Each time we ask for your contributions to one of our guides, we’re always lucky to be rewarded with interesting stories. Your letters with nicknames for South Carolina cities were no exception. Here are just a few of our favorites …

• Due West – “Do Wah Ditty“

  It ain’t no town and it ain’t no city.
  It’s just a little place called Do Wah Ditty.

• Great Falls – “Flopeye“

  Named after a man with a lazy eye who was known to have good prices at his general store in the early 1900s. Be sure to read the whole story.

• Sumter – “Gamecock City“

  Both Sumter’s name and nickname honor American Revolutionary War General Thomas Sumter, who got his nickname when the British noted that his aggressive style of warfare resembled that of a gamecock.

While some SC aliases are intuitive, unearthing the origins of others requires a little more digging. For example, we’re still not exactly sure why Florence is also known as Magic City, although it could be a nod to the rapid growth in the city’s industrial and medical sectors after WWII.

Other monikers may create some “friendly” competition – as in the case of Newberry and St George. The first claims to be the City of Friendly Folks, while the latter calls itself the Town of Friendly People.

For your reading pleasure, we’re pleased to present our SC City Nicknames Guide. While a solid start, we know there are more city and town nicknames eager to make it on our list. Send us a note if you know of one we don’t have. By sharing your stories, you highlight the sense of place that ties South Carolina’s history, people, and landscapes together.