Antigua and Barbuda was named in honor of the Virgin of La Antigua.
Antigua and Barbuda . It consists of two major inhabited islands , Antigua and Barbuda , and a number of smaller islands ( including Great Bird , Green , Guinea , Long , Maiden and York Islands and further south , the island of Redonda ) . The country 's name was given by Christopher Columbus in 1493 after discovering the island , in honor of the Virgin of La Antigua in the Seville Cathedral .