 Galveston Island was originally inhabited by members of the Karankawa and Akokisa tribes who called the island Auia . The Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca and his crew were shipwrecked on the island or nearby in November 1528 , calling it " Isla de Malhado " ( " Isle of Bad Fate " ) . They began their years @-@ long trek to a Spanish settlement in Mexico City . During his charting of the Gulf Coast in 1785 , the Spanish explorer José de Evia named the island Gálvez @-@ town or Gálveztown in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid , Count of Gálvez . 
 Galveston Island was originally inhabited by members of the Karankawa and Akokisa tribes <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>who</mark></a>called the island Auia . The Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca and his crew <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> shipwrecked on the island or nearby in November 1528 , calling it " Isla de Malhado " ( " Isle of Bad Fate " ) . They began their years @-@ long trek to a Spanish settlement in Mexico City . During his charting of the Gulf Coast in 1785 , the Spanish explorer José de Evia named the island Gálvez @-@ town or Gálveztown in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid , Count of Gálvez . 
Galveston Island was originally inhabited by members of the Karankawa and Akokisa tribes called the island Auia . The Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca and his crew was shipwrecked on the island or nearby in November 1528 , callin it " Isla de Malhado " ( " Isle of Bad Fate " ) . They began their years @-@ long trek to a Spanish settlement in Mexico City . durin his charting of da Gulf Coast in 1785 , tdaSpanish explorer José de Evia named the island Gálvez @-@ town or Gálveztown in honor of Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid , Count of Gálvez .