# Liverpool **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 3, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899 "2005-01-03T21:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/21 "2005-01-03T23:21:30Z")
‘Pompey’ is another mystery (or another origin of numerous urban myths). Other than the Naval connection, nothing is certain. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/22 "2005-01-04T13:40:34Z")
As far as the possible origins of the name are concerned, it’s important to realise that the medieval town was built alongside an inlet called the Pool. This was the mouth of a tributary into the Mersey and formed the city’s initial harbour. The Pool was eventually filled in during the early part of the 17th century and so the original contours aren’t apparent in the first detailed map of the city, that by Chadwick in 1725. However, its location can be deduced from the continuity of the surrounding street names and the area has also been reasonably excavated, since most of it underwent postwar development (the police station, the courts, the main road etc.). On [this modern map](http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=334442&y=389945&z=1&sv=canning+place&st=6&tl=Canning+Place,+Liverpool,+L_1&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf), the main part of the Pool roughly corresponds to Canning Place (arrowed), with the river coming in along the line of Paradise Street. Note that the original shoreline of the Mersey would have pretty much run along what’s now the A5036. Regarding the name itself, the oldest surviving document using it is King John’s charter of 1207, in which the spelling is “Liverpul”, though the known existence of the town can be pushed back a little before that. There are detailed reconstructed maps of the Pool and the medieval town - together with reproductions of the charter and the 1725 map, plus lots else - in the Archaeological Survey of Merseyside’s _The Changing Face of Liverpool, 1207-1727_ (Merseyside Archaeological Society, 1981). ---
**Author:** ![Ponster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponster/32/17081_2.png) [@Ponster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponster)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/23 "2005-01-04T14:15:56Z")
Well after all that I guess that **GorillaMan** has the clearest answer, either from Welsh or old English. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/24 "2005-01-04T15:19:36Z")
By the way, the “liver bird” is not pronounced as in “liver”, the organ, but as “lye-ver”, to rhyme with Macgyver. But it’s not “Lye-ver-pool”, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/25 "2005-01-04T18:45:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Wigan - ? > Reading - Royals > Leeds - ? > Coventry - ? > Notts Forest - Forest (ffffft) > Rotherham - ? Wigan claim to be the “Latics”, but are competing with Oldham Athletic on that one. Rotherham are the “Millers”. Coventry are the “Sky Blues”. Leeds are either the “Whites” or just “United”. Reading used to be the “Biscuitmen”. More: Barnsley - Tykes Blackpool - Tangerines Bournemouth - Cherries Bradford City - Bantams Brentford - Bees Bristol City - Robins Chesterfield - Spireites Colchester United - U’s Hartlepool United - Pool Huddersfield Town - Terriers Hull City - Tigers Luton Town - Hatters Oldham Athletic - Latics Peterborough United - Posh Port Vale - Valiants Sheffield Wednesday - Owls Stockport County - County (may have been “Hatters” at one time too) Swindon Town - Robins Torquay United - Gulls Tranmere Rovers - Rovers Walsall - Saddlers Wimbledon/MK Dons - Dons Wrexham - Robins Bury - Shakers Darlington - Quakers Kidderminster Harriers - Harriers Leyton Orient - O’s Lincoln City - Imps Mansfield - Stags Northampton - Cobblers Notts County - Magpies Rochdale - Dale Rushden & Diamonds - Diamonds Scunthorpe - Iron Shrewsbury - Shrews Wycombe - Chairboys ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/26 "2005-01-04T19:00:00Z")
I notice that Scunthorpe are called _Iron_. The non-league team where I used to live , Braintree, also have that nickname. This is because they were originally a factory team formed by workers from an iron foundry. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/27 "2005-01-04T20:18:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Wigan - ? Their local name (to non-supporters of course) was “Wigan Pathetic”, although they’re not that pathetic anymore 😛 Most people refer to them as the Latics around here. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/28 "2005-01-04T20:20:21Z")
> [@](#): > > Blackpool - Tangerines Really? I thought they were the “seasiders”? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/29 "2005-01-04T20:34:50Z")
Both, I think. Us Oldham fans refer to Wigan as the “Plastic Latics” due to the club’s relative lack of history. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/30 "2005-01-04T20:50:12Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > Really? I thought they were the “seasiders”? Yes,so did I. By the way, no points for for the nickname of my team, Swansea, but one point for what they call the supporters. Please keep it clean 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/31 "2005-01-04T22:03:30Z")
> [@Ponster](#): > > Well after all that I guess that **GorillaMan** has the clearest answer, either from Welsh or old English. Agreed. But, more often than not, context is usual crucial in explaining why the clearest answer, even if properly equivocal in this case, remotely begins to be plausible. Particularly if that’s only (entirely usefully) been Googled. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/32 "2005-01-04T22:12:09Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I was omitting ‘nickname = colour of strip’, because they’re boring and repetitive (how many blues are there?). I guess that frees up Birmingham and Liverpool as newly-nicknameless, and at a push Burnley and even Norwich, although that’s a bit harsh. Quite, and there is absolutely no need for anyone to be harsh towards Burnley. We’re very good at doing that ourselves, thankyouverymuch. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/33 "2005-01-04T23:02:21Z")
I was a Leeds United fan when I was a kid (they were a top team at the time, and I’m not talking about 1992) and ISTR their nickname then was the Peacocks. Not the coolest sounding nickname, so perhaps they’ve quietly dropped it. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/34 "2005-01-04T23:17:09Z")
> [@Zcrysis](#): > > Bolton are the Trotters I thought Bolton were the Wanderers? Newcastle officially is called The Magpies, but I have also seen them called Toon and the Geordies. ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/35 "2005-01-04T23:54:33Z")
Yeah Toon is Geordie slang for Town (i.e. Newcastle the place) Geordies are to Newcastle what Scousers are to Liverpool. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/36 "2005-01-05T00:03:35Z")
> [@bluecanary](#): > > Yeah Toon is Geordie slang for Town (i.e. Newcastle the place) > > Geordies are to Newcastle what Scousers are to Liverpool. See, even as an American I know about Geordies. They’re the folk that speak some totally incomprehensible thing that sounds sort of like English. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/37 "2005-01-05T00:05:19Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > See, even as an American I know about Geordies. They’re the folk that speak some totally incomprehensible thing that sounds sort of like English. > > 😉 I thought that was the Scots… ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/38 "2005-01-05T21:55:56Z")
Geordie dialect isn’t a million miles from Scots. Once you get used to it you can tell the difference but it’s hard to tell them apart at first (or so I’ve heard). ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/39 "2005-02-17T12:09:33Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > I thought Bolton were the Wanderers? > > Newcastle officially is called The Magpies, but I have also seen them called Toon and the Geordies. The name of the Club is Bolton Wanderers, but the club nickname is the Trotters, in the same way that Man Utd are the Red Devils ---
**Author:** ![InvidiousCourgette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@InvidiousCourgette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InvidiousCourgette)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899/40 "2005-02-17T12:40:50Z")
> [@One And Only Wanderers](#): > > The name of the Club is Bolton Wanderers, but the club nickname is the Trotters, in the same way that Man Utd are the Red Devils The other nickname for Man Utd is of course The Scum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liverpool/282899.md?page=3)