Why was this continent known as Antarctica?

Antarctica was not historically called Antartica. It is believed that the name Antarctica was first coined in 1890 by the Scottish cartographer John George Bartholomew. The name is derived from the Greek word “anti,” meaning “opposite,” and “arktikos,” meaning “northern.” Thus, Antarctica literally means “opposite the Arctic.” This name was chosen because Antarctica is the continent located directly opposite the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere.