Who founded Delaware?

Peter Minuit and The New Sweden Company founded Delaware in 1638; it was named for the Delaware River, which was itself named for Lord de la Warr, an early colonial Virginia governor. Delaware did not become a state until December 7, 1787.

"De la Warr" is a surname that originates in Sussex; its origins are Anglo-Norman. It might have derived from "ager," which is Latin.

Prior to colonization, the area that became Delaware was home to the Eastern Algonquian tribes of Native Americans. The area was first settled by the Dutch, but nearly all the original settlers to the area were killed during a dispute with Native Americans.