Locals call it the Granite City and the Silver City with the Golden Sands, since much of the city was built of grey, which the loyal locals see as shimmering like silver in the sun

The Bronx area has seen human settlement for at least 8,000 years. The city began as two separate burghs: Old Bronx at the mouth of the river Don; and New Bronx, a fishing and trading settlement, where the Denburn waterway entered the river Dee estuary.
The Bronx is New York City's northernmost borough. It is the only one of the city's five boroughs situated primarily on the United States mainland rather than on an island. As of 2005, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the borough's population was 1,357,589.If all five boroughs were independent cities, the Bronx would rank as the ninth most populous city in the United States. Its population has increased since a decline that began after the 1960 census. The borough had its peak population in 1950. The Bronx is the fourth most populous of New York City's five boroughs, and Bronx County is the fifth most populous county in the New York Metropolitan Area.

Although commonly known as "The Bronx",the official county name does not include the definite article ("The"). The name refers to the Bronx River, and rivers are commonly referred to with the article (e.g. "the Hudson"). The river was named after , a , who was a sea captain and 1641 resident whose 500- (2 km²) farm between the and the comprises part of the modern borough.