What’s In a Name? Have You Heard These 12 Nicknames for Detroit?
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As a city that’s more than 300 years old, Detroit Michigan’s history is rich and varied, with the city’s influence extending into the automotive industry, sports, music, architecture, and even food.
Nestled along the Detroit River in Wayne County, Detroit is the biggest city in Michigan. It was founded as Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit (Fort Detroit) by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French explorer, in 1701. The city is named for the Detroit River and the name Detroit comes from the French word for strait. The French referred to the river as “le detroit du Lac Erie,” or “the strait of Lake Erie.”
Detroit was once the capital of the Michigan Territory and Michigan’s first state capital when it became a state in 1837. It was incorporated as a city in 1915.
It only makes sense that over three centuries, Detroit would earn its fair share of nicknames. While it may be Detroit on a map of Michigan or the United States, to Michiganders it’s The D, Motown, the Motor City, Hockeytown, the 313, Detroit Rock City, and many other names.
The Motor City & The Town That Put the World on Wheels
From the pioneering efforts of Henry Ford and the introduction of the assembly line, to the fierce competition among iconic brands like General Motors and Chrysler, Detroit’s streets have long echoed with the rumble of engines and the spirit of progress.
As Detroit emerged as a prominent automotive innovation hub in the early 20th century, it took on several nicknames that paid homage to its importance in revolutionizing the automobile industry. Perhaps the most important and well-known of these is the Motor City.
As the headquarters of many of the world’s biggest automakers, Detroit also became known as The Town that Put the World on Wheels.
Motown & Hitsville USA
Originally founded as Tamla Records in 1959 by Berry Gordy Jr., Motown made Detroit one of the biggest centers of the US music scene for several decades.
The company was incorporated at Motown Record Corporation in 1960, with the name Motown combining the words motor and town.
With a lineup of artists that included the Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, and many others, Motown played a significant role in the racial integration of popular music. During the 1960s alone, Motown artists charted 79 records in the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10.
Motown’s first studio and headquarters on West Grand Boulevard was purchased in 1959. It was converted into an administrative building and recording studio that churned out dozens of well-known songs, creating a soundtrack for the city and for a generation, earning the nickname Hitsville USA.
Today Hitsville USA endears as a popular museum just north of downtown Detroit where visitors can see for themselves where so much music history was made.
Hockeytown
As one of the National Hockey League’s Original Six teams, the Detroit Red Wings are one of the oldest and most successful teams in the league. The club was founded in 1926 but wasn’t known as the Red Wings until 1932, during which time it adopted its iconic winged wheel logo.
Detroit’s hockey success gave rise to the nickname Hockeytown, which the Red Wings own as a registered trademark when combined with their logo.
The name Hockeytown (or a variation) has been used by other cities, including Montreal, Warroad, Minnesota (the first city to use the name), and Denver.
Nonetheless, Detroiters and Michiganders insist that Detroit is the one true Hockeytown. Since the Red Wings hold training camp in Traverse City Michigan, the town is sometimes called Hockeytown North.
The D
Detroit may have a lot of nicknames and more than a few pronunciations of Detroit. But residents and visitors who want to simplify things can just call it The D.
One possible origin of the nickname comes from the Detroit Tigers, Michigan’s Major League Baseball team, who famously wear the Old English D on their uniforms. Though the team has had numerous uniform changes through the years, the ‘D’ has remained a part of the uniform during most of that time.
Today it’s a well-known symbol in the city and is used frequently in sports and local marketing campaigns.
Arsenal of Democracy
Generally speaking, the term Arsenal of Democracy refers to American industry’s efforts to support the Allied Powers during World War II.
That group includes Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit, and several other established industrial centers. One account of the origins of the term says that President Franklin D. Roosevelt borrowed it and used it during a Fireside Chat from a Detroit auto executive who was in charge of war material production efforts.
Whatever its origins, there’s no question of Detroit’s contributions to the war effort. More than 90% of all Army helmets were stamped in the Motor City, Chrysler’s tank plant in Warren created half the tanks made in the US, Ford’s Willow Run plant made B-24 bombers, and General Motors was responsible for the greatest percentage of war material.
Detroit Rock City
Detroit is a well-established destination for renowned musicians. Through the years, Kiss, Bob Seger, Kid Rock, The Beatles, and Motown artists are but a few of the many who have performed at iconic venues like Olympia Stadium, The Fillmore, Pine Knob, and Cobo Hall.
Detroit’s reputation as a legendary rock town was immortalized in the 1976 Kiss hit “Detroit Rock City.” With its driving guitar riffs, it became an anthem that embodied the energy and love Detroit fans gave to bands who performed in the Motor City.
It became one of KISS’ best-known songs and a concert staple. It also gave rise to the term Detroit Rock City, which has been used as a term of endearment by countless other artists who have performed in Detroit and Metro Detroit.
313
While Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is famously known by Yoopers as the 906 because of its area code, Detroit is known by a similar moniker due to its 313 area code.
Area code 313 is one of the original 86 area codes mapped out by the North American Numbering Plan in 1947. While it includes significant portions of Metro Detroit, it also served Flint and part of Michigan’s Thumb when it was first designated.
It remains a popular nickname used in Detroit music, particularly rap, as a reference to the area. It was mentioned many times in the movie 8-Mile, which starred Detroit rapper Eminem.
Renaissance City
The opening of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit was done to great fanfare in 1977.
Optimism hung in the air as this towering building — known locally as the RenCen — became part of the Detroit skyline and what city leaders hoped was a symbol and catalyst of Detroit’s rebirth — one that revived businesses in Detroit, led to new housing, and reversed a trend of people leaving the city for the suburbs.
The original RenCen was designed with four 39-story office towers surrounding a 73-story hotel rising out of a square podium. The podium also included restaurants, bankers, shopping centers, and more. The design renewed attention to city architecture and has become known as a city within a city.
Paris of the Midwest
Due to its French origins and French name, Detroit was once known as the Paris of the Midwest (or Paris of the West).
Following a fire in 1805, Detroit prospered and the city was redesigned with grand avenues, tree-lined streets and public parks (including Campus Martius Park), which mirrored a mid-19th century redressing of Paris.
With Campus Martius as its centerpiece, the city grew in all directions, particularly along Woodward Avenue. During the mid to late 1880s as city grew, Brush Park became the “it” residential spot in Detroit, filled with grand, French-inspired homes.
Dey-Twa
Due to its French origins, Detroit was originally pronounced as Day-TWAH. It remains a less common nickname for the city and a reminder of its European origins.
RELATED: Some Canadians such as Gordon Lightfoot pronounce the name of the city as di-TROY-it.
It’s doubtful you’ll find many native Detroiters using this nickname unless they want to put a fancy emphasis on Detroit’s name the way Target customers sometimes refer to the store as Tar-ZAHY.
Instead, you’ll hear Detroiters and Michiganders refer to the Motor City as duh-TROIT and Dee-TROIT.
Plan a Visit to the Motor City
Whether you call it The D, the Motor City, the 313, or even have your own nickname for it, Detroit is a special city to Michiganders of all ages. As a cultural center of Michigan and the Midwest, it’s the place to be for exciting sporting events, finding tranquility by the water’s edge, or soaking up the city’s rich history.
If you’re planning a visit to Detroit, make sure you don’t miss out on anything. Treat yourself to a slice (or two) of Detroit-style pizza. Meander along the award-winning Detroit Riverwalk, taking it all the sights and sounds. Soak in the majesty that is Belle Isle. Visit a museum. Whatever you do, you’ll be experiencing the very best Detroit can offer!