Every Bronx neighborhood carries a distinct historical footprint, from colonial-era settlements and estates to 19th-century industrial districts and planned residential communities.
This guide looks at the origins of 35 Bronx neighborhood names and the history behind the people, places, landmarks, and developments that gave them their identities.
1. Spuyten Duyvil
Origin: A 17th-century Dutch place-name whose exact meaning has been debated for centuries.
The Story: The Dutch name Spuyten Duyvil has been translated in several ways, often with references to a “spouting,” “spinning,” or otherwise devilish current. The rough waters around the old Spuyten Duyvil Creek clearly helped inspire the enduring interpretations. Washington Irving later popularized the famous story of trumpeter Antony Van Corlear attempting the crossing “in spite of the devil” in his 1809 satirical A History of New York. Irving’s tale is part of the name’s folklore rather than a literal account of its origin.
2. Mott Haven
Origin: Named after industrialist and inventor Jordan Lawrence Mott (1799–1866)…