According to Visit Sierra Leone, York is a Krio village comprised of various tribes. Krio is the most widely spoken language in Sierra Leone and is native to the Creoles, who were formerly enslaved, freed people from Britain, The United States, and the West Indies. Some say the village was named after York in the United Kingdom or the Duchess of York, who was rumored to stay in the community. Other historians say York comes from a Sherbro word that means “to carry people.” Those who were enslaved were kept in York during the slave trade.