A Continent Named for a Myth
The continent of Europe takes its name from Europa, a figure from Greek mythology. In the ancient stories, Europa was a beautiful princess from Phoenicia, a region on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Tale of Europa
According to the myth, the god Zeus fell in love with Europa. To approach her, he transformed himself into a magnificent, gentle white bull. When the curious princess climbed onto the bulls back, Zeus carried her across the sea to the island of Crete. The story was one of the most famous tales in Greek mythology, and Europas name lived on long after the legend itself.
From Legend to Geography
Ancient Greek writers began using the name Europe as a geographic term for the lands to their west and north. Over many centuries, the name spread until it described the entire continent we know today. So the name of one of the worlds great landmasses traces back not to a king or an explorer, but to a princess from an ancient myth.
Source
This article was written using information from Wikipedia.