Before it was officially known as South Carolina, the land that makes up our state, along with what is now North Carolina, went by a different name: Carolana. This historical name, a Latinized version of “Carolina,” was given in honor of King Charles I of England.
The name’s origin dates back to 1629, when King Charles I granted the territory to his attorney general, Sir Robert Heath. The royal charter for the land, stretching from the northern border of Florida to what is now Virginia, officially named the province “Carolana.”
However, this initial colony never fully materialized. The charter was later deemed invalid, and the land was granted again in 1663 to eight of King Charles II’s supporters, known as the Lords Proprietors. It was under this new charter that the name “Carolina” was firmly established and the first permanent European settlement was founded in 1670.
As the colony grew and its northern and southern settlements developed their own distinct identities and governance, they eventually became separate royal colonies. The formal split occurred in 1729, creating the two distinct colonies of North Carolina and South Carolina, and permanently retiring the original name of Carolana.
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