Why are pineapples called pineapples?
European explorers named the pineapple after the pine cone because of its scaly, cone-like appearance.
When Christopher Columbus encountered the fruit in 1493, he called it "piña de Indes" (pineapple of the Indies) due to its resemblance to pine cones. English speakers later combined "pine" with "apple"—a word that was once used generically for any unfamiliar fruit—to create "pineapple." Interestingly, most languages around the world adopted the indigenous name "ananas," but English kept the descriptive, appearance-based name.
Nerd Mode
Christopher Columbus first encountered the pineapple (Ananas comosus) on the island of Guadeloupe during his second voyage in November 1493. The fruit's distinctive scaly skin reminded him and his crew of pine cones common in Europe, leading to the Spanish name "piña." In English, the word "apple" was historically used as a generic term for any exotic or unfamiliar fruit—similar to how peaches were once called "Persian apples"—making "pineapple" a natural descriptive choice.The word "pineapple" first appeared in English in 1398, but originally referred only to pine cones. It wasn't until 1664 that the term was officially applied to the tropical fruit in written records. This linguistic shift coincided with the pineapple becoming a luxury status symbol in European royal courts. King Charles II of England famously commissioned a portrait showing him receiving a pineapple, an image that cemented both the fruit's name and its prestige in English-speaking society.The pineapple is native to the Paraná–Paraguay River drainages between southern Brazil and Paraguay. The indigenous Tupi-Guarani people called it "nanás," meaning "excellent fruit." This indigenous root word became "ananas" and is now used in French, German, Hindi, and dozens of other languages worldwide. English remains one of the few major languages that retained the descriptive "pine-apple" comparison rather than adopting the indigenous name.
Verified Fact
FP-0003882 · Feb 18, 2026