Halifaximiles? Savannahoos? Knoxvillains? Minneapolice?
February 13, 2013 5:31 PM Subscribe
If people living in Laos are Laotian, then are those in Taos Taotians?
Residents of Chicago are called Chicagoans; this one I know for sure. Those in Houston are known as Houstonians, and denizens of Boston are called Bostonians.
So what about people living in Dallas, Miami, Juneau? Helena? Buffalo? Hong Kong? Sydney? St. Louis? Kalamazoo?
This is something I worry about endlessly, of course, and I haven't found a way to search for a proper list. I know I'll kick myself in five minutes for this, but what the hell is the search term I'm blanking on here? Residents, collective names, adjectives, cities, abbreviations, nicknames... I'm seriously stuck, and I know I know the term for this! Clue, please.
Residents of Chicago are called Chicagoans; this one I know for sure. Those in Houston are known as Houstonians, and denizens of Boston are called Bostonians.
So what about people living in Dallas, Miami, Juneau? Helena? Buffalo? Hong Kong? Sydney? St. Louis? Kalamazoo?
This is something I worry about endlessly, of course, and I haven't found a way to search for a proper list. I know I'll kick myself in five minutes for this, but what the hell is the search term I'm blanking on here? Residents, collective names, adjectives, cities, abbreviations, nicknames... I'm seriously stuck, and I know I know the term for this! Clue, please.
People in Taos call themselves Taoseños. If you're looking beyond cities, it's worth checking out other stuff in Wikipedia, like the demonym article, which also points out that some people call these "gentilics" if you are looking for more Google fodder.
posted by jeb at 5:42 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by jeb at 5:42 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Demonym!
People from Taos, BTW, are called Taoseños. It's a great word. (Other New Mexico demonyms are similar -- people from Albuquerque are Burqueños, for example.)
posted by heurtebise at 5:42 PM on February 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
People from Taos, BTW, are called Taoseños. It's a great word. (Other New Mexico demonyms are similar -- people from Albuquerque are Burqueños, for example.)
posted by heurtebise at 5:42 PM on February 13, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: DEMONYM, yes! That's the word I know! Thank you.
I wonder if there isn't a more comprehensive list somewhere... several that I'm wondering about aren't there. Buffalonians is awesome.
posted by heyho at 5:43 PM on February 13, 2013
I wonder if there isn't a more comprehensive list somewhere... several that I'm wondering about aren't there. Buffalonians is awesome.
posted by heyho at 5:43 PM on February 13, 2013
Minneapolitans, but that seems to be something more commonly written than said aloud. St. Paulites, same thing.
posted by padraigin at 5:52 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by padraigin at 5:52 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Most city pages on Wikipedia list the demonym in the far right column. There I found Kalamazooan, Juneauite, St. Louisan, Hong Konger, etc. etc.
posted by wisekaren at 5:52 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by wisekaren at 5:52 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
People from Halifax are called Haligonians, a word that is awesome and unexpected!
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 5:54 PM on February 13, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 5:54 PM on February 13, 2013 [7 favorites]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_adjectival_and_demonymic_forms_of_place_names
posted by blaneyphoto at 5:54 PM on February 13, 2013
posted by blaneyphoto at 5:54 PM on February 13, 2013
Knoxvillians
posted by SkylitDrawl at 6:24 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by SkylitDrawl at 6:24 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Folks from Maine do not take kindly to being called Mainiacs.
And I used to have a colleague who referred to Ioweenians.
posted by Bruce H. at 6:33 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
And I used to have a colleague who referred to Ioweenians.
posted by Bruce H. at 6:33 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
My all-time favorite: People from Glasgow, Scotland are Glaswegians. That just rocks, for some reason.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 6:47 PM on February 13, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by Benny Andajetz at 6:47 PM on February 13, 2013 [3 favorites]
Spokane, WA = Spokanites.
(Remember, there is no long-a sound in Spokane)
posted by hippybear at 6:47 PM on February 13, 2013
(Remember, there is no long-a sound in Spokane)
posted by hippybear at 6:47 PM on February 13, 2013
Dallas people are Dallasites. Source: I'm a Dallasite.
posted by internet!Hannah at 6:47 PM on February 13, 2013
posted by internet!Hannah at 6:47 PM on February 13, 2013
Halifax is Haligonians- not halifacians like a friend of mine likes to say!
posted by bquarters at 6:54 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by bquarters at 6:54 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Las Cruces, NM = Las Crusans.
(remember, the second "c" in Cruces is a soft c)
posted by hippybear at 6:56 PM on February 13, 2013
(remember, the second "c" in Cruces is a soft c)
posted by hippybear at 6:56 PM on February 13, 2013
Response by poster: Ah, so it's not Dallasians. Yeah, didn't think so.
Ioweenians is hilarious, and I'll be stealing that.
posted by heyho at 6:57 PM on February 13, 2013
Ioweenians is hilarious, and I'll be stealing that.
posted by heyho at 6:57 PM on February 13, 2013
Massachusetts is Bay Stater officially, but I think Masshole is a little more straightforward.
posted by MadamM at 7:13 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MadamM at 7:13 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Idahoans
Or as someone I know says: Idahoes and Idahodaddies.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:17 PM on February 13, 2013
Or as someone I know says: Idahoes and Idahodaddies.
posted by BlueHorse at 7:17 PM on February 13, 2013
And still I don't know the name for people from Guam.
posted by small_ruminant at 7:19 PM on February 13, 2013
posted by small_ruminant at 7:19 PM on February 13, 2013
That wikipedia list of demonyms includes yats for people in New Orleans. Funny but not strictly correct. Yats are only a subset of New Orleanians. The other cities I have lived in are correctly described on that list.
posted by bukvich at 8:11 PM on February 13, 2013
posted by bukvich at 8:11 PM on February 13, 2013
people from Guam
Guamibears?
I'm leaving now.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:37 PM on February 13, 2013 [7 favorites]
Guamibears?
I'm leaving now.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:37 PM on February 13, 2013 [7 favorites]
Reminds me of the fact that Melbourne, Australia came very close to being called Batmania in honour of an early coloniser called John Batman. That would have made the residents Batmanians.
I wish!
posted by Kerasia at 9:09 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
I wish!
posted by Kerasia at 9:09 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]
Baltimore -> Baltimorian. Although hardly anyone, myself included, can resist calling us Baltimorons.
posted by missmobtown at 10:04 PM on February 13, 2013
posted by missmobtown at 10:04 PM on February 13, 2013
Guam is listed on the wikipedia page for demonyms for countries and nations - they are Guamanians.
posted by jacalata at 12:04 AM on February 14, 2013
posted by jacalata at 12:04 AM on February 14, 2013
The UK is full of confusing and interesting demonyms. People from Manchester are Mancunians, people from Liverpool are Liverpudlians, people from Glasgow are Glaswegians.
posted by Gordafarin at 1:11 AM on February 14, 2013
posted by Gordafarin at 1:11 AM on February 14, 2013
Perusing the demonym list - As someone who used to live in Michigan, I never heard someone refer to a Michiganian, but I did hear people refer to Michiganders. I prefer the latter because you can really bring out the Great Lakes region "akksint" when saying MichiGANder.
posted by Slothrop at 3:57 AM on February 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Slothrop at 3:57 AM on February 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
People from Bellingham call themselves Bellinghamsters.
posted by Capri at 7:35 AM on February 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Capri at 7:35 AM on February 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Don't call people from Chihuahua Chihuahueños. They're Chihuahuenses!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:13 AM on February 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 10:13 AM on February 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
I like the ones with no obvious linguistic connection-- the ones with historical or cultural reasons:
People from Indianna = Hoosiers
People from North Carolina = Tarheels
posted by seasparrow at 10:57 AM on February 14, 2013
People from Indianna = Hoosiers
People from North Carolina = Tarheels
posted by seasparrow at 10:57 AM on February 14, 2013
That's Haligonians. Though someone should really suggest Halifaximiles. Both are top notch.
posted by dry white toast at 11:54 AM on February 14, 2013
posted by dry white toast at 11:54 AM on February 14, 2013
So if you're from Albany, you're an Albanian?
posted by motown missile at 12:00 PM on February 14, 2013
posted by motown missile at 12:00 PM on February 14, 2013
In the UK, Birmingham- Brummies, Bristol- Bristolians, Sunderland - Mackams, Newcastle - Geordies. I was told that residents of Sydney Australia are Sydneysiders.
posted by plonkee at 3:27 PM on February 14, 2013
posted by plonkee at 3:27 PM on February 14, 2013
I was going to recommend Labels for Locals as well. I keep my copy next to my computer at work at all times. I found it for cheap at eBay.
posted by fso at 12:46 PM on March 12, 2013
posted by fso at 12:46 PM on March 12, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Snazzy67 at 5:36 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]