I was pondering this to myself the other day. Why is New Zealand actually called New Zealand? Was there an original Zealand like all the other “New” places in the world - New South Wales in Australia is named for south Wales. New Hampshire in the US is named for Hampshire.
So I’m wondering, is New Zealand named after Zealand, and if so, where is Zealand anyway?
If it wasn’t then how did it get it’s name?
IIRC, Zeeland is in Holland.
Not to be confused with Zealand, Denmark or the only nation I know of whose heir to the throne has deigned to correspond with the SDMB, Sealand.
(Yeah, I’m still kissing Sealand’s ass for that. Hey, it was totally cool.)
I have to admit, it sounds very odd that the British Empire didn’t change the name from New Zealand to something that resonated a bit more as having connections with dear ol’ Blighty – or, at any rate, something less Dutch. I see “Australia” came about, from New Holland, in 1817 (on Governor Macquarie’s recommendation).
Perhaps Holland wasn’t such a big threat in maritime terms in the late 18th century as it was to Britain when they changed the name of America’s New Amsterdam for New York a century before. Maybe the cartographers just decided to stick with the tried-and-true. We were a colony of New South Wales for a long time, also.
Ah, history. So many questions, so many ponderances …
“Why New Zealand?” Well, why not? 
I have to admit, it sounds very odd that the British Empire didn’t change the name from New Zealand to something that resonated a bit more as having connections with dear ol’ Blighty – or, at any rate, something less Dutch. I see “Australia” came about, from New Holland, in 1817 (on Governor Macquarie’s recommendation).
Perhaps Holland wasn’t such a big threat in maritime terms in the late 18th century as it was to Britain when they changed the name of America’s New Amsterdam for New York a century before. Maybe the cartographers just decided to stick with the tried-and-true. We were a colony of New South Wales for a long time, also.
Ah, history. So many questions, so many ponderances …
“Why New Zealand?” Well, why not?