Why is Rhode Island called Rhode Island?

The name originally did belong to an island. The actual name of the state is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was created by two colonies merging, Providence Plantations was on the mainland (founded by Roger Williams), and Rhode Island was an island in Narragansett Bay, now called Aquidneck Island.

Good question! I never thought of this before.

According to Wikipedia, anyway, there are 2 theories about why Aquidneck Island got the name of "Rhode Island," before the island's name got attached to the former colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

One theory is that early explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano first noted the existence of Aquidneck Island in 1524 and decided it looked like the isle of Rhodes in the Mediterranean.

The other theory is that name comes from a Dutch explorer, Adriaen Block, who in 1610 described the island as having a reddish appearance. In Dutch, that would make it "een rodlich Eylande."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island

When it was first discovered it was an island and then a highway to it was built. Road (Rhode is bad spelling by the Highways authority) Island.

Because it is an island with many roads

CUZ ITS RODE