How Florida Got Its Name: The Story of Pascua Florida

Origin of Florida's Name

Florida's name comes from Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, who landed on the peninsula in 1513. He named it "Pascua Florida", meaning "Flowery Easter Land", because he arrived during the Easter season (Pascua Florida in Spanish) and was struck by the abundant flowering vegetation.

Ponce de León believed he had discovered an island, but he had actually found the mainland of what would become the southeastern United States. The name stuck, and the territory eventually became the 27th U.S. state in 1845.