Shrewsbury's UK Namesake Dominates Twitter Hashtag

Hashtags on Twitter are great for keeping up with events, following a news story or learning the latest celeb gossip. But they can get confusing when tracking other things, like cities for example. Big cities like New York and Paris have it easy; no one would confuse them with with somewhere else. Smaller cities with the same or similar names, however, can sometimes be difficult to keep straight, with hastags leading users all around the globe. Take for example #Shrewsbury.

A recent Google search yielded five different locations bearing the name 'Shrewsbury': one in Massachusetts, one in New Jersey, one in Pennsylvania, one in Shropshire, England, and our very own Shrewsbury, Missouri. The folks living in Shrewsbury, England dominate use of the hashtag on Twitter, making it impossible for Shrewsury, MO, residents to get the word out on the social network about what's happening in their town.

So who are these Shrewsbury residents from across the pond? Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, is located near the Welsh border and is home to over 70,000 people, according to their town's tourism website. The people there pronounce the name differently than we do: “Shrewzsbry,” without the “u” sound. The town's origins go back as early as the 5th century, and Shrewbury still features numerous medieval buildings. It is also the birth place of famous evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin and the residence of Leo Blair, the father of former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Shrewsbury, MO is home to roughly 6600 residents according to the 2000 census and was incorporated as a village in 1913. Prior to its incorporation it was called “Shrewsbury Park,” named after the original Shrewsbury in England. While the Missouri town has yet to have any residents as famous as Darwin, it is the home to the recently constructed MetroLink station and broadcast towers for KSDK and KDNL-TV.

If you are interested in learning more about Shrewsbury's bigger, older sister in the United Kingdom, check out these websites:

Visit Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury Town Council

Shrewsbury on Facebook