Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did Hispaniola get its name from Christopher Columbus?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Christopher Columbus
Navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus.
When Christopher Columbus sighted the island on December 6, 1492, he named it La Isla Española, which translates to "The Spanish Island." The name was later Anglicized to Hispaniola. Prior to his arrival, the island was known to its Indigenous Taino inhabitants as Quisqueya.1