demonym
noun

the name used for the people who live in a particular country, state, or other locality

Dictionary dot com

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ORIGIN

Demonym comes from the Greek word for “populace” (demos) and the suffix for “name” (-onym).

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Some demonyms seem to roll right off the tip of the tongue, for example Londoner, New Yorker, or Berliner. Others have a name very different from the actual place name:

- Aberdeen = Aberdonian
- Birmingham = Brummie
- Blackpool = Blackpudlian
- Cardiff = Taff
- Edinburgh = Edinburger
- Glasgow = Glaswegian
- Hartlepool = Monkey hanger
- Liverpool = Liverpudlian, Scouser
- Manchester = Mancunian
- Middlesbrough = Smoggie
- Newcastle = Novocastrian, Geordie
- Oxford = Oxonian
- Shrewsbury = Salopian
- Solihull = Silhillian

- Australia = Aussie
- Brisbane = Brisvegan, Brisbogan
- South Australia = Croweater
- Sydney = Sydneysider
- Tasmania = Taswegian
- New Zealand = Kiwi

- Canada = Canuck
- Connecticut = Nutmegger
- Kansas = Jayhawker
- North Carolina = Tar Heel
- Ohio = Buckeye
- Oklahoma = Okie, Sooner
- Pittsburgh = Yinzer
- Wisconsin = Cheesehead

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FICTITIOUS DEMONYMS

Literature and science fiction have created a wealth of demonyns not directly associated with a cultural group. Examples include: Martian for Mars, Gondorian for the people of Tolkien’s fictional land of Gondor, Atlantean for Plato’s island Atlantis, and Klingons for Star Trek franchise.

Planetary examples include: Jovian for those of Jupiter or its moons and Venusian for those of Venus. Aliens refer to an inhabitants of Earth as Earthling, Terran, Terrene, Tellurian, Earther, Earthican, Terrestrial, and Solarian (from Sol, the sun).

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“Can you guess the DEMONYM for residents of Mexico City? They’re called ‘Capitalinos’ — because Mexico City is the nation’s capital.”

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Paul Smith