# Great Britain **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 26, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902 "2006-03-26T00:28:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![deepspacecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3be4f8/32.png) [@deepspacecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deepspacecat)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/1 "2006-03-26T00:28:41Z")
Hi Great Britain is the larger of the the two islands that make up the British Isles. Great Britain is the bit that contains England, Scotland and Wales. Lesser Britain is the smaller island that contains the Republic of Ireland (Eire) and Northern Island. Hence, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Cheers Deepspacecat ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/2 "2006-03-26T01:09:30Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, deepspacecat. A link to the column you’re commenting on is appreciated. I presume this is the one you intended: [Why does the UK call itself “Great” Britain? What’s so great about it?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_153.html) Any evidence you have that Ireland was ever called “Lesser Britain” would also be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/3 "2006-03-26T01:33:41Z")
Some ancient geographers did make the distinction between the island of Britain as “Great Britain” and Ireland as “Lesser Britain”. But no-one who actually lived in Ireland, Great Britain, or any neighboring country in Europe seems actually to have called Ireland “Lesser Britain” except when quoting those old writers. On the other hand, people in the dark ages and middle ages _did_ call Britanny “Britain” or “Lesser Britain”, to the point where there is sometimes confusion to this very day concerning the interpretation of historic documents. In French, they are called “Bretagne” and “Granbretagne” even now. When the United Kingdom of Great Britain was founded, “Great Britain” effectively meant “Britain as opposed to Britanny”, not “Britain as opposed to Ireland”. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2006, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/4 "2006-03-26T07:58:09Z")
> **[Cecil's column: Why does the UK Call itself Great Britain](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=360305)** > > In Cecil’s column on why the UK Calls Itself Great Britain ( http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_153.html ) I couldn’t help notice that, as i proud Brit myself, Cecil missed the more simple explaination. Far from distinguishing between Brittany,... > **["Great" Britain?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=236760)** > > What’s with the ‘Great’ in ‘Great’ Britain? Did all the Britons get together one day and say “You know what? This island is great! From now on we’re not going to just call it ‘Britain’; we’ll call it ‘Great Britain’!” The seemingly related German... > **[Great Britain/UK/England](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=143596)** > > Your explanation of the difference between Great Britain, the UK, and England was was condescending and convoluted, and it did not address the spirit of the question, which is: how are the terms GB, UK, and England applied differently in general... > **[Why is Great Britain so Great?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=257051)** > > Seriously why is Great Britiain so Great? Also is it United Kingdom, or is it Great Britain. What is the corrct name for the British Isles? I am yet to find something great about the place. > **[Great Britain, England](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=141008)** > > I’m a young’n, but every one seems to know this besides me, so I thought I’d ask you guys. Why does Britian/Great Britian/England have so many names? Where do they come from? And, as a side curiousity, why do people refer to United States as... ---
**Author:** ![Marcia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Marcia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marcia)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/5 "2006-03-28T14:44:59Z")
> [@deepspacecat](#): > > Great Britain is the larger of the the two islands that make up the British Isles. Great Britain is the bit that contains England, Scotland and Wales. Lesser Britain is the smaller island that contains the Republic of Ireland (Eire) and Northern Island. Hence, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. For your information “Lesser” Britain ( :eek: ) is the island of Ireland which remains divided consisting of 32 counties in total. The South, or Republic, contains 26 counties and the North, or Northern Ireland, contains 6 counties. Marcia ---
**Author:** ![Marcia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Marcia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marcia)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/6 "2006-03-28T14:52:07Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Any evidence you have that Ireland was ever called “Lesser Britain” would also be appreciated. Actually, come to think of it, rather than “Lesser Britain”, a more appropriate tag for Ireland (well, the Republic at any rate) these days would be “mini America” ☹ ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/7 "2006-03-28T16:00:07Z")
> [@Marcia](#): > > For your information “Lesser” Britain ( :eek: ) is the island of Ireland which remains divided consisting of 32 counties in total. The South, or Republic, contains 26 counties and the North, or Northern Ireland, contains 6 counties. > > Marcia Except that there is no evidence that Ireland was ever called “Lesser Britain” by anyone living within a thousand miles, whereas there is plenty of evidence that Britanny not only was, but in some languages still is. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/8 "2006-03-28T18:39:32Z")
> [@John W. Kennedy](#): > > In French, they are called “Bretagne” and “Granbretagne” even now. Is Granbretagne an archaic spelling? I’ve never seen that word. The current French name for Great Britain is “Grande-Bretagne”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-britain/349902/9 "2006-03-28T20:59:39Z")
> [@Arnold Winkelried](#): > > Is Granbretagne an archaic spelling? I’ve never seen that word. The current French name for Great Britain is “Grande-Bretagne”. Probably. I don’t speak French, and I’m primarily familiar with the issue as it relates to the interpretation of Arthurian literature.