"There are, apparently, two stories on the name of the county. The two may or may not be related. One story has it that the county is named for a Swedish sea captain, John (or Jonas) Bronck, who settled in the area in 1639 and established a farm. The other story has it that the area that encompasses Bronx County was a farm owned by the Bronck family. Many of the wealthy of Manhattan would come to visit their friends who owned the farm, and would simply say that they were going to the Broncks'. If that is true, then the name most certainly stuck."