New York's Many Names: From New Amsterdam to the Big Apple

Few cities have worn as many labels as New York. Each name marks a chapter in its transformation from Dutch outpost to global icon.

Official Names

• New Amsterdam (1624–1664) — Dutch West India Company settlement at Manhattan's tip.
• New Orange (1673–1674) — Brief Dutch re-occupation honoring William III of Orange.
• The City of New York (1674–present) — English charter after Treaty of Westminster; "New York" honored Duke of York (later James II).

Enduring Nicknames

• Gotham — Coined by Washington Irving (1807, Salmagundi), referencing the English village of fools. Batman later cemented the noir association.
• The Big Apple — 1920s jazz slang ("the big apple" = Harlem gigs); revived by 1970s tourism campaign. Now the global shorthand.

Other Historical Monikers

• Nieuw Nederland — The broader colony (1614–1664).
• Manhattan — From Lenape Manna-hata ("island of many hills"); still the borough name.
• The Empire City — 19th-century boosterism.
• Metropolis / The City That Never Sleeps — Cultural epithets.

Each name reflects who held power, who dreamed big, and who showed up to write the next chapter.