Why does the country Great Britain have that name?

Question

Why does the country Great Britain have that name?

Answer 1

it was actually king JAMES VI and I who when he became king of england actually rather than saying he was king of england scotland wales and overlord of ireland he decided to call it GREAT BRITAIN

Answer 2

They shortened it from the viking name Gretagne.

Answer 3

Great Britain may well be a calque of the French term Grande Bretagne, which is used in France to distinguish Britain from Brittany. Since the English court and aristocracy was largely French-speaking for about two centuries after the Norman Conquest of 1066, the French term may have naturally passed into English usage. The island of Great Britain was referred to as Britannia major ("Greater Britain"), to distinguish it from Britannia minor ("Lesser Britain"), the continental region which approximates to modern Brittany.

Answer 4

britain was origional britania then it was referd to as britain and then once the british empire was at a hight it was the great power of the world so they used the great and called it great britain but now the empire has gone it is just britain or england

Answer 5

Great Britain is the country comprising England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (the United Kingdom), plus all the channel islands, and others like Man and Alderny.

The British Isles would include ALL of Ireland.

It was called Great Britan to distinguish it from Brittany, a region in, IIRC, northern France. Interesting to note that the British kings used to claim the French Throne

Answer 6

It was called Great Britain to distinguish it from Brittany, and rightly so I think, the British empire was arguably the biggest and greatest in all history.

x*x

Answer 7

because it is great

Answer 8

I think it's something to do with the french britany, but not sure. It's certainly not because of how great it is! there's nothing great about Great Britain anymore that's for sure.

Answer 9

Celtic Britons live in Great Britain and in Brittany in France. Great Britain is bigger hence Great(er) Britain and Brittany is smaller hence the old name Lesser Britain.

Answer 10

not because it is good or anything like that.

It is the sum of the island of Britian and the surrounding islands-not Ireland. Same as Greater Manchester and Greater London are the complete area, not just the main central bit.

      Gb is not a country, it is three countries. The state is the UK. This is also very complicated!

Answer 11

To differentiate it from 'Less Britain', the old term for Brittany. It's not got anything to do with how wonderful the UK is.

Answer 12

because it is a great island :D

Answer 13

It is merely a geographical term to identify it as the largest island of the British Isles.

It has no other meaning  to do with goodness or military strength or empire

Answer 14

Great Britain is the country comprising England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (the United Kingdom), plus all the channel islands, and others like Man and Alderny.

The British Isles would include ALL of Ireland.

It was called Great Britan to distinguish it from Brittany, a region in, IIRC, northern France. Interesting to note that the British kings used to claim the French Throne.