The coat of arms was selected as an ear of wheat, a derivation of the arms for the old jurisdiction Östra Härad (sv), wherein Vitala was rumoured to have been the centre, that depicted three ears of wheat.

The present spelling Vetlanda did not come into use until the 1920s, before that it was known as Hvetlanda, a form that can be found in several companies and organizations.

In the 19th century, wood industry got a stronghold in Vetlanda, a position it still has today.

VBK has won the Swedish bandy championship three times, 1986, 1991 and 1992 and European Cup once, 1991.

[4] The city used to have one of the oldest rowing clubs in the country, Vetlanda Roddarsällskap, which disbanded in 1982.