Where does the name of the island of Lanzarote come from? There are several hypotheses on the name of the island. The most "prudent" contemplates that Lanzarote comes from the Genoese sailor Lancelotto Malocello or Lancelot, that would have arrived at the island between 1320 and 1340 and that it remained in the island about 20 years.
Another explanation given to the origin of the name Lanzarote, speaks closely on the French expression "throw to the water" (lance l'eau) which when pronounced by the French when sighting land, in its original French, resembles the name Lanzarote .
There is also an option in which Lanzarote is believed to be the result of "Lanza - rota" (broken spear), which was given after the Conquistador Juan de Bethencourt, broke his spear to commemorate the end of the pacification of the island. Although it is the least demonstrable, it has the characteristic that the most correct thing in the Castilian language of the time was to say "lanza quebrada" (cracked spear), reason why it is very unlikely that this is the origin.
Among all the explanations, most people believed that the origin of Lanzarote is that it comes from the Genoese Lancelotto.
Currently, Lanzarote is also known as: Isla de los Volcanes (Island of the Volcanoes), Isla del Fuego (Fire island) or Isla Mítica (Mythical Island), names that fit its geography and history, linked especially to the touristic promotion of the island.