List of city nicknames in Connecticut

This partial list of city nicknames in Connecticut compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that Connecticut cities and towns are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders or their tourism boards or chambers of commerce. City nicknames can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community because of its nickname; promote civic pride; and build community unity.[1] Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth"[2] are also believed to have economic value.[1] Their economic value is difficult to measure,[1] but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves with new slogans.[2]

Several Connecticut community nicknames celebrate a local history of manufacturing various products, such as these Connecticut-made clocks on display in the American Clock & Watch Museum in Bristol.

Some unofficial nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.

• Ansonia - The Copper City
• Berlin – Geographic Center of Connecticut[3]
• Bethlehem – The Christmas Town[4]
• Bridgeport – The Park City[5]
• Bristol – Clock City[5]
• Cheshire – Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut.[6]
• Danbury – Hat City.[5][7]
• Derby – Connecticut's Smallest City[8]
• Ellington - Smellington[9]
• Groton – Submarine Capital of the World[10][11]
• Hamden – Land of the Sleeping Giant[12]
• Hartford
  • Insurance Capital of the World[13]
  • Insurance City[5][14]
• Madison – Connecticut's Front Porch[15]
• Manchester – Silk City[5]
• Meriden – Silver City[5]
• Middletown – Forest City[16]
• Naugatuck – Rubber City[5]
• New Britain
  • Hardware City[5][14]
  • Hard-hittin' New Britain[17]
• New Haven – The Elm City[5][18] (reported in the 1880s as City of Elms[19])
• Norwich – Rose City[20] or The Rose of New England[21]
• Stamford
  • Lock City (a reference to the now-defunct Yale & Towne lock factory).[14]
  • "The City that Works!"[22]
• Waterbury – The Brass City[5][23]
• West Haven – Connecticut's Friendliest City[24]
• Willimantic – Thread City[5]

See also

• Administrative divisions of Connecticut
• List of city nicknames in the United States
• List of municipalities of Connecticut by population

References

1. Muench, David (December 1993). "Wisconsin Community Slogans: Their Use and Local Impacts" (PDF). University of Wisconsin Extension. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2013. Retrieved April 10, 2007.
2. Alfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :) Archived 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
3. Berlin Chamber of Commerce website, accessed June 27, 2009
4. Bethlehem, CT official website
5. Bill Ryan, What's in a Name? Old Industrial Fame, The New York Times, January 21, 1996
6. Claims to Fame – Plants Archived 2007-12-17 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
7. Perrefort, Dirk. "Lawmakers honor Hat City, 4 veteran politicians", The News-Times, April 1, 2008. Accessed April 10, 2008. "Lawmakers tipped their hats to Danbury on Wednesday during the first Danbury Day at the Capitol. Legislators from throughout the state wore hats of every shape, size and color to honor the Hat City's history."
8. ConnQuest – Derby, Connecticut, Connecticut Directory, accessed July 17, 2008
9. , Mommy Poppins, August 13, 2015
10. Groton, Connecticut – Submarine Capital of the World, Roadside America, accessed July 4, 2011
11. Friedrich, Ed (July 10, 2008). "Bases battle over title of "submarine capital of the world."". ScrippsNews. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012.
12. Hamden, Connecticut – Town Official Website
13. City of Hartford, Connecticut official website
14. Claims to Fame – Business, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
15. Madison: Connecticut's Front Porch, Madison Website
16. City to celebrate 100th anniversary of arboretum Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, Middletown Press, April 21, 2009. Quotes the chairman of the Urban Forestry Commission as saying ""Middletown was known as the Forest City before this even happened. It's been that way for a long, long time."
17. Glasper learns the hard lessons of football. ESPN.com, June 7, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
18. Faber, Harold (1993-09-12). "The World Capital of Whatever". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
19. Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
20. Norwich: The Rose City, Town Greens website, accessed February 19, 2008
21. Sharma Howard, Norwich's 350th: Roses of all ages share pride in city, Norwich Bulletin, July 3, 2009: Lists several theories of the names origin: (1) "the hills seen from Norwich harbor resemble unfurling rose petals", (2) "the loveliness of Norwich when the magnificent mansions of prosperous mill owners graced the streets," (3) "a speech delivered by 19th-century evangelist Henry Ward Beecher."
22. The City of Stamford, CT – About Stamford Archived 2012-07-22 at Archive.today. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
23. Waterbury: The Brass City, Town Greens website, accessed February 19, 2008
24. West Haven: Connecticut's Friendliest City, City of West Haven Website, accessed June 11, 2008