How did New Jersey get its name?

New Jersey was named after the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel. This is due to British influence over the colonies in the early years of the United States. New Jersey was originally called New Netherlands and was renamed after the Dutch colonists lost the land to British colonists.

Many other states and places in the United States are also named after British commonwealths. Other states named after British commonwealths include New York, New Hampshire and Washington. Hundreds of cities in the United States were also named for English places, including Birmingham, Manchester, New London, Northumberland, Norfolk and Suffolk.