The name "Falkland Islands" comes from Falkland Sound, the strait that separates the two main islands. [7] The name "Falkland" was applied to the channel by John Strong, captain of an English expedition that landed on the islands in 1690.Strong named the strait in honour of Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland, the Treasurer of the Navy who sponsored his journey. [8]