Nicknames is a major Jeopardy! topic with 1,515 clues and 11 Final Jeopardy appearances. The topic skews toward the Jeopardy round (932 J, 572 DJ, 11 FJ), making it a reliable early-round staple that rewards broad cultural literacy.
The category is overwhelmingly dominated by U.S. state nicknames, but it branches into several distinct sub-areas:
Sub-areas by approximate clue count: 1. State nicknames (~151+ clues) -- The largest single chunk. Know the official and unofficial nicknames for all 50 states. 2. Sports team nicknames (~135 clues) -- College mascots, pro team names. Categories like COLLEGE NICKNAMES, COLLEGE TEAM NICKNAMES, BASEBALL NICKNAMES. 3. People nicknames (~116 clues) -- Historical figures, athletes, politicians. Includes the "Father of..." sub-pattern (45 clues). 4. City nicknames (~111 clues) -- U.S. and international cities and their monikers. 5. General A.K.A. (~162 clues) -- Catch-all "also known as" clues spanning all sub-areas.
Major categories: NICKNAMES (313), A.K.A. (162), STATE NICKNAMES (116), CITY NICKNAMES (61), U.S. CITY NICKNAMES (50), BASEBALL NICKNAMES (45), POLITICAL NICKNAMES (36), COLLEGE NICKNAMES (35), FATHERLY NICKNAMES (35), GEOGRAPHIC NICKNAMES (35), UNOFFICIAL STATE NICKNAMES (35), COLLEGE TEAM NICKNAMES (30), AMERICAN NICKNAMES (20), TV NICKNAMES (20).
Study strategy: Start with the U.S. state nickname table -- it's the highest-yield material. Then learn the major city nicknames, the "Father of..." titles, and the baseball/sports nicknames. For Final Jeopardy prep, focus on the origins and stories behind famous nicknames, not just the name-to-nickname mappings.
State nicknames form the backbone of this topic. The category STATE NICKNAMES alone has 116 clues, with UNOFFICIAL STATE NICKNAMES adding another 35. Clues typically give the nickname and ask for the state, or describe the nickname's origin.
| State | Apps | Correct % | Official Nickname | Other Nicknames Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 11 | 91% | Old Dominion | Mother of Presidents, Mother of States |
| Georgia | 11 | 64% | Peach State | Goober State, Empire State of the South |
| Pennsylvania | 9 | 78% | Keystone State | Quaker State |
| Arkansas | 9 | 50% | Natural State | Land of Opportunity, Toothpick State, Bear State |
| New Orleans* | 9 | 100% | -- | Big Easy, Crescent City (city, not state) |
| Nebraska | 8 | 50% | Cornhusker State | Beef State, Tree Planter's State |
| Colorado | 8 | 75% | Centennial State | -- |
| Maryland | 7 | 100% | Old Line State | Free State |
| Kansas | 7 | 71% | Sunflower State | Jayhawk State |
| Hawaii | 7 | 100% | Aloha State | -- |
| Florida | 7 | 100% | Sunshine State | -- |
| Utah | 6 | 100% | Beehive State | -- |
| Rhode Island | 6 | 83% | Ocean State | Little Rhody |
| Louisiana | 6 | 100% | Pelican State | Bayou State, Sportsman's Paradise |
| Alaska | 6 | 100% | The Last Frontier | Land of the Midnight Sun |
| Alabama | 6 | 80% | Yellowhammer State | Heart of Dixie, Cotton State |
| New Hampshire | 5 | 80% | Granite State | -- |
| California | 5 | 80% | Golden State | -- |
| Arizona | 5 | 80% | Grand Canyon State | -- |
| Iowa | 4 | -- | Hawkeye State | -- |
| Indiana | 4 | -- | Hoosier State | Crossroads of America |
These states trip up contestants at alarming rates -- prioritize learning them:
| State | Official/Primary Nickname | Key Unofficial Nicknames |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yellowhammer State | Heart of Dixie, Cotton State |
| Alaska | The Last Frontier | Land of the Midnight Sun |
| Arizona | Grand Canyon State | -- |
| Arkansas | Natural State | Toothpick State, Bear State |
| California | Golden State | -- |
| Colorado | Centennial State | -- |
| Connecticut | Constitution State | Nutmeg State |
| Delaware | First State | Diamond State, Blue Hen State |
| Florida | Sunshine State | -- |
| Georgia | Peach State | Goober State, Empire State of the South |
| Hawaii | Aloha State | -- |
| Idaho | Gem State | -- |
| Illinois | Prairie State | Land of Lincoln |
| Indiana | Hoosier State | Crossroads of America |
| Iowa | Hawkeye State | -- |
| Kansas | Sunflower State | Jayhawk State |
| Kentucky | Bluegrass State | -- |
| Louisiana | Pelican State | Bayou State, Sportsman's Paradise |
| Maine | Pine Tree State | Vacationland |
| Maryland | Old Line State | Free State |
| Massachusetts | Bay State | -- |
| Michigan | Wolverine State | Great Lakes State |
| Minnesota | North Star State | Land of 10,000 Lakes, Gopher State |
| Mississippi | Magnolia State | -- |
| Missouri | Show-Me State | -- |
| Montana | Treasure State | Big Sky Country |
| Nebraska | Cornhusker State | Beef State, Tree Planter's State |
| Nevada | Silver State | Battle Born State |
| New Hampshire | Granite State | -- |
| New Jersey | Garden State | -- |
| New Mexico | Land of Enchantment | -- |
| New York | Empire State | -- |
| North Carolina | Tar Heel State | Old North State |
| North Dakota | Peace Garden State | Flickertail State |
| Ohio | Buckeye State | -- |
| Oklahoma | Sooner State | -- |
| Oregon | Beaver State | -- |
| Pennsylvania | Keystone State | Quaker State |
| Rhode Island | Ocean State | Little Rhody |
| South Carolina | Palmetto State | -- |
| South Dakota | Mount Rushmore State | Coyote State |
| Tennessee | Volunteer State | -- |
| Texas | Lone Star State | -- |
| Utah | Beehive State | -- |
| Vermont | Green Mountain State | -- |
| Virginia | Old Dominion | Mother of Presidents, Mother of States |
| Washington | Evergreen State | -- |
| West Virginia | Mountain State | -- |
| Wisconsin | Badger State | America's Dairyland |
| Wyoming | Equality State | Cowboy State |
City nicknames account for ~111 clues across CITY NICKNAMES (61) and U.S. CITY NICKNAMES (50), plus many clues in the general NICKNAMES and A.K.A. categories.
| City | Apps | Correct % | Primary Nickname(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 9 | 100% | The Big Easy, Crescent City, Mardi Gras City |
| San Francisco | 4 | -- | City by the Bay, Frisco, The Golden Gate City |
| Buffalo | 4 | -- | The Nickel City, Queen City, City of Good Neighbors |
| Savannah | 4 | 25% | Hostess City of the South |
| Philadelphia | 3+ | -- | City of Brotherly Love, Quaker City |
Hidden stumper -- Savannah (75% wrong): With only 25% of contestants answering correctly, Savannah is the sneakiest city in this topic. Clues reference its colonial charm or Southern hospitality, and contestants often guess Charleston instead. Remember: Savannah = "Hostess City of the South."
| City | Nickname(s) |
|---|---|
| New York City | The Big Apple, Gotham, The City That Never Sleeps |
| Chicago | The Windy City, Second City, Chi-Town |
| New Orleans | The Big Easy, Crescent City |
| Las Vegas | Sin City, The Entertainment Capital of the World |
| Detroit | Motor City, Motown |
| Philadelphia | City of Brotherly Love, Quaker City |
| San Francisco | City by the Bay, The Golden Gate City |
| Nashville | Music City |
| Pittsburgh | Steel City, City of Bridges |
| Denver | Mile High City |
| Minneapolis | City of Lakes |
| San Antonio | Alamo City |
| St. Louis | Gateway to the West, Gateway City |
| Savannah | Hostess City of the South |
| Buffalo | The Nickel City, Queen City |
| Louisville | Derby City, River City |
| Reno | The Biggest Little City in the World |
These appear in FJ and higher-value DJ clues:
| Place | Nickname | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rome | The Eternal City | FJ answer (2025) -- coined by poet Albius Tibullus |
| Ireland | The Emerald Isle | FJ answer (2006) -- from 1795 poem "Erin" by William Drennan |
| Paris | City of Light (Ville Lumiere) | Among the most famous city nicknames worldwide |
| Venice | La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic | "Most Serene Republic" |
| Florence | Cradle of the Renaissance | -- |
| Bangkok | City of Angels | Full Thai name is longest city name in the world |
| Istanbul | The Sublime Porte (as Ottoman capital) | -- |
| Bermuda Triangle | -- | FJ (2019): term originated in 1964 Argosy magazine article |
| Damascus | Pearl of the East | -- |
| Edinburgh | Athens of the North | -- |
People nicknames account for ~116 clues spanning historical figures, athletes, politicians, and entertainers. The "FATHERLY NICKNAMES" category (35 clues) is a distinct and high-yield sub-pattern.
| Person | Apps | Correct % | Nickname(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napoleon | 5 | 100% | The Little Corporal, The Corsican |
| Annie Oakley | 5 | 100% | Little Sure Shot (given by Sitting Bull) |
| Calamity Jane | 4 | -- | -- (Martha Jane Canary) |
| P.T. Barnum | 4 | -- | The Greatest Showman, Prince of Humbugs |
| Che Guevara | FJ | -- | "Che" = Argentinian for "Hey, you!" |
Baseball is the single richest sport for nickname clues, with its own dedicated category.
| Player | Apps | Correct % | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leo Durocher | 4 | -- | The Lip, Leo the Lip |
| Dwight Gooden | 4 | -- | Dr. K, Doc Gooden |
| Ted Williams | 3 | -- | The Splendid Splinter, Teddy Ballgame |
| Stan Musial | 3 | -- | Stan the Man |
| Pete Rose | 3 | -- | Charlie Hustle |
| Babe Ruth | 3+ | -- | The Sultan of Swat, The Bambino, The Great Bambino |
| Joe DiMaggio | 2+ | -- | The Yankee Clipper, Joltin' Joe |
| Ty Cobb | 2+ | -- | The Georgia Peach |
| Reggie Jackson | 2+ | -- | Mr. October |
| Yogi Berra | 2+ | -- | -- (the nickname IS the famous name) |
| Satchel Paige | 2+ | -- | -- (Leroy "Satchel" Paige) |
| Dizzy Dean | 2+ | -- | -- (Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean) |
| Person | Nickname | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hubert Humphrey | Happy Warrior | FJ (1988) -- lost 1968 presidential election to Nixon |
| Andrew Jackson | Old Hickory | -- |
| Zachary Taylor | Old Rough and Ready | -- |
| William Henry Harrison | Old Tippecanoe, Tippecanoe | -- |
| Dwight Eisenhower | Ike | -- |
| Richard Nixon | Tricky Dick | -- |
| Abraham Lincoln | Honest Abe, The Rail-Splitter | -- |
| Theodore Roosevelt | Teddy, The Rough Rider | -- |
| FDR | -- | Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
| Martin Van Buren | Old Kinderhook (OK) | Origin of "OK" (disputed) |
| Thomas Jefferson | The Sage of Monticello | -- |
The FATHERLY NICKNAMES category is one of the highest-yield sub-patterns -- 45 clues with a limited answer set that can be memorized.
| Title | Person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Father of His Country | George Washington | Also applied to Cincinnatus (Rome) |
| Father of the Constitution | James Madison | -- |
| Father of the Bill of Rights | George Mason | Sometimes James Madison |
| Father of American Football | Walter Camp | -- |
| Father of Baseball | Abner Doubleday or Alexander Cartwright | Cartwright is historically more accurate |
| Father of the Symphony | Franz Joseph Haydn | -- |
| Father of Modern Philosophy | Rene Descartes | -- |
| Father of Medicine | Hippocrates | -- |
| Father of History | Herodotus | -- |
| Father of Geometry | Euclid | -- |
| Father of the Atomic Bomb | J. Robert Oppenheimer | -- |
| Father of the H-Bomb | Edward Teller | -- |
| Father of Psychoanalysis | Sigmund Freud | -- |
| Father of the National Parks | John Muir | -- |
| Father of Genetics | Gregor Mendel | -- |
| Father of the Blues | W.C. Handy | -- |
| Father of Country Music | Jimmie Rodgers | -- |
| Father of Soul | Ray Charles or James Brown | -- |
| Father of Computers | Charles Babbage | -- |
| Father of the Green Revolution | Norman Borlaug | -- |
Sports team nicknames generate ~135 clues across COLLEGE NICKNAMES (35), COLLEGE TEAM NICKNAMES (30), BASEBALL NICKNAMES (45 -- overlaps with people), and scattered entries in general NICKNAMES categories.
| Team Name | Apps | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Tigers | 4 | Multiple colleges (Clemson, Missouri, Princeton, LSU, Auburn, Memphis) |
| Spartans | 4 | Michigan State primarily; also San Jose State, UNC Greensboro |
| Falcons | 4 | Atlanta Falcons (NFL); Air Force, Bowling Green (college) |
Clues in COLLEGE NICKNAMES and COLLEGE TEAM NICKNAMES typically give a school and ask for its mascot, or give the mascot and ask for the school. The trickiest clues involve unusual or unique nicknames:
| School | Nickname | Why It's Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Cal (UC Berkeley) | Golden Bears | FJ answer (2012) -- plays on Hayward Seismic Fault |
| USC | Trojans | Very common answer |
| Michigan State | Spartans | Common answer (4 apps) |
| Oklahoma State | Cowboys | -- |
| Syracuse | Orange | Unusual -- a color as mascot |
| Stanford | Cardinal | Singular, the color -- not "Cardinals" |
| UC Santa Cruz | Banana Slugs | Novelty/humor clue |
| Purdue | Boilermakers | Industrial heritage nickname |
| Virginia Tech | Hokies | Unusual name, often tested |
| Wake Forest | Demon Deacons | Religious + fierce combo |
| Georgetown | Hoyas | Origin is debated |
| Gonzaga | Bulldogs | -- |
| Notre Dame | Fighting Irish | -- |
| Army | Black Knights | Formerly "Cadets" |
| Navy | Midshipmen | -- |
| Air Force | Falcons | -- |
Some clues ask about the origin of a pro team's name rather than just identifying the team:
Nicknames has produced 11 FJ appearances spanning 1988-2025. The key pattern: FJ clues almost always test the origin story behind a nickname, not just the nickname-to-subject mapping.
| Year | Answer | Clue Angle |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Hubert Humphrey | "Happy Warrior" who lost a presidential election |
| 1995 | T.S. Eliot | Ezra Pound nicknamed him "Old Possum" |
| 1996 | "Quaker City" | Nickname shared by Philadelphia & Whittier, California |
| 1999 | Che Guevara | "Che" is Argentinian equivalent of "Hey, you!" |
| 2001 | North Carolina | Men fought so stalwartly their feet seemed stuck to ground with tar (Tar Heel) |
| 2006 | The Emerald Isle | From 1795 poem "Erin" by William Drennan |
| 2012 | Missouri | Nickname from 1899 speech after "frothy eloquence" (Show-Me State) |
| 2012 | Cal Golden Bears | Plays home games on the Hayward Seismic Fault |
| 2019 | The Bermuda Triangle | Term originated in 1964 in Argosy magazine |
| 2024 | Big Kahuna | Surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku |
| 2025 | The Eternal City | Poet Albius Tibullus called Rome this |
Pattern 1: Who coined it / where it came from - T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum" (coined by Ezra Pound) - "Emerald Isle" (from an 1795 poem) - "Show-Me State" (from an 1899 speech) - "Bermuda Triangle" (from a 1964 magazine article) - "Eternal City" (from the Roman poet Tibullus)
Pattern 2: What the nickname literally means - "Che" = "Hey, you!" in Argentinian Spanish - "Tar Heel" = feet stuck to ground with tar (stalwart fighters) - "Big Kahuna" = great one (from Hawaiian surfing culture)
Pattern 3: Shared or unexpected nicknames - "Quaker City" applies to both Philadelphia AND Whittier, CA - Cal Golden Bears' home field sits on a seismic fault
For Nicknames FJ, you need to know stories, not just labels:
Rank your study time by yield:
| Priority | Sub-Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. state nicknames | Highest clue volume; many gimmes if you know the table |
| 2 | "Father of..." titles | 45 clues, finite list, pure memorization |
| 3 | City nicknames (U.S.) | ~111 clues; Savannah is a hidden stumper |
| 4 | Baseball player nicknames | 45 dedicated clues; classic Americana |
| 5 | FJ origin stories | 11 FJ clues all test the "why" behind nicknames |
| 6 | College team nicknames | ~65 clues; focus on unusual mascots |
| 7 | Political nicknames | 36 clues; "Old [X]" presidents |
| 8 | International nicknames | Lower frequency but appears in FJ |
These are the answers that trip up the most contestants -- drill them:
Master the stumpers and the state nickname table, and you'll be well-positioned for the majority of Nicknames clues on the show.
Memorize these and recognize 13.0% of all Nicknames clues.
| # | Answer | Count | Sample Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | 9 | As Illinois is the "Land of Lincoln", this state could be the "Land of Jefferson" |
| 2 | Nebraska | 9 | The Cornhuskers |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 8 | "Snarlin' Arlen" was the nickname of Arlen Specter, a long-time senator from this state |
| 4 | New Orleans | 7 | "The Crescent City" |
| 5 | Georgia | 7 | Union Gen. George Henry Thomas was known as the "Rock of Chickamauga", Chickamauga being in this state |
| 6 | Florida | 7 | It's "The Sunshine State" as well as "The Alligator State" |
| 7 | Maryland | 6 | "The Old Line State" |
| 8 | Louisiana | 6 | The 1930s politician known as "Kingfish" was also known as the "Dictator of" this state |
| 9 | Hawaii | 6 | The hula is so popular here it could be called the "Hula State" |
| 10 | Colorado | 6 | Admitted to the union in 1876, it's appropriately "the Centennial state" |
| 11 | Napoleon | 5 | He had numerous nicknames, including "The Nightmare of Europe" & "the Corsican General" |
| 12 | Annie Oakley | 5 | She was called "Little Missy" & "Little Sure Shot" |
| 13 | Alaska | 5 | Maine's nickname is the "Pine Tree State", so this might be called the "Sitka Spruce State" |
| 14 | the Spartans | 5 | Michigan State's "no-frills" nickname, it's Greek to me |
| 15 | Utah | 4 | Arizona is the "Grand Canyon State" & this neighbor could be the "Bryce Canyon State" |
| 16 | Leo Durocher | 4 | "The Lip" |
| 17 | Indiana | 4 | Larry Bird was called the "Hick from French Lick"—this state was his home |
| 18 | California | 4 | Different campuses of the university of this state are home to Anteaters, Banana Slugs & Golden Bears |
| 19 | Calamity Jane | 4 | Martha Jane Cannary, she's buried in Deadwood, South Dakota next to "Wild Bill" Hickok |
| 20 | Arkansas | 4 | The Razorbacks |
| 21 | Arizona | 4 | "The Grand Canyon State" |
| 22 | Alabama | 4 | The Crimson Tide |
| 23 | the Tigers | 4 | Missouri. Princeton. or Bengal |
| 24 | the Cowboys | 4 | America's Team, in the '70s |
| 25 | Salem, Massachusetts | 4 | "The Witch City", "The Witchcraft City" |
| 26 | Harry Houdini | 4 | This entertainer earned the nickname "The Handcuff King" for his ability to escape manacles |
| 27 | Thoreau | 3 | This writer was known affectionately as "The Concord Rebel" & "The Poet Naturalist" |
| 28 | the Trojans | 3 | Troy University & USC |
| 29 | Stan Musial | 3 | "Stan the Man" |
| 30 | San Francisco | 3 | You may have left your heart in this "Baghdad by the Bay" city |
| 31 | Rome | 3 | "The Eternal City" |
| 32 | Rhode Island | 3 | It's called the "Smallest State" for a reason |
| 33 | Pete Rose | 3 | "Charlie Hustle" |
| 34 | Patton | 3 | This World War II American general was labeled "Blood and Guts" as well as "Old Iron Pants" |
| 35 | P.T. Barnum | 3 | Life was a circus for this "Prince of Showmen" aka "Prince of Humbugs" |
| 36 | North Dakota | 3 | The least populous |
| 37 | New York | 3 | Gotham |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 3 | Referring to the extensive quarries there, it's "the Granite State" |
| 39 | Kansas | 3 | The Jayhawks |
| 40 | Jimmy Durante | 3 | His first & middle names were James Francis, but you knew him better as "Da Schnozz" |
| 41 | Dwight Gooden | 3 | "Dr. K" |
| 42 | Detroit | 3 | Though Motown Records is now in L.A., "Motown" itself refers to this city |
| 43 | Catherine the Great | 3 | This Russian empress was "the Semiramis of the North", a reference to a legendary Assyrian queen |
| 44 | Alexander Hamilton | 3 | This first Secretary of the Treasury was known as "The King of the Feds" |
| 45 | Rock Hudson | 3 | A "Giant" hunk: Roy Scherer, Jr. |
| 46 | Missouri | 3 | This battleship where World War II ended was nicknamed "Mighty Mo" |
| 47 | Winona Ryder | 2 | This is Winona Horowitz' professional name; you may have seen her in "Heathers" |
| 48 | Wales | 2 | "Land Of The Leek" |
| 49 | Ulysses S. Grant | 2 | "Hero of Appomattox" |
| 50 | Turtle | 2 | On "Entourage", entrepreneur Salvatore Vacara |
These appear 8+ times. Memorize these first.
Jump to: General