The name Hibs

**Austinho** · 09-10-2018 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by pollution

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Very good question.

I thought we were The Hibernians ie of the land of Ireland.

Actually, I believe Hibernia is the name for Ireland, and Hibernians is the name of the people. So our name essentially means ‘the people of Ireland’.

Paraphrased from Wikipedia: “By the 18th century, the use of Hibernia had revived in some contexts. Hibernia was a useful word to describe Ireland with overtones of classical style and civility, including by the prosperous Anglo-Irish Ascendancy who were taught Latin at school. "Hibernian" was used as a term for people, and a general adjective.”

***J-C*** · 09-10-2018 12:40 PM

Lots of teams are recognised by their abbreviated names, Spurs, QPR, Wolves, even Hearts.

**wpj** · 09-10-2018 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by J-C

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Lots of teams are recognised by their abbreviated names, Spurs, QPR, Wolves, even Hearts.

Huns

***Vault Boy*** · 09-10-2018 01:01 PM

Having lived in England my whole life, I've found that if a football fan is knowledgeable enough to know of our club, they always seem to refer to us as Hibs.

When people ask who I support, I always tend to say Hibs, and if they look like they're unsure, I'll go on to say 'Hibernian, from Edinburgh' etc. Quite a few folk down here seem to have a soft spot for Hibs, Sunshine on Leith certainly helps.

***BILLYHIBS*** · 09-10-2018 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by J-C

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Lots of teams are recognised by their abbreviated names, Spurs, QPR, Wolves, even Hearts.

The Huns

**NAE NOOKIE** · 09-10-2018 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by Vault Boy

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Having lived in England my whole life, I've found that if a football fan is knowledgeable enough to know of our club, they always seem to refer to us as Hibs.

When people ask who I support, I always tend to say Hibs, and if they look like they're unsure, I'll go on to say 'Hibernian, from Edinburgh' etc. Quite a few folk down here seem to have a soft spot for Hibs, Sunshine on Leith certainly helps.

I was on the AFC Bournemouth fans forum a few weeks back responding to a thread about Emerson Hyndman and one poster admitted he didn't even know Hibs were from Edinburgh

I also found out they get really tetchy if you leave out the AFC part, seems it differentiates them from another local team of a similar name … somebody should tell MOTD then.

I never refer to Hibs as Hibernian, though I sometimes use our Sunday name as emphasis when I'm writing something.

And people who support Hibs are Hibbies ( singular Hibby ) …. I hate hearing our fans referred to as Hibees .. that's the team or club, not the fans.

***Green Man*** · 09-10-2018 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by BILLYHIBS

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When I was five my Daddy took me down to Easter Road
He lifted me up high upon his shoulder
High-bernian!
High-bee
High-bernian

Got the best name best strip and best songs of any other club

I love that song. I was disappointed when I found out it was sung by a Jambo.

**HIBEES 4 LIFE** · 09-10-2018 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Green Man

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I love that song. I was disappointed when I found out it was sung by a Jambo.

Its alright, our Scottish Cup winning captain is (now was) a Jambo. Occasionally they do good.

***Bostonhibby*** · 09-10-2018 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by wpj

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Huns

Sevco.

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**Perd Hapley** · 09-10-2018 03:31 PM

I've always thought of 'Hibees' as referring to the team and the players on the pitch and the club as a whole and 'hibbies' referring to the fans - one can be both a Hibee and a Hibby but we'll never play a team as 'the hibbies'.

Totally artificial distinction maybe but there you have it. On another note I've always quite liked that we're referred to primarily by our nickname of 'Hibs' - with the obvious exception of Hearts there aren't many teams that get that treatment. I like to think it reflects the cultural dimension of our club

**~~majorhibs~~** · 09-10-2018 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by wpj

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Huns

Originally Posted by BILLYHIBS

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The Huns

Originally Posted by Bostonhibby

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Sevco.

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Think your all being very generous here to the zombies

**Wilson** · 09-10-2018 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Swanson's Swans

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I've always thought of 'Hibees' as referring to the team and the players on the pitch and the club as a whole and 'hibbies' referring to the fans - one can be both a Hibee and a Hibby but we'll never play a team as 'the hibbies'.

Totally artificial distinction maybe but there you have it. On another note I've always quite liked that we're referred to primarily by our nickname of 'Hibs' - with the obvious exception of Hearts there aren't many teams that get that treatment. I like to think it reflects the cultural dimension of our club

On the other hand we are all one and the same. Players, management, fans, the club is all of us. The club needs all of us. So while you're artificial distinction has merit I don't see any real point in over thinking the terms .

***Keith_M*** · 09-10-2018 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by Swanson's Swans

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I've always thought of 'Hibees' as referring to the team and the players on the pitch and the club as a whole and 'hibbies' referring to the fans - one can be both a Hibee and a Hibby but we'll never play a team as 'the hibbies'.

Totally artificial distinction maybe but there you have it. On another note I've always quite liked that we're referred to primarily by our nickname of 'Hibs' - with the obvious exception of Hearts there aren't many teams that get that treatment. I like to think it reflects the cultural dimension of our club

Tottenham Hotspur = Spurs.
Arsenal = The Arse.

**Aim Here** · 09-10-2018 07:51 PM

For the original question, Google shows up a reference to 'the Hibs' from an 1886 edition of 'Bon-Accord: The News of the North' in reference to them beating Dumbarton in an exciting game, so I suspect Hibs have been Hibs pretty much from the outset.

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***J-C*** · 09-10-2018 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by Keekaboo

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Tottenham Hotspur = Spurs.
Arsenal = The Arse.

Gunners

***erin go bragh*** · 09-10-2018 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by pollution

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Very good question.

I thought we were The Hibernians ie of the land of Ireland.

My son just bought me Hibernian history handbook.
When Fr Hannan ,.Michael Whelahan and some members of the parish were discussing a name for us .
The catholic Young Men’s Society Football Club , which was soon discounted as being too long -winded .
St Patrick’s,Harp,Shamrock,Emerald and Celtic were all suggested and dismissed.
Whelahan put forward Hibernians as the ancient order of Hibernians had been absorbed into the CYMS (Hibernians had been the ancient Roman word for the people of Ireland )

**Kaiser_Sauzee** · 09-10-2018 08:03 PM

Originally Posted by ian cruise

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Dictionary.com and Wikipedia seem to agree it translates to "Land of Winter"

hibernia: definition from Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/hibernia

Yes. The Roman’s called Ireland Hibernia. Some mammals ‘hibernate’ in the winter. Same etymology.

**Mick O'Rourke** · 09-10-2018 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by Green Man

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I love that song. I was disappointed when I found out it was sung by a Jambo.

Aye sung by Colin Chisholm, former lead singer of Edinburgh band Bilbo Baggins
(3 of them hailed fae Clermiston)

My wee brother Billy was Bilbo's roadie and he also sang backing vocals on Colin's Hibernian song.
When i say backing "vocals" I mean the ooh ahh bits !
I knew Colin well back in the day.
An old St Patrick's schoolboy is Colin.
I think he was dropped off the kitchen bunker as a bairn and woke up a Jambo !

***Kato*** · 09-10-2018 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by erin go bragh

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My son just bought me Hibernian history handbook.
When Fr Hannan ,.Michael Whelahan and some members of the parish were discussing a name for us .
The catholic Young Men’s Society Football Club , which was soon discounted as being too long -winded .
St Patrick’s,Harp,Shamrock,Emerald and Celtic were all suggested and dismissed.
Whelahan put forward Hibernians as the ancient order of Hibernians had been absorbed into the CYMS (Hibernians had been the ancient Roman word for the people of Ireland )

The club has always been called, officially, Hibernian.

***BILLYHIBS*** · 09-10-2018 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Kaiser_Sauzee

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Yes. The Roman’s called Ireland Hibernia. Some mammals ‘hibernate’ in the winter. Same etymology.

HIBS used to hibernate every winter and no come oot till Spring usually after a promising start 😁

**Colr** · 09-10-2018 08:13 PM

Originally Posted by ian cruise

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Dictionary.com and Wikipedia seem to agree it translates to "Land of Winter"

hibernia: definition from Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/hibernia

Hence the word hibernate.

Caledonia means land of cold.

**stoneyburn hibs** · 09-10-2018 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by IWasThere2016

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I use:

Collective - Hibs not Hibernian

Plural - Hibees not Hibbies .. eg I'd yell "Come on the Hibees"

Singular - Hibby not Hibee .. eg I'd describe myself as a Hibby not a Hibee

In summary, I am seriously mucking fuddled up

This is exactly how I'd describe our name.

***Diclonius*** · 09-10-2018 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Austinho

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As the song goes:

High-bee High-bernian ZOOM ZOOM HUUWHHHH
High-bee High-bernian
High-bee High-berrrrrrrrnnnnnniiiiiiiiaaaaan ZOOM ZOOM
Hiiiiiigh-bee High-berniiiiaa ZOOM ZOOM HUUWHHHH ZOOM ZOOM

Aye but that was sang by a Hearts fan who hadn't a clue.

It's Hi-bernian.

**Pretty Boy** · 09-10-2018 08:40 PM

I had a football card, a reproduction from one produced in the early 1900s, with the phrase 'Play up Hib's' on it.

Doesn't really answer the question in the OP beyond the fact that it suggests the name has been in use for a large chunk of our history.

**Forza Fred** · 10-10-2018 12:14 AM

In Oz, I feel when asked by your average Aussie about what is the name of the team I support I have to respond with Hibernian...but among fellow Scots I simply respond with....Hibs.

I guess it’s a bit like the formalities with strangers...or more precisely the lack of formality with ‘family’ members...where we have our own nicknames that we are used to..and recognise them instantly and comfortably

**Dashing Bob S** · 10-10-2018 02:12 AM

Originally Posted by Renfrew_Hibby

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In our early years, in fact right into the 1930s I believe, the written press would refer to us as Hibernians, 'Hibs' is just a shortened version of that.

This is true. More interesting question was when and why we stopped being called 'Hibernians' and started being referred to as 'Hibernian'.

**Steve-O** · 10-10-2018 02:13 AM

Originally Posted by BILLYHIBS

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Too early in the morning for me.....I’ll get my coat!

Always been HIBS or Hibees as far back as I can remember and I have been supporting HIBS and going to matches for fifty years

To complicate matters even further and this may be of interest to the OP but nothing to do with the football club there is also Hutt International Boys School in NZ known as HIBS

Impersonation is the sincerest form of flattery and there is also at one time or another been Cork HIBS Malta HIBS and Dundee HIBS I wonder what ever happened to them?

In a strange twist of fate, I just bought a house about a mile away from that school. Even so far away, I am still close to HIBS

***BILLYHIBS*** · 10-10-2018 06:23 AM

Jimmy Meikle in his book “Fitba Daft” Moved to the States to work for the British Consul and he had a private number plate on his car. He still has it and it appears on the books cover it is simply HIBS
He is forever getting stopped and being asked what this HIBS is/means??

**Phil MaGlass** · 10-10-2018 07:19 AM

Originally Posted by IWasThere2016

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I use:

Collective - Hibs not Hibernian

Plural - Hibees not Hibbies .. eg I'd yell "Come on the Hibees"

Singular - Hibby not Hibee .. eg I'd describe myself as a Hibby not a Hibee

In summary, I am seriously mucking fuddled up

So why not Hibbie?