Description
In the Atlantic Ocean 25 mi S of Cape Cod; Town of Nantucket.
History
Nantucket is derived from the Indian "Nanticut" meaning "the far-away land," "Nantuck" meaning "sandy, sterile soil," or "Nautican," an Indian name for the island (Board on Geographic Names (BGN) files); it appeared on maps as "Nantocko" in 1630, meaning "at the promontory" in a river" (Douglas-Lithgow 1909).