Buzz
Christopher Columbus was quite the prolific namer during his journeys. As it turns out, he was responsible for naming four of the five island-nations that have dual names. It’s the type of obscure fact that will earn you major bragging rights at a pub trivia night.
Trinidad & Tobago
The 'Trinidad' part of the island-nation pair was named by none other than Christopher Columbus himself, inspired by the Holy Trinity—classic of a Catholic explorer. The smaller island was dubbed 'Tobago' because of the large tobacco cultivation and consumption by its indigenous people. The islands have been closely linked since the late 1800s, when a British commission merged Tobago with Trinidad.
Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda has a similar origin story. Columbus named Antigua after the Santa Maria La Antigua Cathedral in Spain, while the name Barbuda—meaning “bearded” in Spanish (and Portuguese, and even Italian)—likely came later. It’s believed to be inspired by the island's fig trees, which resemble long, scraggly beards. Fun fact: Barbados, not to be confused with Barbuda, was also named for the ‘bearded’ look of its ficus trees.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Old Chris Columbus gave the names Saint Kitts and Nevis by a bit of accident. Initially, he called what became Saint Kitts 'San Martin,' but poor maps at the time led to the name being shifted to the island we know as Saint Martin today. How Saint Kitts ended up with its current name is still a bit of a puzzle, but it's likely linked to Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, bachelors, and even toothaches.
Nevis got its name from the Catholic title Nuestra Senora de las Nieves, meaning 'Our Lady of the Snows,' which was later shortened and anglicized to become 'Nevis.'
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The naming of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was pretty simple: Columbus arrived on St. Vincent on the Feast of Saint Vincent, and then dubbed the other islands 'the Grenadines' after the Spanish city of Granada. (Incidentally, this is also how the Caribbean island-nation Grenada got its name—but if that comes up in your pub trivia, it’s an easy win).
Sao Tome and Principe
The only island-nation with two names that wasn’t named by Christopher Columbus is—drumroll, please!—Sao Tome and Principe. Located off the western coast of Africa, it was named after Saint Thomas and the Portuguese prince to whom taxes were owed for the island’s vast sugar fields.
This story originally appeared in 2011.
