Of all the nicknames for cities – and in the United States of America there are a few – perhaps the most famous is bestowed upon Chicago, which is known across America and beyond as “The Windy City”. The fact that it is so called is well-known, but what is less well-known is how this came to be. After all, it is the kind of thing that people will ask. Nonetheless, the nickname has been in place for some time now with no absolute certainty as to how it first came about – and two competing explanations have emerged.

One explanation is the most obvious. Sat on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is a city that has its fair share of wind and more besides. Chicago’s wind, however, is typically so cold as to have developed a reputation and a name all of its own – “Hawkins” or “The Hawk”. Not just cold, this is one of those winds that actually seems to cut through the individual no matter how warmly they are dressed. It is this explanation that the Chicago residents prefer.

The second explanation is less flattering – and relates to a local reputation in the Midwest for Chicagoans being rather sure of themselves. This is the kind of reputation that does not need a lot of backing up to be used regularly, as city rivalries will take on a life of their own due to human nature. The belief is that residents of neighboring cities such as Cincinnati considered the Chicagoans to be boastful people and gave the city this title because they were “full of wind”. Regardless of why the name came about, Chicago has become inextricably linked with the title and has used it to its advantage.