Tar Heel

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of North Carolina (used as a nickname).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Tar Heel¹

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

Example Sentences

By his next stop in the Tar Heel state, the 78-year-old appeared even more exhausted, turning in what local outlet NC Newsline described as a “disjointed” appeal for votes in the small city of Kinston.

From Salon

And while it appears the Biden administration is treating the impact of this season’s hurricanes as it should, the media’s focus on the almost unfathomable catastrophe in the western mountains of swing state North Carolina is a stark contrast to the near-total absence of attention to what’s going on just over the state line in deep-red Tennessee—complete with the obligatory analyses of how the hurricane’s aftermath might impact the outcome in the Tar Heel State.

From Slate

North Carolina was second only to much, much larger California in the number of manufacturing jobs lost: According to one estimate, the Tar Heel State lost nearly half its jobs in that sector.

From Slate

Congressman Jeff Jackson, who represents the 14th District of North Carolina, located to the west of Charlotte, sent a message Monday outlining the needs of the mountainous region of the Tar Heel state, hardest hit by what he called a “once-in-500-year flood.”

From Salon

The GOP vice presidential candidate also said in the Tar Heel State that the price of ground beef had jumped up to nearly $6 a pound, which he blamed on “Kamala Harris’ policies,” adding: “We just need to get back to commonsense economic policies so that American families can afford to feed their children the food that they want.”

From Los Angeles Times

More About Tar Heel

What is a Tar Heel?

A Tar Heel is a nickname for a resident of North Carolina. It’s also the name of the University of North Carolina’s (UNC) athletic teams, students, alums, etc.

How is Tar Heel pronounced?

[ tahr heel ]

Where does Tar Heel come from?

Historically, tar has been one of the major products of the state of North Carolina. The nickname Tar Heel is said to have begun as a derogatory term for poor people in North Carolina who worked with waterproofing-materials, such as rosin and tar, and ended up with tar on their heels.

During the Civil War, the term was used by some soldiers to deride soldiers from North Carolina. It was also during the war that North Carolinians began to embrace the term, referring to one another as Tar Heels as a point of pride. North Carolina Governor Zebulon Baird Vance visited the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia on March 28, 1864, and notably addressed fellow North Carolinians as Tar Heels. The term was adopted by other North Carolinians, and their state is now nicknamed the Tar Heel State.

Tar Heel was later adopted by the University of North Carolina for its athletic teams. UNC changed its team name from the White Phantoms to the Tar Heels in the 1920s. Tar Heels are represented by an icon of a foot, with a black spot at the heel. It’s not to be confused with the mascot of the University of North Carolina, Ramses the ram.

One of the most famous UNC Tar Heels is basketball legend Michael Jordan.

How is Tar Heel used in real life?

While natives and residents of North Carolina are referred to as Tar Heels, Tar Heels especially refer to UNC athletics and academics.

I'm a Tar Heel born, I'm a Tar Heel bred #GetIntoIt #NationalChampions pic.twitter.com/6Ed2aZeGVK

— Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) April 5, 2017

Wouldn’t trade this feeling for the world. I am a Tar Heel. pic.twitter.com/s4LKuXpZwM

— Chad Raines (@chad_rain) May 16, 2020

“Chicago” color blocking with the classic Tar Heel blue. *Chef's kiss*

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) May 12, 2020

 

The hashtags  #UNCTarheels, #Tarheels, #TarHeelNation, and #GoHeels are all common ways to refer to—and root for—UNC Tar Heels online.

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.