Why Is Greece Called Greece? Theories on the Name's Origin

The English name "Greece" derives from Latin Graecia, but its ultimate origin is debated:

1. Mythological: From Graikos, son of Zeus and Pandora, mythical ancestor of the Greeks.
2. Latin Graecus: Used by Romans for Greeks in southern Italy; may stem from Greek Graikoi (a tribal name).
3. Regional Differentiation: Term may have distinguished Greek-speakers from neighboring Illyrians, Thracians, etc.

Greeks themselves call their country Hellas (Ελλάς) and themselves Hellenes (Έλληνες)—terms dating to antiquity. "Greece" is an exonym with multiple plausible roots.