 The origin of the term "Swamp Yankee" is unclear.The term "Yankee" originated in the mid-17th century, but the variation "Swamp Yankee" is not attested until the 20th century, according to .Several theories speculate that "Swamp Yankees" were the undesirable, trouble-making New Englanders who moved to the swamps of southeastern New England upon arriving in the New World in the 17th century.