How did the Sargasso sea get its name?

The Sargasso Sea did not get its name from any type of seaweed, but rather from a berry. These berries were from the Sargassum plant and were once so plentiful that they would cluster and make the sea appear different in color.

The Spanish and Portuguese sailors gave it the name Mar de los Sargazos, which in English translates to Sea of Sargasso. Over the years, this became just the Sargasso Sea.