aware ▁Metropolitan ▁Statist ical ▁Area . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁NR DC ▁awarded ▁De we y ▁Beach ▁with ▁a ▁ 5 - Star ▁rating ▁in ▁water ▁quality . ▁This ▁award ▁was ▁given ▁only ▁to ▁ 1 2 ▁other ▁locations , ▁one ▁being ▁neighbor ing ▁Re h ob oth ▁Beach . ▁Out ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 0 ▁states ▁with ▁coast line , ▁the ▁Del aware ▁Be aches ▁ranked ▁number ▁ 1 ▁in ▁water ▁quality ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁" Re h ob oth ▁City " ▁first ▁appeared ▁on ▁a ▁map ▁of ▁Lew es ▁Re h ob oth ▁H undred ▁in ▁Be er ' s ▁Atlas ▁of ▁Del aware . ▁It ▁is ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁De we y ▁Beach ▁following ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁Battle ▁of ▁Man illa ▁( Span ish – American ▁War ) ▁when ▁Admir al ▁George ▁De we y ▁became ▁a ▁national ▁hero . ▁De we y ▁Beach ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁Re h ob oth ▁Beach ▁Life - S aving ▁Station ▁( R BL SS ), ▁located ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁D ags worth y ▁Street , ▁was ▁commission ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 . ▁It ▁became ▁the ▁Re h ob oth ▁Beach ▁Coast ▁Guard ▁Station ▁( R BC GS ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁citizens ▁object ed ▁to