The Boston accent is a local accent of Eastern New England English. It is spoken specifically in the city of Boston, its suburbs, and much of eastern Massachusetts. Eastern New England English also traditionally includes New Hampshire and Maine. The accent originated with the Puritans who came to the area from East Anglia in the 17th century. It was also influenced by 19th and 20th century immigrants from Ireland. This resulted in the distinct r-dropping (locally called "wicked natural") dialect found in modern costal Massachusetts.