Why are Middlesbrough nicknamed “Boro”?

[RandyGrandad]

When it is spelt Middlesbrough.
Towns like Peterborough and Loughborough could rightfully nickname their sports teams Boro, but surely Middlesbrough FC should be the “the Brer” (*sp).

Oftenwonderedwhytastic

 

[Willow]

Bruh

 

[r00fie1]

Up The Mighty Burrah! [Lyke].

 

[atypical_boro]

Berra - Scott Wilson
Borra - some Stockton folk (but not me)

 

[Muttley]

Lost in the mists of time...

do do doo-do

 

[Norman_Conquest]

The name 'Mydilsburgh' is the earliest recorded form of Middlesbrough’s name and dates to Anglo Saxon times.

That spelling is how we say it.

So just how did Middlesbrough get its spelling?

A rumour and some Roman history all go into this mixing pot

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[boroboy6872]

I might be wrong but in an historical sense brough or borough are the same thing, then shortened to Boro

 

[The Card Cheat]

Because "come on brough" sounds rubbish.

 

[Frozen Horse]

Otherwise we'd be Bro?

 

[fmttmadmin]

You can read in early 20th century accounts Middlesbrough being referred to as The Borough and every now again The Boro.
Maybe it is a starting point for Anthony Vickers next book.

 

[Redwurzel]

19 century typo - someone left out an o

 

[Boroshirtmuseum]

Many early news reports, even up to the 70s references the borough.

 

[MichaelDebeve]

Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it Mydilsburgh, which of course in German means 'a whale's vagina'

 

[Ingleby_Flash]

If you look on OS maps upon the moors from Swainby, about 600m south of the old Chquers cafe and 600m north east of Square Corner there is a small Copse called ‘Middlesbrough‘. Always thought that was odd. Wonder which came first?

 

[Anton_Berg]

When it is spelt Middlesbrough.
Towns like Peterborough and Loughborough could rightfully nickname their sports teams Boro, but surely Middlesbrough FC should be the “the Brer” (*sp).

Oftenwonderedwhytastic

Haringay do use 'Boro' and one other in Herts, iirc.

 

[exeterboro]

Not coming from Boro but out in the sticks of EC it always stood out to me that the people from Boro refer to the town as Boro, especially the town centre, I always hear lads say " are you going down the Boro tonight", it might not started off as it's nickname but I wouldn't be surprised if the the waves of immigrants in the 19th century changed from the formal nickname Borough to the Boro as time went on.

 

[fmttmadmin]

19 century typo - someone left out an o

Just read an article by historian Geoff Braddy and he has found that the mispelling is an Urban Myth like Eaglescliffe being a mispelling of Egglescliffe.
Middlesbrough never had the extra O. And we are not unique there are other Brough's in the north, such as ... Brough.. and Newbrough near Hexham.
But yes I guess Boro(ough) is easier to say than Bro.

 

[fmttmadmin]

Not coming from Boro but out in the sticks of EC it always stood out to me that the people from Boro refer to the town as Boro, especially the town centre, I always hear lads say " are you going down the Boro tonight", it might not started off as it's nickname but I wouldn't be surprised if the the waves of immigrants in the 19th century changed from the formal nickname Borough to the Boro as time went on.

Boro seemed to emerge gradually as a nickname. In the 19th century our main rivalry was with Middlesbrough Ironopolis, the Nops.
This rivalry was not always friendly. They called each other Scabs and Washers.

 

[Oooo]

I thought it came from the Borough of Middlesbrough

 

[El Guapo]

19 century typo - someone left out an o

Deliberately so we’d have only 13 letters in our name thus cursing us to an enternity of underachievement and lack of success.


Re the nickname Boro, it’s because it would be stupid for us to have the nickname ‘the penguins’ (which, I’m led to understand was the other option on the table)