How Cape Coral Got Its Name

By Brenton Miebach, REALTOR® | Updated October 5, 2026

Cape Coral got its name from the company that built it. The land was called Redfish Point. When the Rosen brothers and their company, Gulf American, began building in 1957 and 1958, they changed the name to Cape Coral. The book Lies That Came True says the name was chosen in Baltimore, after other names were considered. This page is part of our history of Cape Coral.

Photo: The Cape Coral site from the air in spring 1958, with the Caloosahatchee River at the top and the first roads cut into open land. Restored and colorized from Lies That Came True by Eileen Bernard. Colors are added digitally.

The names that did not make it

The book says the founders looked at other names first. It lists Sapphire Shores, Palm Point and Caloosa Cove. The book also says the planning for the new town was done by a firm from Miami, Rader Associates.

Why “Cape Coral”

The Cape Coral Breeze says the Rosens and their company changed the name from Redfish Point. A cape is a point of land that reaches into the water, and Redfish Point was a point of land on the river.

The book says the founders worried that the name sounded like Coral Gables. Coral Gables is a different city, near Miami, on the other side of the state.

Where “Redfish Point” came from

The older name comes from the fishing. The Cape Coral Breeze says Redfish Point got its name from the large number of redfish, red snapper, tarpon and snook that drew fishermen to the point. Those fishermen called the spot “The Point.”

To read how the brothers found the place, see who founded Cape Coral. For a wider look at the city today, see our Cape Coral area guide.

Cape Coral name FAQ

How did Cape Coral get its name?

The company that built the city, Gulf American, renamed Redfish Point as Cape Coral. The book says the name was chosen in Baltimore.

What was Cape Coral almost called?

The book lists Sapphire Shores, Palm Point and Caloosa Cove as names the founders considered.

Is Cape Coral related to Coral Gables?

No. Coral Gables is a separate city near Miami. The book says the founders worried the names sounded alike.

What is Redfish Point?

Redfish Point is the point of land on the Caloosahatchee River where Cape Coral was built. The Cape Coral Breeze says it was named for the redfish, snapper, tarpon and snook that drew fishermen.

Sources

• Cape Coral Breeze, From tribal lands to hunting and citrus farming, a city is born
• Cape Coral Breeze, Land that became Cape Coral was once wilderness
• Cape Coral Breeze, History of Cape Coral (2011)
• Wikipedia, Cape Coral, Florida
• Eileen Bernard, Lies That Came True (book)

Eileen Bernard worked in Gulf American’s publicity department, so her book is an insider’s account of Cape Coral’s early years. We use it alongside the other sources listed here.