Saint John the Baptist is the patron saint of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its capital city, San Juan. In 1521, the island was given its formal name, ""San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico"", following the custom of christening a town with its formal name and the name which Christopher Columbus had originally given the island. The names ""San Juan Bautista"" and ""Puerto Rico"" were eventually used in reference to both city and island, leading to a reversal in terminology by most inhabitants largely due to a cartographic error. By 1746, the city's name (""Puerto Rico"") had become that of the entire island, while the name for the island (""San Juan Bautista"") had become that of the city. The official motto of Puerto Rico also references the saint: "Joannes Est Nomen Eius" (Latin for "his name is John", from ).