How did NYC get the nickname Gotham?

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If my memory serves me correctly Washington Irving in his History of New York took the name"Gotham" from New York's asylum for the insane of that name, applying it to New Yorkers for their zany approach to life. I recall "Gay Gotham" being the phrase he uses, long before "gay" had its current connotations.

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The name Gotham first appeared as a reference to New York in a book by Washington Irving in 1809. The book was a comic history of the Dutch regime in New York titled A HISTORY OF NEW YORK (by the imaginary 'Dietrich Knickerbocker), who was supposed to be an eccentric Dutch-American scholar. The book became part of New York folklore, and eventually the word Knickerbocker was also used to describe any New Yorker who could trace one's family to the original Dutch settlers. Irving is best known for writing The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle.

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The word Gotham does not appear in Webster's Dictionary, but the word Goth refers to Members of a Germanic people who invaded the Roman Empire. It could be that Irving went to New York, and met up with many Germans and decided to call it by that name.

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OED notes a 16th Century meaning of "Gotham" as a town of fools, as in "the wise men of Gotham."

Apparently the moniker was pejorative when applied in the "Dietrich Knickerbocker's" fictional account of New York.

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Regarding the Washington Irving origin as already mentioned, but as to why he chose the term, check out: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-got1.htm

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First answer by Bimbird. Last edit by Bimbird. Contributor trust: 0 [recommend contributorrecommended]. Question popularity: 155 [recommend question].