Nashville is a very eclectic city where you can find top-notch offerings of so many different kinds of art, food, music, and people. These are the things that make Nashville Nashville, and the city has picked up a few nicknames from these identities along the way. Everybody knows that Nashville is Music City, U.S.A., but there are so many more Nashville nicknames used by both locals and visitors alike.
1. "Athens of the South"
With over 20 universities and colleges, the most Greek of the Nashville nicknames is the Athens of the South as a hub of education across the region. Plus, we have a full-scale replica of the Parthenon, so we're basically Athens.
2. "The Protestant Vatican"
One of the religious nicknames for Nashville was earned because Nashville is home to multiple denomination headquarters as well as their publishing arms. It's also home to Thomas Nelson, the world's largest producer of Bibles, and Gideon's International, the world's largest distributor of Bibles.
3. "Smashville"
The Nashville Predators have dubbed their home city with the best of the sports Nashville nicknames. The nickname Smashville is affectionate but menacing. The name even got national attention when the Predators went to the Stanley Cup in 2017.
4. "Buckle of the Bible Belt"
Nashville is home to over 700 churches, making it the city with the most churches per capita in the entire nation. This distinction is why there are two religious Nashville nicknames. And with the South being named the Bible Belt, it's only fitting that Nashville is its buckle.
5. "Nashvegas"
This is one of the nicknames for Nashville that make you think of an entirely different city! Nashville may not have the gambling of Las Vegas, but anyone who has walked down Broadway at 1 a.m. on Saturday night knows that the lights and entertainment make it a miniaturized version of The Strip.
6. "Cashville"
Leave it to a rapper to create the best rhyming of the Nashville nicknames. Made popular by Nashville rapper Young Buck's 2004 album "Straight Outta Cashville." The nickname is also on a few pawn and check cashing shops around town.
7. "Music City, U.S.A."
Last but not least, "Music City, U.S.A."! The most popular of all the nicknames for Nashville was first coined in 1950 when WSM-AM announcer David Cobb said it in a broadcast. With so many iconic venues, artists, and record labels, it's clear why Nashville has earned this nickname.
Looking for a one-of-a-kind way to enjoy Music City? Check out some of these Nashville tours.
Only true Nashvillians use these Nashville nicknames, but they also have had these 10 Nashville staples.
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