# Puerto Rico, SJ --\> San Juan, PR **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-sj-san-juan-pr/220238 "2003-12-21T01:44:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2003, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-sj-san-juan-pr/220238/1 "2003-12-21T01:44:14Z")
When Columbus discovered that island in the Greater Antilles which lies between Hispaniola and the Virgin Islands, he named the island “San Juan Bautista.” When its capital city was founded, the city was named “Puerto Rico.” At some point, the names of the island and the city were switched. 😕 I work with a guy from Puerto Rico. When I asked him about it, he just laughed and said, “It’s a Puerto Rican thing.” His tone of voice seemed to say, “What other people would be crazy enough to pull something like that?” His theory was that one day a person of power got drunk while on the job and ordered the names switched around for no real reason. Does anybody know the Straight Dope on what really happened to the island and city names? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-sj-san-juan-pr/220238/2 "2003-12-22T05:25:59Z")
_¿Quien sabe?_ ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-sj-san-juan-pr/220238/3 "2003-12-22T06:42:46Z")
Well, do you or do you not make rum down there? 😉 [I’ve found evidence to back you up](http://welcome.topuertorico.org/history.shtml), but no reasons. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-rico-sj-san-juan-pr/220238/4 "2003-12-22T07:28:48Z")
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the island of San Juan was originally ignored as the Spanish concentrated on the rest of the Caribbean. Ponce de León got permission to explore the island and discovered a good harbor on the North side. He founded a town named Caparra and began mining operations. Later, the town was moved to an island near the mouth of the bay and given the name _Puerto Rico_. Then, > [@](#): > > Through time and common usage the port became known as San Juan while the name Puerto Rico came to be applied to the whole island.