Leeds
The fascinating history behind why people from Leeds are called Loiners
The reason behind our unique nickname.
Clementine Hall -
13th March 2023 
The Yorkshire nickname for us Leeds locals has some pretty interesting history behind it which dates all the way back to the 19th century.
So, what do you call a person from Leeds? A Leedscunion? A Leedsudlian? Those don't exactly have a very good ring to it, in our humble opinion.
But what about a Loiner? You may have heard this name for a Leeds native being thrown about around Yorkshire and beyond, and it is indeed the correct term for us locals.
It is believed that the word ‘loiner’ is an elongated version of the city’s unique alleyways, known as ‘loins’ or ‘low ins’.
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These passageways and yards are tucked away between shops and pubs on Briggate, waiting to take you from one street to the next. Many have closed down over the years but some still remain.
The loins provide cobbled transport to three historic 17th and 18th century pubs on Upper Briggate: The Packhorse, The Angel Inn and The Ship. These pubs have served proper ales and hearty grub to loiners for years - they are drenched in history and are even thought to be the only timber-framed buildings left in the city.
The Leeds loins have not only been a place of shelter from the wind and the rain for centuries, but they’ve also given us a pretty unique nickname which we absolutely love.
But this is in fact only one theory, another theory as to why we call ourself Loiners is that it stems from the name Loidis, which was used in the 8th century to refer to the district around modern day Leeds.
Loidis later became known as Ledes or Leedes, and eventually Leeds.
