How did the towns get their names and what do their names represent?
Kitty Hawk – Kitty Hawk appears in 18th century records as Chickahauk. John White’s sketch maps of the 1580s show Etacrewac, which may denote ever-greens, in the vicinity of modern Nags Head. Connecting these two names requires a stretch, but other suggested etymologies are far less plausible. Kill Devil Hills – Kill Devil Hill, now covered with vegetation and topped by the Wright Brothers Monument, was bare sand in 1903 when the Wrights flew nearby. They DID NOT launch their flyer off the hill; their signal accomplishment was to leave and return to level ground under power. Kill Devil Hills (plural) is the town, incorporated in 1953, containing the hill. Nags Head – Nags Head may have to do with horses, which were ubiquitous until free range was ended in the 1930s, or may be a corruption of St. Agnes Head. In England, a town, two landmarks and numerous pubs carry the name, which also turns up St. Kitts, in the Leeward Islands. Hatteras – Hatteras probably from an Algorkian term for sp
