| Aquidneck Island Rhode Island | |
| Location: | Narragansett Bay |
| Area Sqmi: | 37.8 |
| Length Mi: | 15 |
| Width Mi: | 5 |
| Highest Mount: | Slate Hill |
| Elevation Ft: | 260 |
| Country: | United States |
| Country Admin Divisions Title: | State |
| Country Admin Divisions: | Rhode Island |
| Country Admin Divisions Title 1: | County |
| Country Admin Divisions 1: | Newport County |
| Country Largest City: | Newport |
| Country Largest City Population: | 25,163 |
| Population: | 60,109 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Density Km2: | 613 |
Aquidneck Island ([1]), officially known as Rhode Island, is an island in Narragansett Bay in the state of Rhode Island. The total land area is 37.8sqmi, which makes it the largest island in the bay. The 2020 United States Census reported its population as 60,109. The state of Rhode Island is named after the island; the United States Board on Geographic Names recognizes Rhode Island as the name for the island, although it is widely referred to as Aquidneck Island in the state and by the island's residents.
Aquidneck Island is home to three towns: from north to south, Portsmouth, Middletown, and Newport.
"Aquidneck" is derived from the Narragansett name for the island aquidnet.[2] Roger Williams was an authority on the Narragansett language, but he stated that he never learned the word's meaning.[3]
It is unclear how Aquidneck came to be known as Rhode Island, but the earliest known use of the name was in 1637 by Roger Williams, and it was officially applied to the island in 1644: "Aquethneck shall be henceforth called the Ile of Rods or Rhod-Island." The name "Isle of Rodes" is used in a legal document as late as 1646.[4] [5]
One theory states that Adriaen Block passed by Aquidneck Island during his 1614 expedition, describing it in a 1625 account of his travels as "an island of reddish appearance" (in 17th century Dutch een rodlich Eylande).[6] Dutch maps from as early as 1659 call it "Roode Eylant" or Red Island. Historians have theorized that it was named by the Dutch (possibly by Adriaen Block himself) for either the red autumn foliage or red clay on portions of the shore.[7] [8]
In 1644, the settlements on Rhode Island (Portsmouth and Newport) united with Providence Plantations and Warwick to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and, eventually, the State of Rhode Island (formerly State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations). The entire state is now commonly referred to as Rhode Island, and the official name of Aquidneck Island is still "Rhode Island". The United States Board on Geographic Names addressed the issue in 1930 by using both names of the island on its maps. By 1964, the board decided that having two names was confusing, and "Rhode Island" was used exclusively as the official name. Attempts have been made, as recently as 2004, to change the official name to "Aquidneck Island", but all of these have failed.