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.
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]
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[3]
Berlin – Geographic Center of Connecticut[4]
Bethlehem – The Christmas Town[5]
Bridgeport – The Park City[6]
Bristol
Clock City[6]
Mum City[7]
Cheshire – Bedding Plant Capital of Connecticut[8]
Danbury – Hat City[6][9]
Derby – Connecticut's Smallest City[10]
East Hampton – Belltown USA[11]
Groton – Submarine Capital of the World[12][13]
Hamden – Land of the Sleeping Giant[14]
Hartford
Insurance Capital of the World[15]
Homicide Hartford[6][16]
Manchester – Silk City[6]
Meriden – Silver City[6]
Middletown – Forest City[17]
Naugatuck – Rubber City[6]
New Britain
Hardware City[6][16]
Hard-hittin' New Britain[18]
New Haven – The Elm City[6][19] (reported in the 1880s as City of Elms[20])
New London - The Whaling City
Norwich – Rose City[21] or The Rose of New England[22]
Stamford
Lock City (a reference to the now-defunct Yale & Towne lock factory)[16]
"The City that Works!"[23]
Waterbury – The Brass City[6][24]
West Haven – Connecticut's Friendliest City[25]
Willimantic – Thread City[6]
Winsted – Laurel City[26]
^ abcMuench, 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.
^ abAlfredo Andia, Branding the Generic City :) Archived 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine, MU.DOT magazine, September 10, 2007
^Busemeyer, Stephen (September 15, 2014), "Did You Know? Facts About All 169 Connecticut Towns", Hartford Courant, retrieved June 16, 2021
^Berlin Chamber of Commerce website, accessed June 27, 2009
^Bethlehem, CT Archived 2006-08-03 at the Wayback Machine official website
^ abcdefghijkBill Ryan, What's in a Name? Old Industrial Fame, The New York Times, January 21, 1996
^Raff, Susan (May 6, 2021), "20 Towns in 20 Days: How Bristol got the nickname of the "Mum City"", wfsb.com, retrieved June 16, 2021
^Claims to Fame – Plants Archived 2007-12-17 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
^Perrefort, Dirk. "Lawmakers honor Hat City, 4 veteran politicians"[permanent dead link], 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."
^ConnQuest – Derby, Connecticut, Connecticut Directory, accessed July 17, 2008
^"Fire In Belltown, USA Destroys Last Bell Factory", Morning Edition, NPR, May 31, 2012, retrieved June 16, 2021
^Groton, Connecticut – Submarine Capital of the World, Roadside America, accessed July 4, 2011
^Friedrich, Ed (July 10, 2008). "Bases battle over title of "submarine capital of the world."". ScrippsNews. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012.
^Hamden, Connecticut – Town Official Website
^City of Hartford, Connecticut Archived 2013-09-17 at the Wayback Machine official website
^ abcClaims to Fame – Business Archived 2017-07-13 at the Wayback Machine, Epodunk, accessed April 16, 2007.
^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."
^Glasper learns the hard lessons of football. ESPN.com, June 7, 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
^Faber, Harold (1993-09-12). "The World Capital of Whatever". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
^Barry Popik, Smoky City, barrypopik.com website, March 27, 2005
^Norwich: The Rose City, Town Greens website, accessed February 19, 2008
^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."
^The City of Stamford, CT – About Stamford Archived 2012-07-22 at archive.today. Retrieved February 14, 2008.
^Waterbury: The Brass City, Town Greens website, accessed February 19, 2008
^
West Haven: Connecticut's Friendliest City, City of West Haven Website, accessed June 11, 2008
^
Winsted: Laurel City, Town of Winsted/Winchester Website, accessed Jan 24, 2022
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