# Suffixes for inhabitants of a place: any rule? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519 "2003-09-19T01:32:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/1 "2003-09-19T01:32:20Z")
Is there a consistant rule for what suffix should be used with a place name to denote an inhabitant of that place? e.g., If I’m from the planet Terra, does that make me a Terran, a Terrian, a Terraed, a Territe, a Terraling, etc. ? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/2 "2003-09-19T01:42:52Z")
Since people in Maine are called Maniacs (not really) and people in Baltimore are called Baltimorons (hey, just kidding), I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/3 "2003-09-19T02:11:57Z")
If there is a rule, it must be one with a LOT of exceptions, I think. Fife - Fifer Aberdeen - Aberdonian New York - New Yorker Glasgow - Glaswegian Boston - Bostonian ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/4 "2003-09-19T02:14:36Z")
ah - forgot the Liverpool - Liverpudlian one ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/5 "2003-09-19T02:37:41Z")
I think there is no hard and fast rule and that what becomes the accepted appellation results from a combination of a general pool of suffixes (-ian, -ite, -er, etc.) being subjected to the accepted use/aural aesthetic test. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/6 "2003-09-19T06:08:55Z")
Manchester - Mancunian The rule is that people are to be known by whatever name they themselves prefer. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/7 "2003-09-19T10:40:39Z")
> **[List of adjectival and demonymic forms of place names](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_adjectival_forms_of_place_names)** > > The following is a partial list of adjectival forms of place names in English and their demonymic equivalents, which denote the people or the inhabitants of these places. > Note: Demonyms are given in plural forms. Singular forms simply remove the final 's' or, in the case of -ese endings, are the same as the plural forms. > The ending -men has feminine equivalent -women (e.g. an Irishman and a Scotswoman). The French terminations -ois / ais serve as both the singular and plural masculine; adding 'e... Some are pretty irregular and some are just funny. Here’s some from the UK. Liverpool - Scouser Lancaster - Lancastrian Newcastle - Geordie Birmingham - Brummie NB: This is what we actually use, I (and wiki) haven’t just made them up. AFAIK you truncate the place name and add each suffix used anywhere else until you find something that sounds good, and you stick with it. I think the convention for Terra is Terran, but that’s mainly from bad sci-fi. Some suffices are quite common, eg. -an, or -ese, you could just pick one of those. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/8 "2003-09-19T12:15:26Z")
There is no rule. The suffix is chosen for the sake of euphony and by what the inhabitants decide to use. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/9 "2003-09-19T14:10:13Z")
Good luck in English. As far as I can tell it’s a combination of euphony (sounds right), what the inhabitants decide to use, accepted historical use, whatever rules the _originating language_ used if the word is imported (and the word may not be even imported from referred place, but from a middleman), etc., + whatever pronunciation “drift” may happen. I am rather pleased by the term used in Spanish SF for dwellers of this planet, “Terrícola” (lifted straight from Latin) ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/10 "2003-09-19T14:21:43Z")
It’s strange how it works out. You’d think “Floridan” would be perfectly acceptable, but “Floridian” rules instead. And, there’s probably no reason why they couldn’t be “Japanians,” but that looks and sounds terrible, while “Japanese” is just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/11 "2003-09-19T14:41:51Z")
Is it true that Michigan residents are Michiganders? The -an vs. -ian doesn’t appear to follow any rule beyond tradition or local preference. Alabama = Alabamian Arkansas = Arkansan Minnesota = Minnesotan What about: Arizona Kansas Iowa Illinois? I know that Tennessee = Tennessean Kentucky = Kentuckian X Carolina = X Carolinian Mississippi = Mississipian Texas = Texan (duh!) Is a New Mexico resident a New Mexican? Which place has the least similarity to its place name? ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/12 "2003-09-19T15:17:43Z")
Here’s a list for all the states: [http://www.geobop.com/World/NA/Topics/People/Names/](http://www.geobop.com/World/NA/Topics/People/Names/) (Are Connecticut residents _really_ called Nutmeggers, though?) ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/13 "2003-09-19T20:45:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiver \* > \*\*It’s strange how it works out. You’d think “Floridan” would be perfectly acceptable, but “Floridian” rules instead. > > And, there’s probably no reason why they couldn’t be “Japanians,” but that looks and sounds terrible, while “Japanese” is just fine. \*\* “Floridian” rolls off the tongue more easily. It’s more euphonious. We used to call people who lived in Japan “Japs,” but that’s derogatory now. It was derogatory then but it was OK then. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/14 "2003-09-19T21:07:36Z")
I say Japanzies. But only to my husband. No offense intended. People from Tampa are Tampons. People from Plano are Plano Texans. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/15 "2003-09-19T21:10:07Z")
As a United Stateser, born and raised Californish, I couldn’t agree more. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/16 "2003-09-19T22:41:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zeldar \* > \*\* > Is a New Mexico resident a New Mexican? > > \*\* As far as I know, yes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything different–other than the Spanish version, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/17 "2003-09-19T22:47:23Z")
Yes, **Zeldar** , folks from New Mexico are New Mexicans. Most names for local inhabitants probably **can** be said to come down to phonological rules. Within a given language, some suffixes simply sound right and proper following a given root word (in this case, the place name), and others just don’t work. So even though it ultimately comes down to whatever is accepted by the majority, it starts with what sounds appealing. I went to college in Dallas, where a lot of people cringed when they heard “Dallasite”, but never suggested anything better. After all, what were their alternatives? - Dallasan - Dallasian - Dallaser None of them sounds very appealing to me, but there seemed to be a consensus among those I talked to that “Dallasite” was the least of the available evils. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/18 "2003-09-20T01:53:34Z")
> [@](#): > > Is it true that Michigan residents are Michiganders? Yes, tho’ you also hear “Michiganian” used. Contrary to what that list says, however, we do **not** call ourselves “Wolverines.” That’s the University of Michigan’s team nickname. As for the oddball ones: people from Ohio are “Buckeyes,” People from Indiana are “Hoosiers,” and I’ve heard people from Maine called “Down Easters” (No, I don’t know who the Up Easters are 🙂 ) Can we get a resident of Connecticut in here to confirm that people there actually call themselves “Nutmeggers”? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/19 "2003-09-20T13:08:08Z")
Speaking of confirmation on what that link says, is there anyone from Alabama who thinks Alabaman is right? I used to grow up there and everybody I had any dealings with called themselves Alabamians. That’s why I made the comments I did in my first post here. I heard it said while we were in Maine on vacation that “down East” is in reference to the Maine coast, which, for the other residents in the state is both “down” and “east.” ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519/20 "2003-09-22T14:30:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kizarvexius \* > I went to college in Dallas, where a lot of people cringed when they heard “Dallasite”, but never suggested anything better. After all, what were their alternatives? > > - Dallasan > - Dallasian > - Dallaser > > None of them sounds very appealing to me, but there seemed to be a consensus among those I talked to that “Dallasite” was the least of the available evils. \*\* Dallese? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suffixes-for-inhabitants-of-a-place-any-rule/202519.md?page=2)