How did New York get its name?

New York was originally established as the Dutch trading post and settlement of New Amsterdam in the seventeenth century. The territory came under English control in 1664 when King Charles II granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York. The settlement was subsequently renamed New York in his honor.

What we know

• Dutch colonists established a trading post on Manhattan Island named New Amsterdam in 1626. [3, 4]
• The territory came under English control in 1664. [2, 3, 4]
• King Charles II granted the lands to his brother, the Duke of York, leading to the territory being renamed New York. [2, 3, 4]
• The name New York was temporarily used and then permanently adopted in 1674. [3]

Where to go next

• whoWho was the Duke of York during the renaming of New York?
• whenWhen did Dutch colonists found New Amsterdam?
• whereWhat was the original Lenape name for Manhattan Island?
• the bigger pictureHow do etymologists trace the origin and evolution of words?
• a case in pointHow did other counties in New York State get their names?
• an unexpected connectionHow does the scientific study of word origins connect to colonial history?Etymologists rely on historical texts and colonial records to track how names like New York evolved from older settlements.

Sources

• [1]list of counties in New York (Wikidata Q762726) · CC0 1.0
• [2]List of counties in New York · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]New York City · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Manhattan · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Etymology · CC BY-SA 4.0