Nicknames of Boston

Slang terms for the city in Massachusetts, United States

"Beantown" redirects here. For the town formerly known as Beantown, see Waldorf, Maryland.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Nicknames of Boston" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Boston Common

Boston has many nicknames, inspired by various historical contexts. They include:

The City on a Hill
Came from governor John Winthrop's goal, of the original Massachusetts Bay Colony, to create the biblical "City on a Hill." It also refers to the original three hills of Boston.
The City by the Bay
Comes from its location facing Massachusetts Bay and serving as the capital of the original Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The Hub
is a shortened form of a phrase recorded by writer Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Hub of the Solar System.[1] This has since developed into The Hub of the Universe.[2][3]
The Athens of America
is a title given by William Tudor, co-founder of the North American Review, for Boston's great cultural and intellectual influence. Also a nickname of Philadelphia.[4]
The Puritan City
Was given in reference to the religion of the city's founders.
The Cradle of Liberty
Derives from Boston's role in instigating the American Revolution. Also, a nickname of Philadelphia.[5]
City of Notions
Was coined at least as early as 1823.[6][7]
America's Walking City
Was given due to Boston's compact nature and high population density,[8] which have made walking an effective and popular mode of transit in the city.[9] Boston has the seventh-highest percentage of pedestrian commuters of any city in the United States, while neighboring Cambridge has the highest.
Beantown
Refers to the regional dish of Boston baked beans. In colonial days, a favorite Boston food was beans slow-baked in molasses.[10]
Titletown
Refers to Boston's historic success in certain sports, specifically the Boston Celtics, who have won an NBA record 18 championships, and the New England Patriots, who have won six Super Bowl titles.[11][12][13]
City of Champions
Much like Titletown—refers to Boston's history of success in certain sports, with the Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics, Boston Bruins, and New England Patriots each having won more than one national championship.[14][15]
The Olde Towne
Comes from the fact that Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It is also used in reference to the Boston Red Sox (The Olde Towne Team).[citation needed]

## See also

[edit]

* Cities portal
* Massachusetts portal
* United States portal
* World portal

* Nicknames of New York City
* Nicknames of Philadelphia

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1858). The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. Phillips, Sampson and Company.; Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1891) [1858]. The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table. Houghton, Mifflin and Company. p. 172 "A jaunty-looking person... said there was one more wise man's saying that he had heard; it was about our place—but he didn't know who said it.... 'Boston State-House is the Hub of the Solar System. You couldn't pry that out of a Boston man if you had the tire of all creation straightened out for a crow-bar.'"
2. ^ Bulfinch, Thomas (1942). Klapp, W. H. (ed.). The Age of Fable. Kingsport, Tennessee: Kingsport Press. p. vii.
3. ^ Dalager, Norman (August 10, 2006). "What's in a Nickname?". Boston.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2004. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
4. ^ "LCP Art". Retrieved June 12, 2010.
5. ^ "Words and Their Stories: Nicknames for Philadelphia and Boston". Voice of America. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
6. ^ "Their Nicknames". Decatur Daily Dispatch: 2?. September 23, 1889. Archived from the original on September 27, 2006. Decatur, Illinois. Found at listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0307b&L=ads-l&P=2093.
7. ^ For 1823 reference see: Woodstock (VT) Observer, 5/13/1823, p.3.
8. ^ McKenzie Jr., John D. (January 1, 2014). "Boston: A City with Many Historical Nicknames". Amstat News. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
9. ^ O'Connor, Thomas Henry (April 21, 2023). "Boston". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
10. ^ "10 classic Boston dishes, and 5 places to find each one". Boston Globe Media Partners. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
11. ^ "SPORTS CHART OF THE DAY: Boston Is The New 'Title Town'". Business Insider. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
12. ^ "4 Rings in 6 Years makes Boston the real TitleTown". SF Gate. June 17, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
13. ^ ""Title-Town" 
 How Boston Became the City of Champions". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
14. ^ Shaughnessy, Dan (October 30, 2014). "Tom Menino was the mayor to a city of champions". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 10, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
15. ^ Sharma, Aashish (July 2, 2011). "'Title-Town' 
 How Boston Became the City of Champions (Part 1: Patriots)". Bleacher Report.

* v
* t
* e

Boston

Topics|

* Accent
* Annual events
* Architecture
* Arts
* Bibliography
* Culture
* Demographics
* Diplomatic missions
* Economy
* Education
* Colleges and universities
* Geography
* Historic places
* Northern
* Southern
* History
* Timeline
* Media
* Nicknames
* People
* Politics
* Port
* Public library
* Public schools
* Sister cities
* Skyscrapers
* Songs
* Transportation

Attractions|

* Boston Common
* Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
* Irish Famine Memorial
* Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum
* Bunker Hill Monument
* Dorchester Heights Monument
* Faneuil Hall
* Fenway Park
* Franklin Park Zoo
* Freedom Trail
* Hynes Convention Center
* Institute of Contemporary Art
* Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
* John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
* Massachusetts State House
* Museum of Fine Arts
* Appeal to the Great Spirit
* Museum of Science
* New England Aquarium
* Old North Church
* Paul Revere House
* Boston Symphony Hall
* TD Garden
* USS Constitution
* Museum

Business
districts|

* Back Bay
* Downtown
* Fenway–Kenmore
* Financial District
* Government Center
* Innovation district
* North End
* Route 128 corridor
* South End
* List of companies in Boston

Government|

* City charter
* City council
* City Hall
* Elections
* Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
* FinComm
* Fire
* Housing (BHA)
* Mayor
* Planning & Development Agency (BPDA)
* Police

Neighborhoods|

* Allston–Brighton
* Allston
* Brighton
* Back Bay
* Bay Village
* Beacon Hill
* Downtown Boston
* Financial District
* Government Center
* Charlestown
* Chestnut Hill
* Chinatown
* Dorchester
* Columbia Point
* Upham's Corner
* East Boston
* Fenway–Kenmore
* Harbor Islands
* Hyde Park
* Readville
* Jamaica Plain
* Forest Hills
* Leather District
* Mattapan
* Mission Hill
* Longwood
* North End
* Roslindale
* Roxbury
* Fort Hill
* South Boston
* Fort Point
* Seaport
* South End
* West End
* West Roxbury

Sports|

* Boston Bruins
* Boston Celtics
* Boston Marathon
* Boston Red Sox
* New England Free Jacks
* New England Patriots
* New England Revolution

* Suffolk County
* Greater Boston
* Massachusetts

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template