Related Sponsors

Origin of the name "Maine"

Home » Maine » Maine History and Overview » Origin of the name "Maine"

The exact origin of the name “Maine” is not fully known. There are several possibilities of where the name came from. Many believe it has a very simple origin and that the name “Maine” comes from the nautical term “the main” or “mainland” used to make a distinction between the major land and the various islands. That is the simple version. Others believe that the name was given in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria (married to Charles I). Her father was the King of France and supposedly Queen Henrietta held rights to the French Province of Maine although there has been no evidence to support that theory. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that the original area of land that contains present day Maine was granted by a charter from the Council of New England in 1622 to a Sir Ferdinando Gorges and a Captain John Mason. Mason called his area of land New Hampshire, while Gorges’ was named Maine, which just happened to be one of the names used for the village “Broadmayne” that was nearby his family’s village. With all the varying theories, it is no wonder that the most popular version people believe today is the first mentioned, that the name was derived from the term “mainland”.

Next Page: Early History

Related Maine History and Overview Articles