Saint Lucia: The Only Country Named After a Woman

• Saint Lucia is the only country named after a woman.
• St. Lucy of Syracuse is the namesake of Saint Lucia.
• The island’s previous name was Louanalao, meaning ‘Island of the Iguanas’.
• French sailors named the island ‘Sainte Alousie’ in 1502.
• December 13 is celebrated as National Day of Saint Lucia.
• Queen Victoria influenced the names of many locations worldwide.
• In the USA, few places are named for women.

Unique Heritage of Saint Lucia’s Name

Saint Lucia stands out as the only country in the world named explicitly after a woman, a remarkable distinction that both honors a saint and reflects a rich history of naming traditions. The island got its name from St. Lucy of Syracuse – the patron saint of the blind – an actual person who lived in the fourth century CE. While other countries may honor female figures in various ways, Saint Lucia is unique; it was originally inhabited by the Indigenous Arawak people, who referred to it as Louanalao, meaning “Island of the Iguanas.”

Celebrating St. Lucy’s Feast Day

The journey to the name Saint Lucia began in the year 1502, when French sailors shipwrecked on the island and named it “Sainte Alousie,” likely on December 13, which is the feast day of St. Lucy. It was customary at the time for sailors to name new lands after saints, a trend that eventually contributed to the island’s modern name, shaped through subsequent colonization by both the English and the French. Now, each year, December 13th is recognized and celebrated as National Day in Saint Lucia, marking the historical and cultural significance of its namesake.

Recognition of Influential Women in Geography

While it is true that female namesakes are quite rare on an international scale, several towns and cities across the globe are named after influential women. For example, Queen Victoria’s influence is seen in various locations, including British Columbia’s provincial capital and Zimbabwe’s magnificent Victoria Falls. Comparatively, in the United States, only a handful of locales honor women—like Clara Barton in Kansas and Virginia Dare in North Carolina—showing how unique Saint Lucia really is in the context of name recognition.

Saint Lucia holds the fascinating distinction of being the only sovereign nation named after a woman. This unique heritage has deep historical roots tied to the island’s identity and celebration of St. Lucy. While many places across the world pay tribute to women, Saint Lucia’s designation remains unmatched, highlighting a notable difference in how history honors female figures.