Most cities in the United States have nicknames, you are probably familiar with a few of these already, like New York City’s nickname, ‘The Big Apple.’  Nicknames are a familiar and sometimes funny way of referring to something (or someone).

Below I have listed 12 American cities and their nicknames.  For fun, you have to try and figure out which city goes with which nickname based on whatever you already know about these cities. Some of these matches are harder than others. After you have given this a try, look below for the answers and a little more information about some of these cities and how they got their nicknames.

1. Boston, MA                        a. The Windy City

2. Berkeley, CA                      b. America’s Playground

3. Los Angeles, CA                 c. Hotlanta

4. Denver, CO                         d. City of Lakes

5. Orlando, FL                        e. City of Angels

6. Atlanta, GA                         f. O-town

7. Chicago, IL                          g. Beantown

8. Kansas City, KS                  h. The Mile High City

9. New Orleans, LA                i. Philly

10. Las Vegas, NV                  j. The Heart of America

11. Detroit, MI                         k. Sin City

12. Minneapolis, MN             l. Gateway to the West

13. St. Louis, MO                    m. The Motor City

14. Atlantic City, NJ                n. Berzerkeley

15. Philadelphia, PA                o. NOLA

 

 

 

 

 

Answers:

1. g

2. n

3. e

4. h

5. f

6. c

7. a

8. j

9. o

10. k

11. m

12. d

13. l

14. b

15. I

 

 

 

Here is some more information about how some of these nicknames came about:

Atlanta/Hotlanta – This nickname comes from either the hot weather that Atlanta is known for having, or its exciting nightlife, some say it comes from both!

Kansas City/The Heart of America – This nickname comes from the fact that Kansas City is located right in the middle (or the heart) of the United States.

New Orleans/NOLA – NOLA is an abbreviation of the letters that make up the words New Orleans. This has become one of the most common ways people refer to this city today.

Las Vegas/Sin City – If you have ever been to Las Vegas you know where this nickname comes from; there are a lot of ways to get in trouble, spend/lose money, and do naughty things in Las Vegas, in other words there are many ways to sin.

Los Angeles/City of Angels – This nickname is just a translation of the Spanish name for this city, into English.

Denver/The Mile High City – Denver gets this nickname from the fact that its elevation is approximately 1 mile (5,278 feet) above sea level. It is the highest major city in America.

Berkeley/Bezerkeley – ‘Berserk’ is a word that means ‘to be wild or out of control.’ Berkeley, CA has a reputation (mostly from its Hippie culture, past and present) as being a wild and weird city, which is where this nickname comes from. Bezerkeley is a combination of the words: berserk + Berkeley.

Does the city you live in have a nickname? What is it and what does it mean? Please share with us in the comments section below.