# Place-Names of the Province of Nova Scotia/N

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NAPPAN (C.)—The Indians called the place "Menabank," meaning "washed away." Old spelling was "Nepan" and the meaning was "a good place to get camp or wigwam poles.'
NASS POINT (L.)—So named after an early settler Mr. Thomas Nass, of German origin.
NAUFFTS POINT—So named after an early Musquodoboit family Nauffts.
NAVY ISLAND (H.)—An island in Bedford Basin, Halifax. Prior to 1866 the Admiralty had a lease on the island for rifle practice, hence the name, formerly Stevens Island.
NECUM TEUCH (H.)—This is said to be an Indian name meaning "gravelly river, or beach of fine sand." The old spelling is "Noogoomkeak."
NEGRO CAPE AND PORT (S.)—This place was so named by Champlain in 1604. He gave as the reason for so naming it, that opposite the Cape were rocks which resembled at a distance a negro's head. The Indians called the place "Kespoogwitk," meaning "land's end."
NEIL HARBOR (V.)—Named after one Neil McLennan. We believe that this is the place referred to by Pichon as "Quarachoque' between Niganiche (Ingonish) and Aspre (Aspy Bay). He refers to it as a creek.
NERISSA (G.)—This place was formerly known as Clam Harbor, was named Nerissa in the year 1900. Evidently so named by some admirer of "The Merchant of Venice," as it is the name of one of Shakespeare's characters in this play.
NEW ABERDEEN (C. B.)—See Aberdeen.
NEW ANNAN, EAST ANNAN, CENTRAL ANNAN (Col.)—The first settler Mr. John Bell, of Annandale, Dumfrieshire, Scotland. He came to Nova Scotia in 1806, and left Tatamagouche, settled and named New Annan in honor of his old home, in 1815.
​NEW CAMPBELLTON (V.)—This name was suggested to the residents because a Mr. Charles Campbell was a very influential resident here, and a parliamentary representative at one time.
The place was known as "Kelly Cove" or Kelly's Cove"; received its present name in 1862.
NEWCOMB CORNER (H.)—The place was named after its first Postmaster, Judson Newcomb, in the year 1868. It was first settled by a John Higgins, about 1780, later by a Joseph Miller.
NEW CORNWALL (L.)—At the head of the Mush-a-Mush Lake. It was first settled by Rafuse, Brum and Hallamore families, in the year 1800. Some of them were likely from Cornwall, and named the place for their homeland town.
NEW DUBLIN (L.)—On the 3rd of May, 1762, Alexander McNutt arrived with 170 North of Ireland settlers, who were to go to this Township, at that time named "Dublin." Few of them actually settled here, but the name was given the place in honor of these Irish settlers:
NEWDY QUODDY (H.)—Or Noody Quoddy, said to be from an Indian name "Noodaagwode," meaning "plenty of seals," or "place of seals."
NEW EDINBURGH (H.)—See Weymouth. Settled in 1783 by Anthony Stewart and others.
NEW ELM (L.)—Named by early German settlers after the German River Elm.
NEW GERMANY (L.)—Named after their native place by early German settlers, about 1785. John Fiendal built the first house here.
NEW GLASGOW (P.)—Settled in 1809, and named by the early Scotch settlers, after the Scottish city "Glasgow." Mr. James Carmichael who built the first house here, was an estimable early settler, and is said to have the credit of selecting New Glasgow site for a town, and New Glasgow for its name.
The first grant of land was for 500 acres to John McKenzie in 1809.
NEW HARRIS, NEW HARRIS FORKS (C. B.)—So named by early Scotch settlers after "Harris," a subdivision of the Northern Hebrides in Scotland.
NEW HARRIS (V.)—See Slois A Brochan.
​NEW HAVEN (V.)—This place was formerly known as "Hungry Cove."
NEW INLET (D.)—Sometimes called Bartlett's River after an early settler of 1799 Lemuel Bartlett.
NEW MINAS (K.)—See "Minas Basin."
NEWPORT (Hts.)—The Township of Newport, one of the six Townships of Hants County, was formed and thus named in the year 1761. The old name was "West Falmouth." The present name was suggested by Mr. Morris, Surveyor-General of the Province to the Honorable Jonathan Belcher (who was then Lieutenant-Governor of the Province) in honor of Lord Newport, who was a particular friend of the Lt.-Governor's. It was erronously generally supposed this name was given because of former association of the early inhabitants with Newport, R. I.
NEW ROSS (L.)—This place was formerly called "Sherbrooke," after Governor Sir John Coape Sherbrooke; but as great inconvenience was caused by two places in the Province bearing this name, the name was changed to "New Ross" during the administration of Lord Mulgrave, in honor of his lordship, whose second title was derived from the town of New Ross, in Ireland.
NEW ROSS CROSS (L.)—Named after "New Ross" and the fact that this is the place where the roads to Lunenburg, Kings and Annapolis intersect each other.
NICKERSON ISLAND (Y.)—Named after Nathan Nickerson who was the original grantee (in 1762).
NICTAUX FALLS (A.)—A Micmac Indian name "Niktak," meaning "the forks of a river."
NINE MILE LAKE (L.)—So named owing to its position, sometimes called "Big Sherbrooke Lake."
NINE MILE RIVER (Col.)—The Indians named this river "Nenadoogweboogwek" meaning "he is clean" or "clean water."
NINE MILE RIVER (H.)—The Indian name for this place was "Wokumeak" meaning "the trail route."
NINEVEH (V.)—Named after the ancient capital of the Assyrian Empire.
​NINMOCAH (Q.)—A western branch of the Liverpool River. The word is the Indian for a lake with a river running through the middle and whole length of it or a river widening for a long distance.
NOEL (Hts.)—Head, Bay and Village. This place was likely named by the French after a man of that name, or "Christmastide."
The first white settler was Timothy O'Brien, of Londonderry, Ireland, with his Scotch wife from Ayr, in the year 1770.
NORTHS (K.)—A village named after the North family, who were early residents.
NORTHERN HEAD (C. B.)—In Lingan Bay. This place was known to the French as "Cap Charbon" i. e., Cape Coal.
NORTHFIELD (L.)—First settled and named by families named MacKay, Ramey, Faney, Wagner and Tibert. MacKay was a British soldier who was paid off in Halifax and came to Northfield and settled there.
NORTHFIELD (Q.)—See Greenfield.
NORTH MOUNTAIN (K.)—Descriptive name given to the mountain which terminates the majestic Bluff of Cape Blomidon' dropping into the Basin of Minas.
NORTH RIVER (C. B.)—A river running into St. Anne's Bay. It was at one time known as "Rouvilles River," after the French Marquis de'Rouville.
NORTH SYDNEY (C. B.)—Was long known as "North Bar," owing to the sand bar extending into Sydney Harbor at this point. There is a similar bar on the south side of the harbor, directly opposite which gives "South Bar" its name. These bars make the inner Sydney Harbor such a safe retreat and protection for shipping.
The Indian name for the place was "Gwesomkeak."
NORTHUMBERLAND STRAIT—There was a ship named the "Northumberland" lost in the Strait in the year 1747, and the name may have come in this manner. It is, however, very uncertain. The Strait, or at least part of it, was named "St. Luniare" by Cartier. Its southern end was at one time called the "Red Sea.
NORTHWEST ARM (H.)—Was called at one time "Sandwich River," also "Hawkes River." The Indian name was "Waygwalteech," meaning "salt water all the way up."
​NOOSABOON (H.)—An Indian word meaning "the hair of my head." Here, says the Indian tradition, the fairies used to play ball, running and seizing each other by the hair, pulling out locks and scattering them on the ground.
NOVA SCOTIA—Said to have been visited, or at least sighted, by Erik, an Icelander, in 986, and by him named "Markland, meaning "forest-clad land." It was referred to in 1516 as "Baccaloes," said to be the Basque word for "codfish," but this name was a very general one for all places at or near the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Afterwards it was known as "Acadia." (See.)
It was at one time also called "Arambec." The Indians knew Nova Scotia as "Megumaage," i. e., "Micmac Land," or "the home of the Micmac or true man"; this name the Micmac Indian applied to the Maritime Provinces generally.
It received its present name "Nova Scotia," i. e., "New Scotland," in the year 1621, when a deed or grant was given by King James the First of England and Sixth of Scotland, granting the Province under the present name to Sir William Alexander; just previous to this date it was known as "Nova Francia." New Brunswick was included in it until 1784.
Scotland was at one time known as "Scotia Nova" or "New Scotland" to distinguish it from the whole or part of Ireland that was then called Scotland, i. e., "Land of the Scoti" or "Scots." Some of the Scots later left Ireland and settled in North Britain in the part now known as Scotland.
Some old maps bear the name "New Caledonia" for Nova Scotia and "New Alexandria" for New Brunswick.
The first representative Assembly, consisting of twenty-two members, was held in the year 1758.
NYANZA (V.)—Named after Victoria Nyanza, the great ake of Africa, which is supposed to be the source of the Nile.