List of Bergen, New Netherland placename etymologies
[1] At the time of European settlement, the area was largely the territory of the Acquackanonk Raritan, Tappan, and Hackensack Native American tribes.
The definition of these groups as they are known today is often from the perception of the colonizing Dutch, who tended to call the existing people by the name of a location within their territory, thus creating an exonym.
Both the Lenape and Dutch often named a place based on the geography or geology of the natural environment and described a shape, location, feature, quality, or phenomenon.
[3] Some names still exist in their altered form, their current spelling (and presumably pronunciation) having evolved over the last four centuries into American English.
A bridge in the township was burned as General George Washington's army retreated from Fort Lee in 1776, during the American Revolution.
Likely to have evolved from Achter Col,[13] adapted by English-language speakers that immigrated to the region from the Elizabethtown Tract and Perth Amboy.
[14] Under Dutch sovereignty the island became the property of Isaack Bedloo, a merchant and "select burgher" of New Amsterdam, and one of 94 signers of the "Remonstrance of the People of New Netherlands to the Director-General and Council".
[16] Others believe it comes from the word bergen, which in the Germanic languages of northern Europe means hills,[17] and could have been used to describe a distinct geological feature of the region, The Palisades.
[18] Yet another interpretation is that it comes from the Dutch word bergen, meaning to save or to recover, or place of safety, inspired by the settlers returning after they had fled attacks by the native population[19] in the Peach War.
[22] The area is now a part of Liberty State Park in Jersey City, after having served as a large railyard, train station, and ferry terminal for many years.
Site of the summer encampment and council fire of the Hackensack tribe, its complete meaning has been lost.
Spellings include Gamoenapa,[2] Gemonepan,[23] Gemoenepaen,[23] Gamenepaw, Comounepaw, Comounepan,[12] Communipau,[24] Goneuipan.
Similar to evolution of Gramercy, which is a corruption of the krom mesje, or little crooked knife, the name of a small brook that flowed along what is now 21st Street in Manhattan.
Diepte Voll, which literally translates to Deep Fall, to describe the brook's numerous waterfalls and steep slopes.
However, primary historic documentation establishes that Dunkerhook was populated not by slaves, but rather primarily by free African Americans.
Alternatively from Hoebuck, old Dutch for high bluff and likely referring to Castle Point[44] Variations used during the colonial era included Hobock,[45] Hobocan, Hoboocken,[46] and Hobuck,.
[44] Although the spelling Hoboken was used by the English as early as 1668,[12] it doesn't appear that until Col. John Steven purchased the land on which the city is situated that it became common.
[47] Established in 1135, the New Netherlanders were likely aware of its existence (and may have pronounced the Lenape to conform a more familiar sound), but it is doubtful that the city on the Hudson is named for it.
This distinctly Dutch-sounding name which describes the area along middle reaches of Hackensack River, is said to come from the Lenape and mean place of ceremonial dance and worship.
[49] A tributary of the Hackensack River,[50] from losen and sloot, or a dumping trench, essentially an open sewer.
[51] From Manna-hata, as written in the 1609 logbook of Robert Juet, an officer on Henry Hudson's yacht Halve Maen (Half Moon).
[54] This is perhaps an approximation of masgichteu-cunk meaning where May-apples grow, from a moist-woodland perennial that bears edible yellow berries[18] and used to describe the lobe of land between and the confluence of the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers at Newark Bay.
[68] A tidal island, called Arresick by the Lenape the site where, in 1630, Michiel Reyniersz Pauw staked a claim for his attempted patroonship, Pavonia.
Named after his agent, Michael Paulez (later Latinized to Paulus) who built a hut and ferry landing there, hoek or hoeck meaning a spit or point.
[70][71] Name for the mountains and river and towns, meaning underneath the rock, spellings: Ramapough, Ramopock.
[18][72] Alternatively, Raritan is a Dutch pronunciation of wawitan or rarachons meaning forked river or stream overflows.
[12] The region radiating from Palisades Interstate Park and its inhabitants as named by New Netherlanders, who spelled it as Tappaen.
[87] Spelling have included: Awiehawken, Wiehacken, Weehauk, Weehawk, Weehock, Wiceaken, Wihaken, Wyhaken, and Wiehachan.
Curiously, Peter Minuit, first governor of New Netherland, sailed to the New World upon a ship called the "Seagull", or in Dutch, Het "Meeuwken" (which bears a striking resemblance).
After the final transfer of power to the English (with the Treaty of Westminster) that settlers to New Netherland and their descendants spread across the region and established many of the towns and cities which exist today.
