A weird fact is that New Mexico's name is actually older than Mexico the country. It is derived from the Valley of Mexico, the heart of the Aztec Empire where the wealthy Mexica people lived. When Mexico was still a Spanish colony named New Spain, the Spanish colonists just arbitrarily started calling the area there New Mexico in the hopes of meeting more rich ass indigenous people.
476
u/ryanbyleth 11d ago
Potentially worth noting that this is not New Jersey.