An Heir to Benjamin Franklin: How Williamsburg Got Its Name

Brownstoner takes on Brooklyn history in Nabe Names, a series of briefs on the origins and surprising stories of neighborhood nomenclature.

Williamsburg has quite the reputation as Brooklyn’s definitive hipster hub. In truth, though, the area is as diverse as anywhere, with large Hispanic and Hasidic communities in addition to more recent arrivals.

While it’s undeniable that Williamsburg has more than its fair share of thrift shops, galleries and upscale eateries, the nabe is also home to some of the borough’s most authentic taquerias and the occasional Jewish bodega, if you know where to look.

The neighborhood’s title, often shortened to “the ‘Burg,” is named for its former surveyor, Colonel Jonathan Williams — West Point’s first superintendent and Benjamin Franklin’s grandnephew. The land’s owner, Richard Woodhull, assigned Williams the job and then honored his service by naming the land “Williamsburgh” in his honor.

Originally its own city, Williamsburgh lost its “h” when it became part of the city of Brooklyn in 1855 (which then got consolidated into New York City in the “great mistake” of 1898).

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