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List of regional nicknames

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The list of regional nicknames used in English language includes nicknames for people based on their locality of origin (birthplace, place of permanent residence, or family roots).

Nicknames based on the country (or larger geopolitical area) of origin may be found in the List of ethnic slurs.

Terms based on specific locations

Arkansawyer
A person from Arkansas. .[1]
Arkie/Arky
(U.S.) A person from Arkansas.[2]
Banana bender
(Australia) A person from Queensland (one who puts the bend in bananas).[3]
Boricua
(Latin America, Hispanics in the USA) A person from Puerto Rico.
Bluenose
(Canada) A person from Nova Scotia; from the famous racing schooner Bluenose, or a potato with a blue protuberance, or 17th century Scots Presbyterians described as "true blue". Often used proudly. [4]
Bonacker
(U.S.) A working class person from the Springs neighborhood of East Hampton, New York; from neighboring Accabonac Harbor.
Brummie
(UK) A person from Birmingham; also the dialect spoken there; from "Brummagem", an archaic pronunciation of Birmingham.
Buckeye
A person from Ohio.
Canuck
A person from Canada.
Carioca
(Brazil) A person from the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Catracho
(Central America) A person from Honduras.
Cheesehead
(U.S.) A person from Wisconsin, from the many dairy farms and cheese factories there. Also extended to fans of the state's National Football League team, the Green Bay Packers. This term is widely used by people from Illinois, a bordering state and frequent sports rival, although many Wisconsin sports fans embrace this name by donning large triangular blocks of cheese on their head during sporting events.[5]
Chilango, defeño, capitalino
(Mexico) A person from Mexico City. Residents of the city widely use Chilango to refer to themselves, but consider the term's use by anyone else to be derogatory. Defeño may be used in either a positive or negative sense. Capitalino is generally accepted as a neutral demonym, although it can also be used negatively.
Cohee
(U.S.) An independent Scots-Irish small farmer from the Piedmont or Appalachian Mountains parts of Virginia.
Croweater
(Australia) A person from the state of South Australia.
Culchie
(Ireland) Any Irish person who was raised outside of Dublin
Foolio
(U.S.) A person from the state of Minnesota. [6]
Gaúcho
(Brazil) A person from Rio Grande do Sul. For usage in the rest of South America, see "Terms for people from non-specific geographical areas" below.
Geordie
(UK) A person from Newcastle upon Tyne, and also the dialect spoken there. Inoffensive.
Hoosier
(U.S.) A person from Indiana; also the nickname of the athletic teams at Indiana University (Bloomington), and frequently used as an adjective for students or fans of that school.
Jackeen
(Ireland) In rural Ireland, a person from Dublin; possible a reference to the term Jacobite. Derogatory.[7]
JAFA, jafa
(New Zealand) A person from Auckland, from Just Another Fucking Aucklander (or, more politely, Just Another Friendly Aucklander). Used by Wellingtonians, and occasionally other New Zealanders.
Janner
(Plymouth: UK) A person from Plymouth.
Jarocho
(Mexico) A person from Veracruz, either the city or the state.
Mackem
(UK) A person from Sunderland. Also spelled "Makem", "Maccam", and "Mak'em". Rarely used, except by themselves and their neighbouring Geordies. Most English people can't distinguish the two.
Mallu
(India) A person from the state of Kerala, whose language is Malayalam
Manc
(UK) A person from Manchester. Not considered particularly offensive.
Masshole
(Massachusetts, US) a name for a person residing from the states of Massachusetts involving the attitude of people from Boston
Monkey hanger
(UK) A person from Hartlepool. May be considered offensive, but also used with pride by the inhabitants themselves.
Moonrakers
Natives of the county of Wiltshire. Not considered offensive.
Newfie, Newfier, Newf
(Canada) A person from Newfoundland. May be used proudly. Derogatory if used by others.
Nutmegger
(U.S.) A person from Connecticut.
Okie
(U.S.) A person from Oklahoma.
Ossi
(anglicized as "Ostie") refers to a person from the former German Democratic Republic, and implies a lack of sophistication, assets, or both.
Pikey
(Ireland) A person from Southern/Mainland Ireland. Originally a statement for English travellers, now used disparagingly for almost any group or individual seen as untrustworthy. Highly offensive.
Poblano
(Mexico) A person from Puebla, either the city or the state.
Polentone
(Southern Italy) A person from northern Italy; from "polenta eater".
Porteño
(Argentina) A person from Buenos Aires.
Regio
(Mexico) See "Regiomontano" below.
Regiomontano
(Mexico) A person from the northern city of Monterrey.
Serrano
(Portugal) A person from the the mountainous region of Serra da Estrela.
Scouser
(UK) A person from Liverpool. Not considered particularly offensive. [http://www.jokefile.co.uk/odds/liverpool.html
Smoggie / Smoggy r
(UK) A person from Teesside. Originally an insult created by rival football fans from Newcastle and Sunderland, the term, which derives from 'Smog Monster' is a reference to the heavy industry in the area and has now been adopted by Teessiders as a badge of pride. [1]
Sooner
(U.S.) A person from Oklahoma; from settlers who slipped into the territory to stake claims "sooner" than the permitted date.
Spud Islander
(Canada) A person from Prince Edward Island; from the potatoes or "spuds" grown there.[8]
Taff
(UK) A Welshman, from "Daffyd", the Welsh spelling of David, or from the River Taff.[citation needed]
Tar Heel
(U.S.) a person from North Carolina; also the nickname of the athletic teams at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and frequently used as an adjective for students or fans of that school
Taswegian, Tassie
(Australia) A person from Tasmania.[9]
Tapatío
(Mexico) A person from Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Terrone
(Italy) A person from southern Italy. Formed from "terra" (earth), the term is meant to invoke the ignorance and lack of "class" implied by American English terms like "yokel," "hayseed," "hillbilly," etc.
Tico
(Central America) A person from Costa Rica.
Tuckahoe
(U.S.) A person of the wealthy slaveholding class from the Tidewater region of Virginia.
Tyke
(UK) A native of Yorkshire. Not considered offensive.
Woollyback
(UK) Generally used by scousers to indicate someone from near to Liverpool, but indicating a certain rustic simplicity, or at least not having Liverpool's glamorous sophistication. Slightly offensive.
Yat
(U.S.) A person from New Orleans, from the phrase "Where y'at?" ("How are you?" or "What's up?")
Yellowbelly (Copthorne)
Yellowbelly (Lincolnshire)
(UK) A person from the county of Lincolnshire. Not considered offensive and of debated etymology.
Yinzer
(U.S.) A person from Pittsburgh, from the use of terms like yinz, stillers, dawntawn.
Yooper
(U.S.) A person from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (the "U.P.").

Terms for people from non-specific geographical areas

Nicknames for people from rural, remote, etc. areas often bear a derogatory implication of unsophisticated, undereducated people, simpletons.

Cohee
(U.S.) originally (mid-18th century) -- a Scots-Irish settler into the Virginia Piedmont; later (late 18th century) -- a term for "poor white trash"; still later (early 19th century) -- a term indicating independent small farmer in the Virginia/Carolina/Tennessee/Kentucky area.
Culchie
(Northern Ireland & Republic of Ireland) someone from rural Ireland. Not particularly offensive.
Flatlander
A person from a flat plains area, to residents of adjacent hill and mountain areas.
Gaucho
(South America) A rural person from South American grasslands. (For Brazilian usage, see "Terms based on specific locations".)
Goober
(U.S.) a rural person with a "glorious lack of sophistication" (from the slang term for "peanut")
Guajiro
(Cuba) a rural person from Cuba.
Hillbilly
(U.S.) a rural white person, esp. one from Appalachia or the Ozarks.
Hoosier
(St. Louis area of Missouri and Illinois) a lower class, uneducated white person. Anywhere else, a non-offensive term for a native of Indiana.
Redneck
(U.S.) a rural white person, typically of Scots-Irish descent. There are varying possible etymologies for this term. Primarily used to denote lower-class rural whites.
Swamp Yankee
(U.S.:New England) refers to rural white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant farmers in New England, particularly in Rhode Island and western Connecticut.[10]
Teuchter
(Scotland) a person from rural parts of Scotland, for example the Gàidhealtachd, Northern Scotland, Galloway and the Borders.
Westie/Westy
(Aus/NZ) A person from the western suburbs of Auckland or Sydney, the slur implying lower class
Yokel
(UK, US & Canada) an unrefined white person, implicitly rural and "hick" (not necessarily "white trash" but inclusive of same).[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Arkansawyer definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta
  2. ^ Green, p. 27.
  3. ^ The Australian Oxford Dictionary, 2nd edition. Ed. Bruce Moore. (Oxford University Press, 2004) [Accessed 6 May 2006].
  4. ^ The Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Katherine Barber. (Oxford University Press: 2004) [Accessed 8 May 2006]
  5. ^ http://www.kidzworld.com/article/9178-best-fans-in-the-nfl
  6. ^ Anne R. Kaplan, They Chose Minnesota: A Survey of the State's Ethnic Groups, (1981)
  7. ^ Share, op. cit. p. 168.
  8. ^ Barber, "Spud Island", [Accessed 7 May 2006].
  9. ^ "Australian Phrasebook", by Denise Angelo, Sue Butler, p. 61
  10. ^ Swamp Yankee
  11. ^ AskOxford: yokel
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