▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁Commun ip aw ▁and ▁H ars im us ▁to ▁the ▁south , ▁Hob oken ▁had ▁many ▁variations ▁in ▁the ▁fol ks - t ong ue . ▁Ho eb uck , ▁old ▁Dutch ▁for ▁high ▁bl uff ▁and ▁likely ▁referring ▁to ▁Castle ▁Point ▁( the ▁district ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁highest ▁above ▁sea ▁level ), ▁was ▁used ▁during ▁the ▁colonial ▁era ▁and ▁later ▁sp elled ▁as ▁Hob uck , ▁Hob ock , ▁Hob uk ▁and ▁Hob o ock en . ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁to ▁Hob oken , ▁influenced ▁by ▁F lem ish ▁Dutch ▁imm igr ants ▁and ▁a ▁folk ▁et ym ology ▁had ▁emer ged ▁linking ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Hob oken ▁to ▁the ▁similarly - named ▁Hob oken ▁district ▁of ▁Ant werp . ▁ ▁Today , ▁Hob oken ' s ▁uno fficial ▁nick name ▁is ▁the ▁" M ile ▁Square ▁City ", ▁but ▁it ▁actually ▁covers ▁about ▁ ▁of ▁land ▁and ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ ▁when ▁including ▁the ▁under - water ▁parts ▁in ▁the ▁Hudson ▁River . ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th / ear ly ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁the ▁population ▁and ▁culture ▁of ▁Hob oken ▁was ▁domin ated ▁by ▁German ▁language ▁speak ers ▁who ▁sometimes ▁called ▁it ▁" L ittle ▁Bre men ", ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁are ▁buried ▁in ▁Hob oken ▁C emetery , ▁North ▁Ber gen . ▁ ▁Early - Europe an ▁arrival ▁and ▁colonial ▁ ▁Hob oken ▁was ▁originally ▁an ▁island , ▁surrounded ▁by ▁the