Manhattan
/mænˈhætən/noun
A borough of New York City and the island on which most of it is located.
Did you know?The name is generally traced to a Lenape place-name, often reconstructed as meaning something like “place of many hills” or “place where we get bows,” but the exact original form and sense are still debated by scholars.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-17th Century
Lenape
Manna-hata / similar reconstructed forms
“An Indigenous place-name for the island, with the exact original pronunciation and sense uncertain.”
1609
Dutch
Manahata / Manhatans
“Dutch renderings of the Lenape name for the island and its people.”
17th Century
English
Manhattan
“The established English form of the island name.”
19th Century
English
Manhattan
“The name becomes strongly associated with the growing city district in New York.”
Modern English
English
Manhattan
“The name of one of New York City’s five boroughs and the island it occupies.”
Explore more surprising origins