NEW YORK (PIX11) --- Before the Bronx was nicknamed the Boogie Down, it was named after a European settler who, centuries ago, bought some borough land for two guns, two shirts, and a barrel of cider, according to The New Yorker.
In 1639, Dutchman Jonas Bronck came to the Bronx, bought a 652-acre section, and built a farmhouse in what is now known as Mott Haven, according to the New York Historical Society. The plot also cost him two kettles, two adzes (similar to an axe), and six coins, per the New Yorker.
The river near his land was named Bronck's River, which was later abbreviated to The Bronx River because it was easier to write with a quill pen, according to Bronx historian Lloyd Ultan. That's why the borough is called the Bronx instead of just Bronx, Ultan said in a YouTube interview.
The other boroughs' names are also tied to European settlers, while Brooklyn and Queens have a royal connection.
Brooklyn was originally called Kings County when King Carles II held the British throne before it was eventually named Brooklyn after a Dutch village called Breukelen, according to StreetEasy. Meanwhile, Queens was named after King Charles II's wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza.
Manhattan is derived from the Lenapes Native American word manaháhta, meaning to gather and bow. It was originally called Mannahata by Robert Guet in 1609, according to the NYHS.
Staten Island got its name after Henry Hudson referred to it as Staten Eylandt after the States General — Netherlands' governing body, according to the NYHS. In 1630, Dutch colonists bought the island from the Munsee tribe and named it after their governing body.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
