Seabirds inspired the naming of Alcatraz.
The island once hosted numerous colonies of brown pelicans before it became a jail. The first recorded European to pass through the Golden Gate was a Spanish lieutenant named Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775. The locals gave the island the name “Island of the Pelican,” which translates to “La Isla de Los Alcatraces.” Over time, the name was anglicised into its current form, “Alcatraz.”