annexed to the city. and in 1898 they decided that the two areas previously annexed should also become a borough. but what is it called since it never had a name before. they looked at the map and right smack in the middle of the territory ran the bronx river, so they named it after the river, the borough of the bronx, and that is why it is called the bronx, and not just plain "bronx." if you have a question about the bronx, chances are lloyd altan has the answer. born and raised here, he's never really left for over seven decades. this is a disappearing aspect of new york for sure.