What was the name of the island before it was renamed Liberty Island?

Before it was renamed Liberty Island, the island was called Bedloe’s Island. The name came from Isaac Bedloe, who acquired the island in the 17th century and whose name remained attached to it for centuries.

The island had other names at different points in its history, including Great Oyster Island, Love Island, Kennedy’s Island, and Corporation Island. Great Oyster Island reflected the extensive oyster beds once found around the islands of Upper New York Bay. These earlier names can make historical references seem inconsistent, but Bedloe’s Island was the established name when the Statue of Liberty was built.

The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886, while the island was still known as Bedloe’s Island. Congress officially changed the name to Liberty Island in 1956, decades after the monument had become an international symbol.

Liberty Island is sometimes confused with Ellis Island, which lies nearby and is associated with immigrant processing. The two islands are separate, although both are included in the Statue of Liberty National Monument and are commonly visited together by ferry.