The origins of New York City being referred to around the world as the “Big Apple” lie not in the presence of fruit trees throughout the area but to a combination of both history and marketing combined. In fact, the first reference to “Big Apple” dates back to the late 1920s and early 1930s, with the city officially being renamed the Big Apple in 1971.

Originally referring to many of the races being conducted around the city itself in the early part of the 20th century, New York was a hub for many aspiring horse racers looking to make a big win on the race track. The prizes awarded for these races were referred to at the time as “apples”, while New York had some of the largest prizes across the country – often referred to as “big apples”.

The phrase itself referring to the city rather than the races owes its origins to a John Fitzgerald of the New York Morning Telegraph who first introduced the reference to refer to New York itself, promoting the race events as “Races Around the Big Apple”. This was originally thought to have come from New Orleans where many aspiring jockeys and trainers dreamed of going to New York for the “big apples” of the races.

The late 20s and early 30s also saw the phrase come up often in many jazz songs due to the large interest of jazz performers in New York thanks to its many jazz venues, popularizing it amongst many people. At the time a common saying was that “There are many apples on the tree, but only one Big Apple,” referencing the popularity of New York.

The actual reference to New York today as the official title of the city, however, is the product of a marketing campaign beginning in 1971. Designed to attract tourists by depicting New York as a warm, safe, welcoming place rather than scare individuals off with the reputation it had developed the term “Big Apple” was reinstated officially, with large red apples being used to represent the city itself. Since then it has become adopted around the world as the official title for New York City and become inseparable from the name.