{"id":1349,"date":"2010-05-12T01:27:18","date_gmt":"2010-05-12T08:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=1349"},"modified":"2013-06-20T23:01:55","modified_gmt":"2013-06-21T06:01:55","slug":"no-one-knows-why-maine-is-called-maine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2010\/05\/no-one-knows-why-maine-is-called-maine\/","title":{"rendered":"No One Knows Why Maine is Called Maine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Maine<\/a>Today I found out<\/a> no one really knows why Maine is called Maine.<\/p>\n

One of the most popular theories is that it is derived from the nautical term “the main” or “Main Land”.\u00a0 Maine has an incredible number of islands off it’s coast, so perhaps sailors referred to it as “Maine”, as in “Main Land”, to distinguish it from the surrounding islands.<\/p>\n

In 2001, the state legislature, not apparently too concerned as to if it was fact or not, adopted the resolution that stated that the state was named after the ancient French province of Maine, which was of Gaulish origin.\u00a0 Maine was discovered by the French; however, the first known record of it being called Maine wasn’t until Aug. 10, 1622 when it was chartered to English Royal Navy veterans, Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Captain John Mason who “intend to name The Province of Maine”.<\/p>\n

Mason himself served in the Royal Navy in the Orkney Islands where the main island was called “Mainland”.\u00a0 Gorges also may have had something to do with this as his family came from a village which neighbored “Broadmayne” and was at times known as Maine.\u00a0 There is also a small village in England that was once named Maine, though the connection to the state Maine is not known, if that is the origin.\u00a0 In whatever case, the name was finally officially set by King Charles of England in 1665 when he ordered that the “province of Maine” be forever known as such.<\/p>\n

If you liked this article and the Bonus<\/span> Facts below, you might also enjoy:<\/p>\n