Seneca Village - Name Origin

Name Origin

The origin of Seneca Village's name is not exactly known; however, a number of theories have been advanced.

1. One theory suggests the word “Seneca” came from a Roman philosopher named Lucius Annaeus Seneca, whose book was often read by African American activists.
2. Another theory is that the village was named after a group of Native Americans, the Seneca nation.
3. Sara Cedar Miller, the Central Park Conservancy's historian suggests, "It must have been an ethnic slur," a way to simultaneously denigrate Indians and blacks.
4. Some suggest it is a derivative of Senegal, a country in West Africa, where many of the people who lived in the village were from.
5. Yet other theories suggest the name could also have been used as a code for the underground railroad.