what is the original name of new york
New Amsterdam New Amsterdam was renamed New York on September 8, 1664, in honor of the Duke of York (later James II of England), in whose name the English had captured it. After the Second Anglo-Dutch War of 1665â€“1667, England and the United Provinces of the Netherlands agreed to the status quo in the Treaty of Breda. The English kept the island of Manhattan, the Dutch giving up their claim to the town and the rest of the colony, while the English formally abandoned Surinam in South America, and the island of Run in the East Indies to the Dutch, confirming their control of the valuable Spice Islands. Today much of what was once New Amsterdam is New York City.
New York (state) The state's most populous city, New York City, makes up over 40% of the state's population. Two-thirds of the state's population lives in the New York metropolitan area, and nearly 40% lives on Long Island.[9] The state and city were both named for the 17th century Duke of York, the future King James II of England. With an estimated population of 8.55 million in 2015,[9] New York City is the most populous city in the United States and the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States.[10][11][12] The New York metropolitan area is one of the most populous in the world.[13][14] New York City is a global city,[15] home to the United Nations Headquarters[16] and has been described as the cultural, financial and media capital[17][18] of the world,[19][20][21] as well as the world's most economically powerful city.[22][21][23] The next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse, while the state capital is Albany.