What name did Columbus give to the island of Cuba?

Columbus gave Cuba the name Juana during his first voyage in 1492. He reached the island’s northeastern coast on October 28, after first landing in the Bahamas and naming several nearby islands for members of the Spanish royal family.

The name Juana honored Prince John of Asturias, the only son of Ferdinand and Isabella. Columbus believed Cuba might be part of the Asian mainland because of its size and because he was still convinced that his westward route had brought him close to Asia.

The island’s Indigenous name, Cuba, continued to be used and eventually replaced Columbus’s royal name. In 1515, Spanish authorities changed the official name to Fernandina, honoring King Ferdinand, but that name also failed to become permanent. Cuba remained the enduring name.

The other options refer to different islands or names from the voyage. Hispaniola was a separate large island, while Isabela and Fernandina were names Columbus applied to islands in the Bahamas.