Why go
The Greek name Kerkyra is linked in myth to Poseidon and a river god's daughter, while Corfu developed through later Byzantine and Italian forms associated with the town's twin heights. Both names point back to the island's geography and stories.
The full story
The island commonly called Corfu in English is Kerkyra in Greek. Ancient sources also use forms such as Corcyra, so the names can appear different even when they refer to the same place. A Greek myth explains Kerkyra through the daughter of the river god Asopos: Poseidon carried her to the island and gave it her name. Their son Phaeax links the story to the Phaeacians, the people associated in tradition with Homer's Odyssey. This is a mythic explanation, not a documented naming event. The English name Corfu came through an Italian form of a Byzantine Greek name associated with peaks, commonly understood as a reference to the two heights of the Old Fortress. The paired names are useful on a visit: Kerkyra appears in Greek contexts, while Corfu is familiar on international maps and signs. They also reveal how ancient storytelling and later fortified geography both became part of the island's identity.