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Although there are no clear records of precisely how New Zealand got its modern name, its first usage is attributed to Dutch Captain Willem Jansz. In 1620, Jansz sailed his ship, the Duyfken, southeastward in search of gold and riches. During his voyage, Jansz observed an island off the coast of New Guinea, which he named ?Nieu Zelandt.? Subsequently, many maps recorded the name ?Nieu Zelandt? as recently as the late 1700s. Other maps appearing as early as 1645 carried the name ?Zeelandia Nova? (meaning ?new sea land?).
Some historians suggest the land was named after the one of the Dutch provinces ? Zeelandt, which was separated from the province of Holland by the sea (thus ?Sea-land?). Australia was given the name Hollandia Nova (New Holland) and so Zeelandia Nova (New Zeeland), separated by an expanse of ocean, makes sense. Other historians suggest that Zeeland was the name of the second most important chamber of the Dutch East India Company. Thus, they suggest the island was named after this chamber.
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