New York State Nickname: The Empire State

Sports writer John J. Fitz Gerald heard African American stable hands in New Orleans around 1920 refer to New York City racetracks as the big apple, meaning prestigious venues with large prizes. Fitz Gerald began using the term in his New York Morning Telegraph horse racing column titled Around the Big Apple, which debuted in February 1924. Jazz musicians later adopted the phrase during the 1930s to describe New York City as a center for major music clubs. Use of the nickname declined by the 1940s. In 1971, Charles Gillett of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau revived the phrase as part of a tourism campaign. The campaign succeeded, and the Big Apple remains one of the most recognized New York City nicknames worldwide. In 1997, Mayor Rudy Giuliani designated the corner of West 54th Street and Broadway as Big Apple Corner in honor of Fitz Gerald.

Writer Washington Irving first used Gotham to describe New York in the November 11, 1807 edition of his satirical magazine Salmagundi. He borrowed the name from a medieval English village in Nottinghamshire whose residents were known in folklore for pretending to be foolish. Irving applied the term sarcastically to comment on New York's culture and politics. The nickname endured, and in 1940, Batman co-creator Bill Finger selected Gotham City as Batman's fictional home after finding the name in a New York City phone book. Gotham City has since become closely associated with New York's architecture and atmosphere in popular culture.

This nickname comes from New York's state motto Excelsior, a Latin phrase meaning ever upward. The legislature adopted the motto in 1778, and it appears on the state seal and flag. Excelsior reflects ideals of progress and ambition. While less commonly used than Empire State, the Excelsior State nickname appears in historical references and official contexts.

Washington Irving created the fictional Dutch historian Diedrich Knickerbocker for his 1809 book A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty. Irving promoted the book by circulating newspaper stories about the historian's disappearance. The name Knickerbocker became associated with New York's early Dutch settlers and later with New Yorkers in general. The term eventually influenced local culture and sports, including the name of the New York Knicks basketball team.