Chicago’s name has deep roots in the region’s Native American history. Derived from the Miami–Illinois word Šikaakonki, meaning “wild onion” or “wild garlic,” the name was first recorded by French explorers in the late 17th century. Around 1679, Robert de LaSalle referred to the area as “Checagou,” and in 1688, Henri Joutel’s journal noted that wild garlic grew abundantly in the forests near the site of present-day Chicago. These early observations highlight the city’s connection to the natural landscape that surrounded it before urban development.

Over the years, Chicago has earned a collection of nicknames reflecting its character and history. Most famously called the “Windy City,” a term often attributed to both its breezy lakeshore climate and its political climate, it is also known as “Chi-Town,” “Second City,” and the “City of the Big Shoulders,” the latter popularized by poet Carl Sandburg to celebrate the city’s industrial strength and hardworking population. These nicknames capture Chicago’s vibrant personality, blending its historical roots with its modern identity as a bustling metropolis.