Manchester’s many nicknames – including Rainy City and Cottonopolis

Manchester means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and that is certainly reflected in the list of nicknames this city has acquired over the years.

All cities have them: the Big Smoke, the Steel City, the Toon, Venice of the North. Some nicknames we gave ourselves, others were given to us by the media. Some of these names are affectionate, used to highlight some of this city’s greatest achievements, and others came about during the darker periods of the city’s history.

But before it was known by any of the following names, or even Manchester itself, it was known as Mamcumium. This was the name of the Roman fort in the area of the city now called Castlefield. Amusingly, it is believed to be a Latin version of the Brittonic word meaning “breast,” or “breast-like hill.” Later, the suffix “-caester” was added, which was an Anglo-Saxon word for “town.” And thus, Manchester was born.

Here are some of the other nicknames you might hear for Manchester.

Cottonopolis

This nickname dates back to the late 19th century and refers to the city’s cotton production. Thanks to the mills in towns across what is now Greater Manchester, the Royal Exchange trading hall and the extensive canal network, Manchester became the industry leader. In 1871, around 32% of the world’s cotton was spun in Manchester.

However, you can’t mention the cotton industry without mention its links to the slave trade, and while being the first industrial city may have been Manchester’s greatest achievement, this fact is definitely worth remembering.

Warehouse City

All the cotton Manchester produced needed to be stored somewhere before it was sent down Manchester Ship Canal, which is why the city also earned itself the adjacent nickname of Warehouse City. There were around 1819 warehouses in Manchester by 1815. Many still exist and have been repurposed into flats, shops and hotels, like the Britannia hotel on Portland Street.

Gunchester

Gun and gang violence was at an all-time high in Manchester in the 80s and 90s, particular in South Manchester areas like Moss Side, Hulme and Longsight. According to Manchester Evening News articles from the time, 1999 was a particularly bad year, with 270 shots fired, 43 people injured and seven killed.

Madchester

Like most of Manchester’s cultural achievements in the 1980s and 1990s, this nickname can be credited to Factory Records and Hacienda founder Tony Wilson, and also the Happy Mondays, who named their second album Madchester Rave On. The Madchester era was when ecstasy was the drug of choice and indie music and acid house reigned supreme.

Granadaland

Before we had Media City, home of the BBC and other media companies, we had Granada TV. The old Granada studios, which began broadcasting in 1956, can still be found on Quay Street and it is home to variety of different businesses.

Rainy City

It’s become a bit of a stereotype now, but Manchester has always been associated with rain. When it comes to the rainiest city, however, some research suggests that Manchester does not even make the top 10.

Manctopia

This one is one of the newer nicknames on this list and it refers to the rapid development Manchester city centre has seen over the past few years. It first appeared thanks to a BBC documentary series of the same name exploring the recent housing boom. While this has been a huge boost to the city, it is also something that divides Mancunians, particularly as the lack of affordable housing continues to be an issue in the region.

Town

People can call Manchester what they want, but the most common word you’ll hear Mancunians using is simply “town.”

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