtonians. Everywhere else pretty well makes do with, “Hi, I’m from (insert town/city name here).” ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/3 "2001-04-08T12:42:35Z")
My google searches have not turned up any straight grammar rules regarding the nicknames for city residents. [This site](http://www.geobop.com/World/NA/Topics/People/Names/index.htm) is the closest I’ve come, with a listing of nicknames for the residents of US states. In a lot of cases, I think it comes down to what sounds best. I don’t know that people from Baltimore would appreciate being referred to as **Baltimorons**. And in answer to your question, I am from **Atlanta, Georgia** making me an **Atlantan** and a **Georgian** , though in the past I have been a **Chattanoogan** , a **Nashvillian** , a **Jacksonian** and a **Mainer**. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/4 "2001-04-08T15:33:35Z")
Buffalo, New York - **Buffalonian** Denver, Colorado - **Denverite** Las Cruces, New Mexico - **Las Cruceno / Las Crucena** ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/5 "2001-04-08T16:08:18Z")
Are we speaking just of US cities? I don’t believe there’s any standard rules governing the suffixes. Cambridge, Mass., residents are **Cantebridgians** (sp?) Same for Cambridge, England. The word comes from the old name for Cambridge, Cantebridge. We had a thread on British place names, and some of the examples were: Glasgow-Glaswegians, Manchester-Mancunians, Liverpool-Liverpudlian. And, believe it or not, in the land of Oz, Tasmanian is also Taswegian. And for your other questions, I am from Chicago, IL, hence a **Chicagoan** and **Illinoisan** I currently reside in Budapest, and the English speakers can’t seem to seetle on which sounds better: Budapester or Budapestian. I think the former is the one used more often. Heck, why not Budapeswegian? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/6 "2001-04-08T16:37:15Z")
I’m a Sydneysider. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/7 "2001-04-08T16:39:01Z")
If there is a supposed rule, it’s going to get broken a lot as people dream up things that promulgate some inside joke, point to some source of civic pride, or produce some play on words, like Phoenix - Phoenician. There seems to me to be a distinct lack of these things around the Bay Area. Many people just say they’re from the Bay Area, rather than \. Radio announcers and so on seem use things like “Bay Area people” rather than any abbreviation. Maybe because “Bay Arean” would be the natural construct, but it has unfortunate phonetic properties. In the East Bay you do hear “Oaklander” or “Berkeleyite”. And you sometimes hear “San Franciscan”, but not as often. I have never heard one for San Jose. None of the possible endings work very well, because of that ending. ---
**Author:** ![Tzel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Tzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzel)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/8 "2001-04-08T17:11:59Z")
**Liverpool** =\> **Liverpudlian** ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/9 "2001-04-08T17:29:04Z")
I suppose I would be called a New Jerseyan, but I usually refer to myself as a **Jersey Girl**. 🙂 There is a town outside of Pittsburgh called Mars. You’d think they called themselves **Martians**. But no, they call themselves **Marsians (“Mars-Ians”)**. Makes me so sad. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/10 "2001-04-08T17:57:54Z")
I’ve been: A New Yorker A Rochesterian An Ithacan ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/11 "2001-04-08T18:08:55Z")
I went to high school in Plano, Texas. The media referred to citizens of this burg as **Planoites** , although my high-school yearbook was the _ **Planonian** _. I’ve also been an **Angeleno** (from Los Angeles), an **Abilenian** from Abilene (Texas, although it could also be applied to Kansas), and a **St. Paulite**. People from the opposite side of the Mississippi are called **Minneapolitans**. On a related topic, what are people from Massachusetts and Connecticut called? Robin ---
**Author:** ![IBBen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85f322/32.png) [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/12 "2001-04-08T18:33:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MsRobyn \* > **On a related topic, what are people from Massachusetts and Connecticut called?** According to the illuminating page submitted by Lsura earlier in this thread: Massachusetts - Bay Staters Connecticut - Nutmeggers Thank you all for posting, this is something I have always been curious about. I work in the transportation industry and often wonder about town names I see. Can every city in the world have an individual and personifying suffix? I am still wondering if there is some rhyme or reason to this? p.s. After posting, I realized my spelling error and come to you now, proud to be a Seattleite (however considering my proximity to Boeing, Seattlite has a galactic ring to it :)) ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/13 "2001-04-08T18:58:45Z")
So far I’ve been a Cleveland **er** , a New Haven **ite** , and a New York **er** (both Manhattan **ite** and Brooklyn **ite**.) ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/14 "2001-04-08T19:16:31Z")
[What are the people in your state called?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=24678) I don’t think I can be a Washingtonian, that is probably reserved for people from the Incessant Nagging Drissle State in the northwest. I guess I would have to be a Districted Columbian? A long time ago I was a Marylandian, uh- Marylandite. Er, Marylinder. In the future I look forward to being a Floridian or Lower Carolinian. And since I refuse to allow myself to be called a Texan, I may some day be an Austinian. Would I be a Mexican if I moved to Mexico? ---
**Author:** ![IBBen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85f322/32.png) [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/15 "2001-04-08T19:49:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Attrayant \* > \*\*[Would I be a Mexican if I moved to Mexico? \*\* I’m Russian to find the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Ankh\_Too](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Ankh\_Too](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ankh_Too)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/16 "2001-04-08T20:03:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\*There is a town outside of Pittsburgh called Mars. You’d think they called themselves **Martians**. But no, they call themselves **Marsians (“Mars-Ians”)**. Makes me so sad. \*\* [minor hijack] Ummm, trust me on this, no one describes themselves as **Marsians** in casual conversation. It takes too damn long to explain that there really is a town named Mars. Yes, it’s the only one in the country as far as we’re aware. No, we don’t all have little antennae. No, I’m not joking, I’m really from Mars, do you want a look at my driver’s license? _No one from Jupiter Florida has to go through this when they tell people where they’re from, you know._ When possible it was left at “A little town just north of Pittsburgh.” Then, if the person asked, the annoying details would be disclosed. On the plus side, the High School teams are named “The Fighting Planets”. [/minor hijack] ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/17 "2001-04-08T20:30:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MsRobyn \* > \*\*I went to high school in Plano, Texas. The media referred to citizens of this burg as **Planoites** , although my high-school yearbook was the _ **Planonian** _. > … > Robin \*\* At least they didn’t come up with “Planarians”. And here come the Fighting Flatworms … ---
**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/18 "2001-04-08T20:50:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MsRobyn \* > \*\*\ > On a related topic, what are people from Massachusetts called? > \*\* Mass-Holes 😉 Massachussetts is also know as Taxachussetts by those of us who live here. In regards to the OP, I think it is just whatever sounds good. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/19 "2001-04-08T21:17:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lsura \* > \*\*In a lot of cases, I think it comes down to what sounds best. I don’t know that people from Baltimore would appreciate being referred to as **Baltimorons**. > \*\* Well, I am a **Baltimorean** , but there are quite a few **Balti-Morons** running around. ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2001, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230/20 "2001-04-08T21:45:26Z")
Jacksonville = Jacksonvillan ? Which has an unforunate shady sound to it. But I guess all of the cities ending in --ville have this problem. Also, since we abbreviate our name Jax, we sometimes call ourselves Jaxons. [hijack]The Chamber of Commerce and visitor board (whatever) has gone thru several nicknames: Bold New City of the South (when the city and county governments consolidated into 1 gov’t); River City by the Sea (St. Johns River runs thru heart of downtown, Atlantic Ocean is our eastern boundary); and the current nom de place: Florida’s First Coast, which includes St. Augustine, about 40 miles to the south, thus encompassing the first Euro-settlement in America (Fort Caroline, 1562, near the mouth of the St. Johns River, now inside Jacksonville) and the first permanant Euro-settlement in America: St. Augustine (1565), the latter’s Spaniards wiped out our French Huegenots (sp?). [/hijack] quote: \*\*\ Originally posted by MsRobyn On a related topic, what are people from Massachusetts called? \*\* I’ve also heard “A Mass of Two (4-letter vulgarism for excrement)” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nomenclature/61230.md?page=2)