Queens
The name of Queens County was assigned by the English when they also labeled Kings County in 1683. While Kings County was named for King Charles II, Queens County was allegedly named for his wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza. A sculpture of Queen Catherine was planned in the 1990s, but protests citing that the Queen benefitted from the slave trade caused the project to be canceled.
In Names of New York, Jelly-Schapiro explores the history of many Queens neighborhood names. Throughout this New York borough, you will find Munsee names, like Rockaway (from “leekuwahkuy,” meaning “sandy place”); Hassock (“marshy”); and Neponsit (“place between the waters”).
