The feature was named by the United Kingdom Antarctic Place-Names Committee (UK-APC) in 1961 after Nicholas Withem, master of the American sealing vessel Governor Brooks from Salem, MA, who visited the South Shetland Islands in 1820–21.

Originally proposed and approved as Withen Island, the name was amended in 1990 to agree with the correct spelling of the personal name.

This article incorporates public domain material from "Withem Island".

Geographic Names Information System.

This Nelson Island, South Shetlands location article is a stub.