Eight years later, English Captain John Smith named the area around Gloucester Cape Tragabigzanda, after a woman whom he met while in Turkey as a prisoner of war.

[8] By 1634 the name of Cape Ann was already established, as it is mentioned and depicted on maps in William Wood's New England's Prospect first published in that year.

[citation needed] By the mid-1800s, Cape Ann was known for its specialization in granite production, specifically in creating paving blocks for roads and streets and were used across the United States from New York to San Francisco.

[9] Cape Ann became a thriving center of activity for artists in the 19th century, including the Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester.

[12] It has been recorded by musicians such as The Irish Rovers, Gordon Bok, and The X-Seaman's Institute (formed as part of the South Street Seaport).

[13] Cape Ann is the location of the fictional town of Sea Harbor, the setting of the Seaside Knitters mysteries by author Sally Goldenbaum.

[citation needed] The book Slaughterhouse Five mentions Cape Ann as the honeymoon location for the main character Billy Pilgrim.

[14] Setting out for the one last catch that will make up for a lackluster fishing season, Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney) pushes his boat, the Andrea Gail, out to the waters of the Flemish Cap off Nova Scotia; based on actual events in 1991.

"[16] The fictional town of Paradise, setting of the Jesse Stone novels, is near Cape Ann, which is briefly mentioned in Night and Day.

Cape Ann lends its name to a fictional coastal Maine town in the 1959 movie, "It Happened to Jane," starring Doris Day and Jack Lemmon.