who is new york named after
New York is named after James Stuart, the Duke of York.
This renaming happened in 1664 when the English captured the Dutch settlement
of New Amsterdam during colonial rivalries.
Dutch Origins
New York City started as New Amsterdam in 1624, founded by the Dutch West
India Company as a trading post on Manhattan.
The Dutch named it after Amsterdam, their major city, and it was the capital
of New Netherland colony.
In a peaceful handover after British naval pressure, the English took control
without much fighting.
The Duke's Role
James, Duke of York—brother of King Charles II and future King James
II—received the colony as a proprietary gift from the king.
The English promptly renamed New Amsterdam to New York in his honor, following
the "New" tradition for colonial places (like New England).
This solidified British rule, formalized later in the 1667 Treaty of Breda,
where the Dutch traded the area for a nutmeg island called Run.
Historical Context
- Pre-Dutch names : Early explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano called it New Angoulême after a French king in 1524.
- Back-and-forth control : The Dutch briefly retook it in 1673 as New Orange, but it reverted to New York in 1674.
- State connection : New York State shares the name from the same Duke, covering the broader province.
"The settlement was promptly renamed 'New York' after the Duke of York (the future King James II and VII)."
Modern Legacy and Myths
No Big Apple or Yorkie dog origin—pure royal patronage amid empire-building.
Today, as the "City That Never Sleeps," its name evokes that 17th-century power shift, influencing global culture from skyscrapers to Times Square.
Recent 2025 discussions on travel vlogs tie it to colonial stories still trending online.
TL;DR : Named for the Duke of York (James II) after England's 1664 takeover of Dutch New Amsterdam—simple colonial rebranding with lasting fame.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.