People in Jacksonville say “Duval” as a pride chant for Duval County, the county that Jacksonville sits in, and it’s become a cultural nickname and rally cry for the city, especially around the Jaguars.

What “Duval” Means

  • Jacksonville is located in Duval County, a large county in northeast Florida whose borders largely overlap with the city because of a city–county government consolidation in 1968.
  • Fans and locals started using “Duval” as shorthand for where they’re from, so saying it out loud is basically saying “this is our county, this is our city.”

How the “DUUUVAL” Chant Started

  • The stretched-out “DUUUVAL” came out of the local hip‑hop and DJ scene in Jacksonville in the 1990s, when DJs began dropping the elongated word in tracks and club sets, and it slowly caught on around town.
  • Years later, Jaguars fans picked it up in the stadium as a hype chant, turning it into a signature roar you’ll hear before games, after big plays, and all over social media (#DTWD – “Duval ’Til We Die”).

Why People Say It More Than “Jacksonville”

  • “Duval” is short, punchy, and easy to stretch into a dramatic crowd chant in a way “Jacksonville” isn’t, which makes it perfect for sports and street culture.
  • Locals also like it as an identity marker that feels more grassroots and less formal than the city’s actual name, and it helps distinguish Jacksonville from other cities named Jacksonville in the U.S.

Deeper History And Debate

  • Duval County is named after William Pope Duval, Florida’s first territorial governor in the 1800s, who has been criticized for his support of slavery, which has led some activists to question whether the chant should be rethought.
  • Despite that criticism, the “DUUUVAL” chant is still widely used as a symbol of local pride and community, especially in sports and music scenes around the city.

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Learn why people in Jacksonville shout “DUUUVAL,” how the chant started in local music, why Jaguars fans made it famous, and the history behind Duval County.

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