New York City has picked up more nicknames than almost any other place in America, and the stories behind them range from horse racing slang to a centuries old English insult. Here’s where the city’s most famous names actually came from.
The Big Apple
This is New York’s most recognized nickname today, but it didn’t start as a description of the city at all.It began as horse racing slang in the early 1900s, when jockeys used Big Apple to describe a top prize or the biggest event of its kind. Sportswriter John J. Fitz Gerald picked up the phrase in the early 1920s after overhearing stable hands at a New Orleans racetrack refer to New York’s racing circuit as “the big apple,” meaning it was the ultimate goal for any horseman. Fitz Gerald loved the phrase so much he titled his New York Morning Telegraph column “Around the Big Apple,” starting in 1924, and the nickname spread from there through jazz musicians and other writers throughout the 1920s and 30s.
For decades after that, the nickname existed mostly in the background. It wasn’t until 1971, when New York’s tourism board launched an official ad campaign built around the phrase, that the Big Apple became the city’s dominant, everyday nickname. Fitz Gerald lived at the corner of Broadway and 54th Street for thirty years. In 1997, the city officially renamed the spot Big Apple Corner to recognize his role in popularizing the nickname.
Gotham
Long before Batman, Gotham was already New York’s nickname, and it started as an insult. Author Washington Irving first used the term in 1807 in his satirical magazine Salmagundi, borrowing it from an English village with the same name. According to old English folklore, the real Gotham’s residents once pretended to be foolish or mad to convince King John to change his travel route and avoid passing through their town, since a royal visit would have brought chaos and expense. Gotham roughly translates to Goat’s Town in Anglo Saxon. At the time, people often viewed goats as unintelligent animals.
Irving used the name to poke fun at New York’s culture and politics, essentially comparing the city’s residents to that same town of clever fools. New Yorkers embraced the nickname anyway, perhaps because they took pride in its clever, playful meaning or simply enjoyed being part of the joke. The name stuck around for over two centuries, and it got a second life in 1940 when Batman writer Bill Finger borrowed it for the comic’s setting after spotting Gotham Jewelers in a New York City phone book.
The City That Never Sleeps
This nickname needs very little explaining once you’ve spent any time in New York. It reflects the city’s round the clock subway system, all night diners, and general reputation for constant activity no matter the hour. The phrase became especially well known through Frank Sinatra’s version of “Theme from New York, New York,” which repeats the line “I want to wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep,” cementing the phrase as one of the most recognizable ways to describe the city’s nonstop energy.
Empire City
This nickname ties directly back to New York State’s own nickname, the Empire State. The exact origin of Empire State remains debated. Some accounts link it to comments about New York’s wealth, resources, and importance, while others see it as a broader reflection of the state’s dominant economic role in the country. As the state’s largest and most influential city, New York City naturally inherited a version of that same nickname.
The City So Nice They Named It Twice
This one is more of a playful phrase than a formal nickname, and it comes directly from the fact that New York City sits within New York State, the only major US city that shares its exact full name with its state. The line gained popularity partly through its use in songs and casual conversation as a fun, quotable way to describe the city’s double naming.
Knickerbocker
This older nickname for New Yorkers, rather than the city itself, also traces back to Washington Irving. In 1809, he published a satirical book credited to a fictional author named Diedrich Knickerbocker, supposedly a Dutch historian, as part of an elaborate promotional stunt. The name Knickerbocker, linked to a style of knee length pants associated with Dutch New Yorkers, became a nickname for the city’s residents and their Dutch colonial heritage. The name still appears today, most famously in the name of New York’s NBA team, the Knicks.
A Quick Reference
| Nickname | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The Big Apple | Horse racing slang for the top prize, popularized by a 1920s sportswriter and a 1970s tourism campaign |
| Gotham | An 1807 satirical nickname from Washington Irving, borrowed from an English village known for its “wise fools” |
| The City That Never Sleeps | Reflects the city’s 24 hour subway, nightlife, and nonstop activity |
| Empire City | Borrowed from New York State’s nickname, the Empire State |
| The City So Nice They Named It Twice | A playful reference to the city sharing its name with the state |
| Knickerbocker | An old nickname for New Yorkers tied to Dutch colonial heritage, also from Washington Irving |
Why These Nicknames Still Matter
New York’s nicknames capture just how many different eras and industries have shaped the city’s identity. The Big Apple came out of horse racing slang and a modern tourism campaign, while Gotham traces all the way back to early American literature and even older English folklore. Together, they show how writers, marketers, and everyday residents have renamed and reinterpreted the city for more than two hundred years. Most of these names remain in everyday use today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did New York get the nickname Big Apple?
The nickname started as horse racing slang in the 1920s, popularized by sportswriter John J. Fitz Gerald, and became the city’s dominant nickname after a 1970s tourism campaign built around the phrase.
Why is New York called Gotham?
Author Washington Irving gave New York this nickname in 1807, borrowing it from an English village known in folklore for residents who pretended to be foolish to avoid an unwanted royal visit.
Does Gotham come from Batman?
No. The nickname predates Batman by well over a century. Batman writer Bill Finger borrowed the already existing New York nickname for the comic in 1940.
Why is New York called the City That Never Sleeps?
It reflects the city’s round the clock subway system and nightlife, and the phrase became especially popular through Frank Sinatra’s version of “Theme from New York, New York.”
What does Knickerbocker mean?
It’s an old nickname for New Yorkers tied to Dutch colonial heritage. Washington Irving coined it in 1809 as part of a fictional historian character he created.
Is Empire City an official nickname?
It’s an informal but long used nickname, borrowed from New York State’s own nickname, the Empire State.
Final Thoughts
New York City’s nicknames reflect just how many different chapters have shaped its identity, from a 19th century literary joke to a 1920s racetrack phrase to a modern tourism slogan. Gotham captures the city’s oldest reputation, while the Big Apple reflects its more recent, marketed identity. Together, they show how the city has continued to pick up new names that reflect the era it’s living through.
