The name "New England" was first used by Captain John Smith in 1616. Smith was an English explorer who had been exploring the North American coast since 1607. He named the region "New England" because it reminded him of his home country of England.
Who found the New England Colonies?
The first European settlers in the New England colonies were the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were a group of English Puritans who sailed to America in 1620 on the Mayflower. They landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, and established the first permanent European settlement in New England.