Is there a story behind the reason people in the US call Cristobal Colon, "Christopher Columbus" instead?

Question

I'm trying to find out if there's a story behind the reason we call Christopher Columbus by that name, instead of Cristobal Colon. Was it just "easier to say" for people in America -- so it changed? It can't be that simple -- I've found in the past that most of these kind of name changes occur because of popular songs or poems that shifted our cultural lexicon.

Would love any suggestions or thoughts on this -- there's got to be a story behind the story!

Answer 1

Spanish/English.

Answer 2

Because he was NOT spanish. He was born in Italy and got the name of Cristoforo Colombo when he was born. Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.com) says:
Christopher Columbus (Genoa?, Italy, 1451? – Valladolid, Spain, May 20, 1506) was a navigator and maritime explorer credited as the discoverer of the Americas. Although it is generally accepted that he was Italian, Columbus is also associated with Spain because he was sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs and eventually became an admiral for the Crown of Castile. The name Christopher Columbus is a Latinisation of the Spanish Don Cristobal Colón.

Answer 3

... Because that was the latinized form of his real name, Cristoforo Colombo? Colombo signed all his treatises with "Cristophus Columbus", so that's what the English-speakers used. Cristobal Colòn was a later name change to go with his Spanish nobility and status of "Admiral of the Ocean". Seriously, this is some primary school stuff right here, man.

Answer 4

wow you learn something new everyday.... I thought eric thereddiscovered the americas......better go tell my anthropology professor......

Answer 5

different languages implicate different spelling

Answer 6

idk