Names (Sep 1991)

Christina, Christeen, Christiana: A Delaware Connection

  • C. A. Weslager

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1179/nam.1991.39.3.269
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 39, no. 3

Abstract

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Abstract Fort Christina, named for Queen Christina of Sweden, was the site of the first Swedish settlement in America. The name shifted to a major tributary of the Delaware River and several other features. In later years the name underwent changes, and in an unprecedented act the Delaware Legislature in 1937 attempted to legalize the original form. Historical documentation over a 353-year period illustrates the name changes that have occurred.