Nickname

A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or thing's real name (for example, Bob, Rob, Robby, Robbie, Robi, Bobby, Rab, Bert, Bertie, Butch, Bobbers, Bobert, Bobadito, and Robban (in Sweden), are all short for Robert). As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, although there may be overlap in these concepts.A nickname is sometimes considered desirable, symbolising a form of acceptance, but can often be a form of ridicule.Many artists and actors have nicknames, which in years past were called a stage name. A person's online nickname may also be known as his handle, especially within hacker culture.

Etymology: In Middle English the word was ekename (from the verb to eke, "enlarge"; compare Swedish öknamn). Later, an ekename developed into a nickname when the "n" shifted through junctural metanalysis.

In Viking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viðrnefni or uppnefi which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts.

Nicknames for people

Types of personal nickname:Also known as pet name, shortened name, truncated name, alternate name, name derivative, associated name, hypocoristic form of a name, diminutized name, or diminuted name. Sometimes related to "alias."
*Personal nicknames

Relating to culture/nationality

It may relate (offensively or otherwise) to a person's nationality or place of origin.

Examples:
*Aussie for an Australian
*Beaner for a Mexican (Offensive, used in the USA, Canada)
*Bonians or Frog for a Frenchman (Offensive, used by English Navy during 19th century against Napoleon Bonaparte's Navy, mainly used by Britons)
*Bufty for a shmall boy from Brazil (used in Northern Ireland if you are unsure of there sexuality)
*Canuck for a person from Canada (formerly derogatory, but now embraced by most Canadians)
*Caper for a person from Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia
*Cracker for a Caucasian person from the southern United States (derogatory when used by Northerners or African Americans)
*Curry for an Indian or Sri Lankan
*Fag for a homosexual (derogatory, usually refers to male homosexuals, more commonly used for cigarettes in the UK)
*Flip for a Filipino (derogatory, used by Americans in the early 1900s when the Philippine Islands was a U.S. Commonwealth; FLIP as an Acronym for Fucking Little Island People has questionable origins)
*Fritz for a German
*Geordie for a person from Newcastle Upon Tyne
*Jap or Nip for a person from Japan (Nippon) (offensive, used around World War II)
*Chink for a person of Chinese or other East Asian descent (offensive, used mainly by Americans)
*Dyke for a female homosexual (derogatory, although many lesbians and bisexual women are beginning to defiantly adopt the term)
*Kimchi for a person from Korea (offensive)
*Kiwi for a New Zealander
*Kraut for a German (offensive, used since World War II)
*Keling for an Indian (offensive)
*Charlie for a Vietcong (mainly used around Vietnam War)
*Hajji for a Muslim/Middle Eastern person (Offensive)
*Harp for an Irish person(Offensive)
*Hong Kee for a Hongkonger (Used by some Malaysians and Singaporeans)
*Indon(s) for an Indonesian (used by Malaysians)
*Limey for an English person (U.S. usage); Pom or Pommy (Australian usage)
*Mac or Jock for a Scottish person
*'Mank' for someone from Manchester, UK
*Mainlander for a person from The People's Republic of China, to distinguish them from Hongkonger or Taiwanese of Han Chinese ethnicity. Mainly used amongst Asians
*Mexican for a Melburnian (used by Sydneysiders because Melbourne is "south of the border")
*Mick for an Irish or Catholic person (offensive)
*Newfie (or Newf) for a person from Newfoundland and Labrador (both are considered derogatory, the latter more so than the former, especially when used by non-Newfoundlanders. Many Newfoundlanders, however, proudly refer to themselves as "Newfies")
*Nigger for a person of African descent (strongly offensive, particularly if said by a person of non-African descent)
*Paddy for an Irish person (Offensive)
*Pinoy (or Noypi) for a Filipino person
*Polak, Pollok or Pollack for a person from Poland
*Pommy (or Pom) for an English person
*Pepsi for a person from the province of Quebec
*Scouser for a person from Liverpool
*Reds for a communist person, especially for one from the Soviet Union
*Taff for a Welsh person
*Roast Beef for an English person
*Ruskies for a Russian
*'Seppo' for a person from the United States - Australian slang, orig. British rhyming slang (Seppo - Septic - Septic Tank - Yank.)
*Tex for a person from Texas
*Wack for a person from Liverpool (obsolete)
*Wog for a Westernised Oriental Gentleman, a person from India, also a southern European (usually Italian or Greek)- Australian usage (offensive)
*Yank or Yankee for a'' person from the United States, particularly those Americans from the U.S. Northeast (if used by someone from the U.S. South, the term is intended to be pejorative)

Relating to counties of England

A nickname may relate to an English person's county of origin. Examples:
* Bedfordshire Bulldog or Bedfordshire Clanger
* Buckinghamshire Beef and Bread
* Cambridgeshire Camel or Crane
* Essex Calf
* 'Ampshire 'Og (Hampshire)
* Lincolnshire Yellowbelly
* Kentish Long-Tail (Kent)
* Norfolk Dumpling or Norfolk Pudding
* Suffolk Fair-Maid or Silly Suffolk
* Surrey Capon
* Wiltshire Moonraker
* Yorkshire Tyke

Relating to personal characteristics

A nickname may relate to the person's occupation. Examples:
*MacGyver for someone who is good at fixing things
*Chips for a carpenter
*Sparky or Sparks for an electrician or radio operator
*Chief for a boss
*Skipper or Skip for a captain or boss

It may reference a person's physical characteristics. Examples:
* Baldy or Curly (ironic) for a bald person
* Tubby or Chubby for a fat person
* Lofty, Lanksta or Stretch for a tall person
* Four-eyes for a person with glasses (offensive)
* Specs for a person who wears glasses
* Wheels for a person who uses a wheelchair (generally considered offensive)
* Carrot, herring, bloodnut, Carrot Top, Ginger, Red, Rusty, Ranga (Australian) or Firecrotch for a person with red pubic hair
*Blondie for a person with blond hair
* Grey for a person who has a very Light Blue eye color, also called the Grey eye color.This is particularly common in Spanish-speaking cultures, with nicknames like Flaco (thin) or Palito (little stick), El Gordo (the fat guy), Chino for anyone who looks vaguely Asian, or Gato (cat) for someone with blue or green eyes.

It may be a sarcastic, or simply ironic, reference, e.g., Curly for someone with straight hair (or no hair at all) - this form was typical in Australian English in the mid 20th Century but less so in current parlance, e.g:
* Bluey for a person with red hair
* Tiny for a very large person
* Dulz for a cross eyed person (offensive)
* Shorty for a very tall person
* Slick for a clumsy, awkward or shy person
* Slim for a fat person

It may relate to a person's character, imagined or real. Examples:
*Grumpy
*Swotty
*Romeo

It may relate to a specific incident or action. Example: Capability Brown was so called because he used the word "capability" instead of "possibility". Other examples include: Chemical Ali and Comical Ali. Many fictional characters have nicknames relating to events: Examples include the Red Comet, White Tiger, Desert Tiger and Hawk of Endymion.

It may compare the person with a famous or fictional character. Examples:
*Napoleon or Hitler for someone with a dictatorial manner

It may be related to their place of origin or place of residence. Example:
* Gloucester, Paul from Gloucester or PFG for someone named Paul who comes from a town called Gloucester.

It may reference a person's political affiliation. Examples:
* Dipper for a member of Canada's NDP Party.
* Tory for a person affiliated with Great Britain's Conservative Party

Others

A famous person's nickname may be unique to them:
*Tippecanoe for William Henry Harrison
*Dubya for George W. Bush, an exaggeration of Texan pronunciation of 'w', Bush's middle initial.
*Jack The Dripper for painter Jackson Pollock who created many of his works by dripping paint over horizontal canvas
*Gazza for English footballer Paul Gascoigne (though used more widely in Australia for Gary) and similar "zza" forms (Hezza, Prezza, etc) for other prominent personalities whose activities are frequently reported in the British press

A person's nickname may have no traceable origin. For example, a person named "Harold" may be nicknamed "Fred" for no apparent reason, or a man who was named after a relative may ask his friends to call him "Chip" to avoid confusion.

Nicknames of geographical places

Cities

See also: list of city nicknames for a more comprehensive list.
* Heart of America (It's near the geographical center of America), City of Fountains (It has the most public fountains of any U.S. city), KC (also KCK when referring specifically to Kansas City, Kansas, and KCMO when referring specifically to Kansas City, Missouri) - Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri
* The Big Sweet Grass Basket, The Palmetto City, The Holy City, The Big C-H-S, The Marina City, Chucktown - Charleston, South Carolina
* Charm City - Baltimore, Maryland
* The Big Apple, "The City That Never Sleeps", "NYC", "The Naked City", "Evil Empire (by haters)" - New York, New York
* "The Windy City", "Chi-Town", "Second City", "City of Big Shoulders", and "Hog-Butcher To The World" - Chicago, Illinois. (These last two are from the poem by Carl Sandburg; see also Nicknames for Chicago.)
* The Forest City - Cleveland, Ohio, London, Ontario, and Rockford, Illinois
* The Big Easy,Cresent City - New Orleans, Louisiana
* Space City, Bayou City, H-Town, Oil Capital of the World - Houston, Texas
* The Holy City - Charleston, South Carolina
* Hotlanta/ATL/A-Town/The A - Atlanta, Georgia
* The Circle City, Indy, Nap Town (popular slang) - Indianapolis, Indiana
* Bluff City, City of Churches, Blues City,Big M-Town (The Hernando de Soto bridge ]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_0095.JPG] has a really big M on it), The M - [[Memphis, Tennessee
* The Magic City - Birmingham, Alabama
* Mill City, City of Lakes, Twin Cities, Moscow on the Mississippi, San Francisco on the River - Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Brew City, Beer Town - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
* Motor City, De-twah (Mostly used by Michiganders),Dirty D, The D,Hockeytown, Motown, D-Town - Detroit, Michigan
* Music City, Cashville - Nashville, Tennessee
* Sin City - Las Vegas, Nevada
* Elm City - New Haven, CT
* D.C., The District - Washington, D.C.
* The Mile-High City - Denver, Colorado
* The Big Smoke - London, United Kingdom, also Toronto, Canada
* "Hogtown", "T.O.", "T-Dot"; and Centre of the Universe - Toronto, Canada, often used negatively by Canadians who live outside of Toronto due to the fact that the city is one of the financial and cultural hubs of Canada and that there is a perceived bias towards Toronto by the Canadian media and its Prime Minister
* "The Hammer", "Hammertown" or "Steeltown" - Hamilton, Ontario
* Van City - Vancouver, British Columbia
* Horse Capital of the World - Lexington, Kentucky
* Beantown, The Hub, Boss-town - Boston, Massachusetts
* Dot - Dorchester, Massachusetts
* Murderpan - Mattapan, Massachusetts (coined for high crime rate)
* Townie - Charlestown, Massachusetts
* Rozzi - Roslindale, Massachusetts
* Eastie - East Boston, Massachusetts
* HP - Hyde Park, Massachusetts
* Westie - West Roxbury, Massachusetts
* Wu-Town - Woburn, Massachusetts
* Cheesetown - Hopkins, Minnesota
* Flambo - Faribault, Minnesota
* City of Angels, La La Land, L.A., The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California
* Pearl of the Orient - Hong Kong and Manila both claim this nickname.
* Queen City of the South - Cebu City, Philippines
* Steel City - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* The Emerald City - Seattle, Washington
* The Gateway to the West, STL, The Lou - St. Louis, Missouri
* The Ingrown Empire - pejorative slang for the Inland Empire (Pacific Northwest) Spokane, Washington
* Crossroad of the Pacific - Honolulu, Hawaii
* The City of Lights and Flowers - Anchorage, Alaska
* Harbour City - Sydney, Australia
* City of Churches - Adelaide, Australia due to the overall large numbers of them in this city.
* The Most Livable City in the World - Melbourne, Australia. Became synonymous with the city after it frequented first place and top positions in various world city rankings.
* BrisVegas - Brisbane, Australia due to its similarities with Las Vegas as far as weather, nightlife (used ironically) and general atttractions.
* Winterpeg or "The Peg" - Winnipeg, Canada Due to the city's extremely cold weather and the idea that Winnipeg is the geographic centre of Canada.
* The Bridge City, The Hub City - Saskatoon, Canada due to Saskatoon having many bridges relative to its population and being the "hub" along many provincial highways, with convenient routes to other centres in the province and beyond.
* J-Ville, "Where Florida Begins" - Jacksonville, Florida
* "Team Ormond", Refers to heavy drinkers from the area - Ormond Beach, Florida
* Big D - Dallas, Texas
* "Where the West Begins," Funkytown, FW (pronounced "EFF-dub") - Fort Worth, Texas
* BK/BX- Boroughs in New York City Brooklyn, New York and Bronx, New York
* "Vah-Beach" - Virginia Beach, Virginia
* The Rocket City - Huntsville, Alabama
* Peanut Capital of the World - Dothan, Alabama
* The Springs - Colorado Springs, Colorado
* The Queen City, The 'Nati with 2 Sins, Cinci, Porkopolis - Cincinnati
* CT - Canterbury, England
* The City of Bridges - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
* The Peg - Winnipeg, Manitoba
* The City of Champions - Edmonton, Alberta
* Title Town (refers to the Green Bay Packers) - Green Bay, Wisconsin
* The City of Light - Paris, France
* The Eternal City - Jerusalem, also Rome, Italy

Countries

* The Land of the 1000 Lakes - Finland
* The Land of Santa Claus - Finland
* The Land of Midnight Sun - Finland
* The Great White North - Canada
* The Land Down Under, Oz, Great Southern Land - Australia
* The Land of the Long White Cloud (maori meaning) and the shakey isles - New Zealand
* L'hexagone (The Hexagon) - France For the roughly six-sided shape of the country.
* The Fine Country - Singapore - Often in a sarcastic or satirical manner, as to playfully describe the law enforcement of Singapore as corruption-free and highly efficient; however, the island nation is also widely accepted has been imposing high fines to minor offences such as littering with such high effiency that granted such nickname to the nation.
* The Land of the Rising Sun - Japan
* The Pearl of the Orient Seas - Philippines
* Da Lu (mainland - lit. 'Big Land') - mainland China
* The States, America, Uncle Sam, - United States (Jesusland is mostly the United States [1])
* The Emerald Isle - Ireland
* Blighty - Great Britain
* The Lucky Country - Australia
* The Country With no Nickname - Sweden
* The Boot - Italy
* The Land of poets - Somalia

Regions

* The Wet Coast - British Columbia, Canada; a play on "The West Coast" because that area of the country rains a lot
* Red states - states that strongly supported George W. Bush in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections
* Blue states - states that strongly supported Al Gore and John Kerry in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, respectively
* The Deep South, Bible Belt - Southern U.S.
* The Dirty South (usually the South Eastern States but not limited to the whole Old South, usually used among rappers)
* The Left Coast - the states of Washington, Oregon, and California in the United States; due to their location in the country and general support of "the left" (liberal political ideology).
* Bridge of the World, Heart of the Universe (Spanish: Puente del Mundo, Corazón del Universo) - Republic of Panama; due to the convergence of the principal trade routes through its Panama Canal

Nicknames for political terms

* Red - a communist, but can also mean a rebel who is against the government; inclining towards the left wing politically, as in a "Red Tory" in Canada, that is, a moderate conservative; also, ironically, a member or supporter of the United States Republican Party
* Blue - a member or supporter of the United States Democratic Party; a supporter of the Conservatives in Canada -- and a "Blue Tory" is a right wing conservative
* Pinko, Trot - a borderline communist
* Hawk - a person who supports and pursues aggressive foreign policies, such as going to war in order to achieve his/her goals
* Dove - a person who supports and pursues peaceful means to conduct foreign policy, as opposed to war
* Tory - a person belonging to the British or Canadian Conservative Party.
* Grit - a person belonging to the Liberal Party in Canada
* The Little Red Book - the book that contains quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, often called that because the book itself has a red cover and small enough to fit into a pocket

Nicknames for some common items

*boob tube, idiot box, telly, TV, goggle-box (UK), glass nipple - television
*bug or VW bug - Volkswagen Beetle
*head - toilet on a ship
*loo, john, potty, bog, can, shitter - toilet
*Old Glory - the Flag of the United States
*Puter - Computer
*Knowledge Box - Computer with the Internet
*Brew, Man Juice, Glug Glug - Beer

Nicknames for professions

* Blue (southern US), Stripes, Zebra, Sisco - referee
* Beancounter - accountant
* Chippie, Wood Butcher - carpenter also a prostitute
* Chaps - chaplain in the Navy or Marine Corp
* Copper, Rozzer (Brit.), Bobby (Brit.), The Fuzz (plural), Cop, Pig/Bacon, Flatfoot, Blueboy, Po-po, Jakes., 5-0, Boy 'dem - police officer
* Doc, Sawbones, Quack - doctor
* Fed - agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or, the Federal Reserve
* Foodie - chef
* Geo - geologist or geophysicist
* Detec - Undercover police officer (specifically for their unmarked vehicles)
* Loan Shark - an underworld, street corner type money lender with high interest rates and usually enforces re-payment with threats of physical violence - Leg Breaker usually refers to the loan shark's enforcer
* Narc - an undercover cop
* Roomie - room-mate, or sometimes an hotel employee
* Roughneck - oil rigger
* Sawbones - surgeon
* Shark, Ambulance Chaser, Shyster - lawyer
* Shovelbums - archaeological field technicians
* Shrink, Head Shrinker - psychiatrist
* Spook (usually a plural) - (U.S. military) intelligence agent

Nicknames for companies

*"Auntie" - British Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
*"The Beeb" - British Broadcasting Corporation
*"Big Blue" - IBM, computer hardware/software manufacturer
*"The Big Eye" - CBS, broadcasting network
*"Bloblaws" or "Blah-Blahs" - Loblaws, Canadian supermarket chain
*"BK Lounge" - Burger King, global fast-food chain
*"Crapple" - Apple Computer, a computer, software and consumer electronics manufacturer
*"Crappy Tire" - Canadian Tire, a Canadian hardgoods retailer
*"Great Yellow Father" - Eastman Kodak
*"Ho-Jo" - Howard Johnson
*"Jacques Penné" - JCPenney clothing stores
*"Jack in the Crack" - Jack-in-the-Box
*"Kentaco Hut" - KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut combo restaurants.
*"K-Fry" or "K-Fried" - KFC, American fried chicken restaurant chain
*"The Little Thief" - Little Chef, UK roadside restaurant
*"Long Juan Silvers" - Long John Silver's and Taco Bell combo restaurants
*"Lose-It" - Loomis, Canadian courier company
*"Ma Bell" - AT&T, American telephone company
*"Marks & Sparks" - Marks & Spencer, British department store chain
*"Mickey D's", "Golden Arches", "McDeath", "Rotten Ronnie's", "McDogchow", "McDick's", "McConvicts", "MacDo" mainly in France, though former usage common in Australia in addition to Australian "Macca's" - McDonald's, global fast-food chain
*"Monkey Ward", "Mental Ward" - Montgomery Wards defunct Department Store chain
*"M$," "Micro$loth,", "Micro$haft", "Micro$hite" or "The Borg" - Microsoft, American software company
*"Mothercorp" - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian national broadcaster
*"Needless Markup" - Neiman Marcus, American upscale specialty retail department store
*"OOPS" - UPS, American courier service
*"Pizza Slut", "Pizza Smut" - Pizza Hut, Global pizza chain
*"Scan dick", "Scandalic" - Scandic
*"Skandial" - Skandia
*"Slev" or "Sleven" - 7-Eleven
*"Snot Gothic", "Goth Stoppit", "Whiny Hole" - Hot Topic
*"Sooner-or-Later" - Purolator, Canadian courier company
*"Tar-Get" ("Get" pronounced "zhay")- Target retail store chain.
*"Timmy's," "Tim's" or "Timmy Ho's" - Tim Hortons, Canadian coffee and doughnut chain
*"Taco Hell", "Toxic Hell", "Baco Tell", "Taco Smell", "Toxic Bell", "Taco Beelzebub" - Taco Bell fast-food restaurant chain
*"Wally World", "Mall-Wart" or "Wal-Marde" (in Quebec, "marde" being slang for shit) - Wal-Mart, global chain of retail stores.
*"Weggies" - Wegmans Food Market inc.
*"Office Despot" - Office Depot, chain of office supply stores.

Nicknames for universities

*"Bama" for University of Alabama
*"Bobby-Gee's" for Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland
*"Cal" for University of California, Berkeley
*"Funshawe" for Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada
*"Harvard on the Hill" derogatory term used for local community colleges
*"G-Dub" for The George Washington University, Washington, DC
*"Ikeys" for the University of Cape Town, South Africa
*"M-Dub" for University of Mary Washington
*"Marjons" for the College of St Mark & St John, Plymouth, UK
*"Maties" for the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
*"Mizzou" for University of Missouri - Columbia
*"Okie State" for Oklahoma State University
*"Ole Miss" for University of Mississippi
*"Oxbridge" for University of Cambridge, UK and University of Oxford, UK. Mainly used to indicate the combination of these.
*"Pitt" for University of Pittsburgh
*"San Ho" for San Jose State University
*"Snodfart" for Stanford University
*"Southern" for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
*"SUNY-Harlem" for Columbia University
*"Rut Rut" for Rutgers University
*"The 'Cuse" for Syracuse University
*"The Farm" for Monash University
*"The Stanford of the East" for Harvard University
*"The Joe" for St. Joseph's University (Philadelphia, PA)
*"The Shop" for University of Melbourne
*"The U" for University of Miami Football Program, University of Utah, University of Minnesota
*"The Y" for Brigham Young University
*"The Yard" for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
*"The Zoo" for Kalamazoo College
*"Tukkies" or "Tuks" for the University of Pretoria, South Africa
*"U-Dub" for University of Washington, University of Western Australia
*"UConn" for University of Connecticut
*"UMass" for University of Massachusetts
*"ZooMass" for University of Massachusetts Amherst
*"Vandy" for Vanderbilt University
*"Wazzu" for Washington State University
*"SC" for University of Southern California

Military nicknames

* G.I. - American soldier (short for Government Issue or General Infantry), also called "doughboys" before WWI
* Dogface, gopher, grunt, cannon fodder, Bullet Stopper, Bushwacker, 11 Bang-Bang, 11 "Bravo" Infantard - infantry soldier
* D-boys, Delta boys, Deltas - Delta Force
* Zipperhead - armoured tank soldier, derived from their use of "zip up" to close hatches when under fire. A Vietnam War term for the Vietnamese
* Grunt - Infantry foot soldier
* Gunbunny - artillery soldier
* Matelots, squids, swabbies, deck ape, deck monkey - sailors
* BB Stackers - US Navy Ordnancemen
* Frogs - Navy Frogmen
* SEAL - Sea Air Land, Navy commando so widely respected and fraternal that no other name is allowed
* Leathernecks, jarheads, devil dogs, bullet sponge - U.S. marines
* Puddle jumpers, shallow water sailors, weekend navy, Knee-deep Navy, puddle pirates, Gilligans - United States Coast Guard
* Chairforce, Air Farce, Flyboys - United States Air Force
* Blue job, wallet head - Canadian Air Force
* Blanket Stacker - members of Logistics or Engineering units
* Bin rat - Supply technician, Canadian Forces
* Redcap - British Military Police officer
* Floating Heads and Diggers - Australian Army Soldiers
* Biggles - Australian Air Force Pilot
* Raffies - Australian Air Force Personnel
* Fire Dawgs - American Marine, Air Force, and Army Firefighters
* Pongos - British Army, Australian Army (As in 'Where ever the army goes, the pong goes')
* Crab fats, crabs - Members of the Royal Air ForceSee also: List of nicknames of British Army regiments; Regimental nicknames of the Canadian Forces

Sports clubs and their nicknames

Sporting clubs are often given nicknames. These may or may not be incorporated into official names or be used by the club. The names of animals or colours are popular. Examples:

Football (soccer)

* The Addicks - Charlton Athletic
* Les Aigles de Carthage (Eagles of Carthage) - Tunisia national team
* Albicelestes (The White-and-Sky-Blues) - Argentina national team
* All Whites - New Zealand national team
* Els Arlequinats (Harlequins) - CE Sabadell
* Asini Volanti (Flying Donkeys) - Chievo Verona
* Gli Azzurri (Blues) - Italy national team
* Bafana Bafana (The Boys) - South Africa national team
* The Baggies - West Bromwich Albion
* Bajen - Hammarby IF
* Bambis (after the Disney character Bambi) - São Paulo Futebol Clube, used by the club's rivals as an insult
* The Bhoys, The Hoops, The Celts, The 'Tic - Celtic
* I Bianconeri (The White-and-Blacks), La Vecchia Signora (The Old Lady) - Juventus
* The Black Cats - Sunderland
* Blåvitt (Blue-White), Änglarna (The Angels) - IFK Göteborg
* Les Bleus - France national team
* The Blues - Chelsea
* Canaries - Norwich City
* Canaris - Nantes
* Los Carbayones - Real Oviedo
* Los Ches - Valencia
* Colchoneros (Mattress Makers) - Atlético Madrid
* Los Chicharreros - Tenerife
* Chivas or Chivas Rayadas - Club Deportivo Guadalajara A.C.
* Clube do Povo, Rolo Compressor (historical) - Sport Club Internacional
* Culers, Blaugrana (The Blue-scarlets) - FC Barcelona
* Les Diables Rouges, Rode Duivels (Red Devils in French and Dutch) - Belgium national team
* Los Diablos Rojos - Club Deportivo Toluca
* The Dons - Aberdeen, AFC Wimbledon, MK Dons
* The Dynamite - Denmark national team
* Les Éléphants - Côte d'Ivoire national team
* Galo (Rooster) - Atlético Mineiro
* Geißböcke (Billy Goats) - FC Köln
* 'Gers, Light Blues, Teddy Bears - Rangers
* I Gialloblù - Parma
* Gnaget - AIK
* Godenzonen (Sons of God) - Ajax Amsterdam
* The Grecians - Exeter City F.C. - Exeter City
* The Gunners - Arsenal
* The Hoops - Shamrock Rovers
* The Hoops - Glasgow Celtic; also in imitation F.C. Dallas (USA)
* The Jags - Partick Thistle F.C.
* Jambos, Jam Tarts - Hearts
* Järnkaminerna (The Iron Stoves) - Djurgårdens IF

* Killie - Kilmarnock Football Club
* Klubi - HJK Helsinki
* The Latics - Oldham Athletic, Wigan Athletic
* Les Lions de l'Atlas (Lions of Atlas) - Morocco national team
* Les Lions de la Téranga - Senegal national team
* The Lilywhites - Preston North End
* Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions) - Cameroon national team
* The Locomotive - Czech Republic national team
* Magpies, Toon - Newcastle United
* Makrillarna (The Mackerels) - GAIS
* Matildas - Australia women's national team
* Los Merengues (The Whites), Los Galácticos (The Galactics) - Real Madrid
* Nàstic - Gimnastic de Tarragona
* Oranje (Orange) - Netherlands national team
* Els Orelluts (Long-eared bats) - CD Castellón
* O Peixe (The Fish), O Alvinegro (The White-and-Black) - Santos
* Panzer, Elf - Germany national team
* Portokaloi - [ APOEL F.C., Cyprus Football Association]
* Los Pimentoneros (The Peppers) - Real Murcia
* The Potters - Stoke City
* Rams - Derby County
* Raposa (Fox) - Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
* Red Devils - Manchester United
* The Reds - Nottingham Forest, Liverpool
* The Reggae Boyz - Jamaica national team
* Rossoneri - AC Milan
* Sinivalkoiset - Finland national team
* Sky Blues - Coventry City
* Soccerroos - Australia national team
* The Pharoes - Australia national team
* Super Eagles - Nigeria national team
* Taeguk Warriors - South Korea national team
* 'The Three Lions', 'St. George Cross' - England national team
* Los Ticos - Costa Rica national team
* The Toffees - Everton
* Los Tricolores, El Tri - Mexico national team
* United - Clubs named United often use their surname as a nickname.
* Vatreni (The Firey Ones), Kockasti (The Chequereds) - Croatia national team
* I Viola (The Purples) - Fiorentina
* Wolves - Wolverhampton Wanderers
* Xeneizes - Boca Juniors

* ''The Tykes (Barnsley FC}

Australian Rules Football

* Fremantle Football Club - Dockers, Freo
* West Coast Eagles - Weagles
* Essendon Football Club - Dons, Bombers, Baby Bombers
* Collingwood Football Club - Pies, Woods, Colliwobbles
* St Kilda Football Club - Saints, Sainters
* Western Bulldogs - Bullies, Dogs, Doggies, Footscray, The Scray
* Melbourne Football Club - Demons, Dees, Redlegs
* Carlton Football Club - Blues, Blueboys, Bluebaggers, the 'Baggers
* Sydney Swans - Swannies, Bloods, Blood Soaked Angels
* Kangaroos Football Club - Shinboners, Roos, Rooboys, Kangas
* Hawthorn Football Club - Hawks, Hawkers
* Adelaide Football Club - Crows, Croweaters
* Brisbane Lions - Lions, Brissie, Roys (Derived from Fitzroy; one of the two teams merged to create Brisbane)
* Geelong Football Club - Cats, Catters
* Port Adelaide Football Club - Port, Power, Ports
* Richmond Football Club - Tigers, Tiges
* Victorian Representative Team - Big V, Vics
* Western Australian Representative Team - Sandgropers

* South Australian Representative Team - Croweaters
* Queensland Representative Team - Cane Toads
* New South Wales Representative Team - Cockroaches
* Combined NSW/ACT/QLD/NT/Tas Representative Team - Allies
* Papua New Guinea National Team - Mosquitos
* Samoa National Team - Bulldogs
* Irish National Team - Green Machine
* Nauru National Team - Chiefs
* Canada National Team - Northwind
* USA National Team - Revolution
* Denmark National Team - Vikings
* South African National Team - Buffaloes
* New Zealand National Team - Falcons
* Great Britain National Team - Bulldogs
* Indonesian National Team - Bintangs (Stars)
* Spanish National Team - Bulls
* Japan National Team - Samurai

Rugby Union

* All Blacks - The international rugby union team of New Zealand
* Baa-Baas - Barbarian F.C.
* Les Bleus - France national team
* British and Irish Lions (formerly the British Lions) - The touring rugby union team of the British Isles
* 'Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles) - Tonga national team
* Gunners - Edinburgh Gunners Rugby Football Club, Scotland
* Leicester Tigers - Leicester Rugby Football Club
* Lelos - Georgia national team
* Los Pumas - Argentina national team
* Reivers - Border Reivers Rugby Football Club, Scotland
* Springboks, Bokke or Amabokoboko - South African national rugby union team
* The Tahs - Used affectionately by fans of the NSW rugby union team the Waratahs
* Wallabies - The Australian national rugby union team
* Warriors - Glasgow Warriors Rugby Football Club, Scotland

Baseball

* Arizona Diamondbacks - D-backs
* Atlanta Braves - Bravos
* Baltimore Orioles - O's (fans usually emphize this nickname, even yelling in unision, "O" during the National Anthem), Birds
* Boston Red Sox - BoSox; "Da Sox"; Olde Towne Team; Red Sux (by haters), Red Cubs, The Sox, Red Flops, derogatory used by Yankees fans. The Idiots, affectionate term coined by team during 2004 Championship because of being counted out by commentators so often yet went on to a cinderella season to win the championship and a story book, World Series to embarrass the Yankees
* Chicago Cubs - Cubbies; Loveable Losers; Scrubs; Dubs; Northsiders; Build-a-Bears (by haters).
* Chicago White Sox - ChiSox; Pale Hose; Southsiders; Black Sox (after throwing the 1919 World Series); White Sux (by haters), Sox Suxs (by haters who think "White Sux" is offensive).
* Cincinnati Reds - Redlegs (a nickname used in the early 1950s during the Red Scare); nicknamed "The Big Red Machine" during the team's run in the 1970's, when they won the division 6 times and appeared in the World Series 4 times
* Cleveland Indians - The Tribe, Chief Wahoo's Tribe, The Wahoo's
* Detroit Tigers - The Motor City Kitties
* Florida Marlins - Fish; Fighting Fish; The Men of Teal
* Houston Astros - 'Stros, Asstros (by haters).
* Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Halos; Seraphs
* Los Angeles Dodgers - Bums, the Boys of Summer (both from their Brooklyn days; usage in L.A. has faded with time), Blue Crew
* Milwaukee Brewers - Brew Crew; Brew-has; Professional Alcoholics (by haters); Beermakers
* Minnesota Twins - Twinkies
* New York Mets - nicknamed "The Loveable Losers" when they first started playing, the Kings of Queens; The Amazin' Mets, The Amazins, "Miracle Mets" (during their run in the 1969 season. They eventually won the World Series), Mutts (by haters), Pond Scum (by haters),
* New York Yankees - The Bronx Bombers; The Pinstripes; Yanks; Dream Dashers; Evil Empire (coined by Red Sox executive Larry Lucchino); Dynasty of Disgrace; The Enemy; Damned Yankees
* Oakland Athletics - A's; F's (by haters, in reference to academic marks)
* Pittsburgh Pirates - Bucs; Buc-o's (as in Bucaneer's)
* Philadelphia Phillies - (Fightin') Phils; Phightins; Sillies; Pillies (given when some players were involved in an amphetamine scandal in the early 1980's); Quakers and Blue Jays (alternate nicknames used early in the team's history, the first from the 1880's, and the second from the early 1940's); Whiz Kids (for the 1950 National League Championship team, for their youth); Wheeze Kids (for the 1983 National League Championship team, for their lack of youth
* St. Louis Cardinals - Cards; Redbirds; Birds
* San Diego Padres - Pods; Friars; Fathers
* San Francisco Giants - Jints (rhymes with "pints"); gigantes (Gee-gant-As) which is Spanish for Giants
* Seattle Mariners - M's
* Tampa Bay Devil Rays - D-rays; Rays
* Texas Rangers - Strangers (used when the team is playing poorly)
* Toronto Blue Jays - Jays (The team has emphized this name rather than "Blue Jays")
* Washington Nationals- Nats; The Anchors

NBA Basketball

* Wolves, T-Wolves, T-bots, T-pups - Minnesota Timberwolves
* Knickerbockers - New York Knicks (technically, the reverse is true, Knickerbockers being the full but rarely used team name).
* Blazers - Portland Trailblazers
* Mavs - Dallas Mavericks
* Sixers - Philadelphia 76ers
* Sonics, or Supe's, or Hedgehogs - Seattle SuperSonics
* Raps or Craptors or Zoo Crew (for the bench) (by detracters) - Toronto Raptors
* Cavs - Cleveland Cavaliers
* The Celts - Boston Celtics
* The Stones - Detroit Pistons
* Da Bulls - Chicago Bulls

International Basketball

* Gli Azzurri - Italy national team
* Les Bleus - France national team
* Boomers - Australian national team
* Tall Blacks - New Zealand national team

Cricket

American Football

* Atlanta Falcons - The Dirty Birds
* Buffalo Bills - Jills (by haters), B.I.L.L.S. (Boy I Love Losing Super Bowls) by haters, in reference to the team's failure to win the Super Bowl in four straight tries during the early 1990s
* Carolina Panthers - Cardiac Cats (Due to winning/losing many games in the closing seconds during the 2003 season)
* Chicago Bears - Da Bears (from a Saturday Night Live skit); Monsters of the Midway, Build-a-Bears (by haters)
* Cleveland Browns - Dawgs (from the Dawg Pound, a famously rowdy bleacher section of the team's former home, Cleveland Municipal Stadium, since transferred to today's Cleveland Browns Stadium), The Brownies, The Cardiac Kids
* Cincinnati Bengals - The Bungles (applied when the team plays poorly)
* Dallas Cowboys - America's Team, Cowgirls (when playing poorly and haters), Cryboys (by haters)
* Denver Broncos - Orange Crush, Donkeys (by haters, and when playing poorly)
* Green Bay Packers - The Pack, The Peckers (by haters), Fudgepackers (by haters), Pack-queers (by haters)
* Houston Texans - Procrastinators (when playing poorly)
* Indianapolis Colts - The Blue Crew, The Herd, The Dolts (by haters)
* Jacksonville Jaguars - Jags, The Jag Offs (by haters)
* Kansas City Chiefs - The Chefs (in honor of a Snickers ad in which the grounds crew paints Chefs in the end zone)
* Miami Dolphins - Fins, The Fish, The Aquatic Mammals
* Minnesota Vikings - Vikes, Vi-queens (when playing poorly)
* New England Patriots - Pats, The Patsies, Patty Cakes
* New Orleans Saints - Ain'ts (when playing poorly), Sinners (also when playing poorly), The San Antonio Saints (it was rumoured they might move to San Antonio)
* New York Jets - J.E.T.S. (Just End The Season) used when playing poorly, Jersey/B
* New York Giants - G-Men, Jints, Big Blue, Big Blue Wrecking Crew, New York Football Giants (Made Popular by Chris Berman), Jersey/A, New Jersey Giants (due to the large fanbase in Northern New Jersey), Madagascar's crew.
* Oakland Raiders - The Silver and Black, Da Raidahs (Made Popular by Chris Berman), The Faders, Jokeland Raiders, Chokeland, Traiders, Choke/Jokeland Traiders.
* Philadelphia Eagles- Birds, Iggles (many Philadelphians pronounce the team's name this way), Pigeons (by haters), Beagles (by haters and when playing poorly)
* Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steel Curtain (in their glory years of the 1970s, has been resurrected due to their recent success), The Black and Gold, The Stillers.
* St. Louis Rams - The Blue and Gold, Rammers, Male Sheep, The Greatest Show on Turf, Lambs, Goats (when playing poorly)
* San Diego Chargers - Bolts (from the lightning bolt design on their helmets), SuperChargers
* San Francisco 49ers - 'Niners, The Whiners, Faggy-Niners (by haters, in reference to San Francisco's gay friendly reputation and the high concentration of homosexual fans)
* Seattle Seahawks - Hawks, Seachickens (by haters).
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Bucs, Yucs (made popular by Chris Berman when they were a regular cellar dweller)
* Tennessee Titans - The Thumbtacks, The Flaming Thumbtacks, The Oilers (Their team name in Houston)
* Washington Redskins - 'Skins, The Chesapeake Watershed Region Indigenous Persons, The Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons, DeadSkins (by haters)

Canadian Football

* Calgary Stampeders - Stamps
* Edmonton Eskimos - Esks
* Hamilton Tiger-Cats - Ti-Cats
* Montreal Alouettes - Als
* Saskatchewan Roughriders - Riders
* Toronto Argonauts - Argos; Boatmen (team was founded by the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club in 1873)
* Winnipeg Blue Bombers - Bombers

Hockey (Ice)

* Anaheim Ducks - Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (Their old team name before new ownership changed the team name to what it currently is)
* Carolina Hurricanes - Canes
* Chicago Blackhawks - Hawks
* Colorado Avalanche- Avs
* Detroit Red Wings - Wings, Hot Wings, Dead Wings (by opponents), Pred Wings (Fans from Nashville)
* Edmonton Oilers - Billy's Boys (after William "Wild Bill" Hunter, founder of the World Hockey Association and the team's predecessor, the Alberta Oilers, the Oil
* Florida Panthers - the Cats
* Hartford Whalers - the Whale
* Montreal Canadiens - Habs (short for "Habitant", or Québecois farmer) or Crabs or les Crabs (by the haters); Flying Frenchmen; Les Rouges (after the red colour of their jerseys); Le Bleu, Blanc, Rouge (the three colours of the logo); Le Tricolore; La Sainte Flanelle
* Nashville Predators - Preds
* New York Islanders - Isles
* New York Rangers - the Blueshirts or Broadway Blueshirts, Les Rangers pronounced "Lay Ran-jay" (French pronunciation of Rangers often used by Steve Somers of WFAN)
* Ottawa Senators - Sens
* Philadelphia Flyers - nicknamed the "Broad Street Bullies" during the team's Stanley Cup runs during the 1970's (the Spectrum, the arena where the Flyers then played, is on Broad Street in South Philadelphia); The Fly Boys
* Pittsburgh Penguins - Pens, their minor league team, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton also somewhat shares the nickname, Baby Pens
* St Louis Blues - Blue notes (re-pluralize the singular Blue note used for one player)
* Tampa Bay Lightning - the Bolts
* Toronto Maple Leafs - Leafs, Blue Leafers, the Buds (nickname bestowed by sportswriters, probably based on the team's use of a leaf as a logo), Maple Lafs (by the haters)
* Vancouver Canucks - 'Nucks
* Washington Capitals - Caps, Crapitals (by haters)
* Winnipeg Jets - Jets (nicknamed the Jets after aqcuiring Bobby Hull "The Golden Jet" as a part of the World Hockey Association)
* Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) - Swedish national team, after the three crowns in their jersey, from the coat of arms of Sweden.
* Leijonat (Lions) - Finnish national team, after the lion in their jersey, which is from the coat of arms of Finland. Also Leijonapaidat (Lion Shirts) and Kiekkoleijonat (Hockey Lions)

Sports stadia and their nicknames

Australia

* Melbourne Cricket Ground - the 'G'
* Brisbane Cricket Ground - the Gabba (Located in Woolongabba)
* Subiaco Oval - Subi'
* Telstra Dome (Melbourne) - The Dome
* Skilled Stadium - The Cattery
* Olympic Park, Melbourne - The Graveyard
* Waverley Park - Arctic Park
* North Melbourne Cricket Ground - Arden Street

South America

* Boca Juniors Stadium - La Bombonera (The Chocolate Box)
* River Plate Stadium - El Monumental

Britain

* Wembley Stadium - The Twin Towers (now extinct due to stadium redevelopment)
* Old Trafford - The Theatre Of Dreams
* Celtic Park - Paradise

United States

* RFK Stadium - The Ref
* Chase Field (formerly known as Bank One Ballpark) - The BOB
* Fenway Park - The Fens
* HP Pavilion - The Shark Tank, The Tank
* Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome - Thunderdome, Homerdome
* Oriole Park at Camden Yards - The Yard, Oriole Park, Camden Yards
* Tropicana Field - The Trop, The Juicer
* U.S. Cellular Field - The Cell
* Wachovia Center - (when known as the First Union Center) F.U. Center
* Wrigley Field - The Friendly Confines
* Yankee Stadium - The House that Ruth Built
* Dodger Stadium - Chavez Ravine
* Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum- The Grand Old Lady
* Angel Stadium of Anaheim - The Big A, The Big Ed (when Edison International Field)
* Turner Field - The Ted
* Legion Field - Old Gray Lady
* Jacobs Field - The Jake
* Kauffman Stadium - The K
* Quicken Loans Arena - The Q
* Xcel Energy Center - The X
* Madison Square Garden - The World's Most Famous Arena, The Garden, MSG
* Paul Brown Stadium - The Jungle
* Gillette Stadium - The Razor
* Ohio Stadium - The Horseshoe
* TD Banknorth Garden - The Gahden (local pronunciation)
* Qualcomm Stadium - The Q
* Michigan Stadium - The Big House
* Notre Dame Stadium - The House That Rockne Built
* Minute Maid Park - The Juice Box
* AT&T Park - The Phone, McCovey Cove
* Lincoln Financial Field - The Linc
* Veteran's Stadium - The Vet
* Tiger Stadium - Death Valley
* Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (UF) - The Swamp

External links

*Nicknames for everything that you can add to!
*Nicknames, Pet Names and Metaphors

Nickname: Encyclopedia BETA

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