The Bronx, New York City’s northernmost borough, traces its name to Jonas Bronck, a Swedish-born settler who established the first European settlement in the area in 1639 as part of the New Netherland colony. Bronck leased land from the Dutch West India Company and acquired additional land from local Native American tribes, eventually creating a 500-acre farm near present-day Mott Haven. Early Dutch and English settlers referred to the area as Bronck’s Land, which over time became known as the Bronx.

Before European colonization, the Bronx was home to the Siwanoy band of the Lenape, who called the area Rananchqua, while other tribes referred to it as Keskeskeck. The Bronx River, then known as the Aquahung, divided the region. The arrival of European settlers after 1643 displaced the Lenape and set the stage for centuries of demographic change.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Bronx grew as a destination for immigrants from Europe, including Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Eastern Europe. Later waves of migration included Caribbean communities from Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Haiti, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic, along with West African immigrants from Ghana and Nigeria, African American migrants from the Southern United States, and newcomers from Panama, Honduras, and South Asia.

The borough’s socioeconomic landscape is diverse. While it contains New York’s 15th Congressional District, the poorest in the United States, it also features upper- and middle-income neighborhoods such as Riverdale, Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil, Schuylerville, Pelham Bay, Pelham Gardens, Morris Park, and Country Club. The Bronx experienced severe urban decline in the mid-to-late 20th century, particularly in the South Bronx, which became infamous for population loss, housing deterioration, and arson during the 1970s and 1980s—a period that coincided with the birth of hip hop music.

Since the late 1990s, however, the borough has seen revitalization and population growth, reflecting its resilience and ongoing transformation. The Bronx’s layered history—from its early settlement by Jonas Bronck to its status as a diverse urban center—continues to shape its cultural identity and significance within New York City.