What is the origin of Rhode Island’s name?
Rhode Island, despite its name, is not an island. It was named by the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, who compared the island’s landscape to the Greek Island of Rhodes. However, when Roger Williams founded a colony on the mainland in 1636, he named it “Providence Plantations.” It wasn’t until 1644 that the island and mainland were merged and became officially known as “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” The state’s nickname, “The Ocean State,” refers to its coastal location rather than any island presence.
