What was New York originally called?

Until 1664, New York was known as New Amsterdam because of the arrival of Dutch settlers. In 1664, the area of New Netherlands, containing New Amsterdam, was conquered by British colonists, who renamed the city New York.

Prior to colonization, the area containing New York was inhabited by the Lenape tribe of Native Americans. The first Dutch settlement in the area began in 1624; the construction of Fort Amsterdam commenced in 1626. After conquering the area, British settlers named the city after the Duke of York. In 1673, the Dutch re-conquered the city, naming it New Orange, although it was returned to the English and again named New York within a year.