Christopher Columbus

[Zenon_pt]

Are you sure it was Columbus who came up with name Cuba? I remember he gave a different name to the island (and a wikipedia search gave me that name, Isla Juana, a reference to the Spanish heir).

I don't know what was it first name, but where did it come this name - Cuba?
And like I said it's a theory.

 

[Verbose]

Its first Spanish name, given by Columbus, was "Isla Juana".

And then in 1516 king Ferdinand of Aragon died, and in his honour it was renamed "Fernandina".

And yet again somewhat later it was renamed "Santiago" in honour of Spain's patron saint St. James.

And still later "Ave María" in honour of the Blessed Virgin.

And this was inte the first few decades of the island's Spanish history.

"Cuba" actually seems to have been what the pre-Columbian Taino natives called the place, and it stuck around while the Spanish officially fiddled with the name. So, when they finally got fed up with arguing over what to call the place, "Cuba" reasserted itself.

 

[Zenon_pt]

Really? All that name, and in the end what natives call it. More one negative point to Spain, never had an original name to call...

 

[Adler17]

Well he was a German! As Genoa was part of the HRE he was a German!

Seriously he was born in Genoa.

Adler

 

[Archbob]

I'm pretty certain it was Genoa.

 

[Verbose]

Mussolini said it was Genoa, and then spent a ton of cash on a historical comission tasked with proving it was so.

 

[Mirc]

Mongolia is in second place!! Goooo Mooongooooliiiia!!!!