Do you know how Tobago got its name?

By the time of Columbus’ arrival to the region at the end of the 15th century, the Kalinagos were the main residents of Tobago.
The Kalinago, who were named “Island Caribs” by the Europeans, are believed to have migrated from the Orinoco River area in South America around 1200 AD. Some say that the Kalinago called the island of Tobago “Urupaina,” (meaning “snail” in the Kali’na language) because they thought Tobago’s landscape resembled a large snail.
The Europeans also gave Tobago several names, including Christopher Columbus, who called Tobago “Belaforme” in his writing because “from a distance it seemed beautiful.” From as early as 1511, Spanish records show Tobago recorded under the name “Tabaco,” referencing the tobacco leaves that were grown and smoked by the indigenous inhabitants of the island.
The name also appears as “Tabago” in Dutch and French records.
This photo showing a 1665 Dutch Map of “Tabago”, is courtesy of the National Archives of the Netherlands.
References: Boomert, Arie. The Indigenous Peoples of Trinidad and Tobago: from the First Settlers until Today. Sidestone Press, 2016
Reid, Basil. “The Journal of Caribbean History: Volume 38, Issue 2.” University of the West Indies Press, 2 Mar. 2020.
(Source: The National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago, September 13, 2023)

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