<P> In 1681 , in partial repayment of a debt , Charles II of England granted Penn a charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony . Despite the royal charter , Penn bought the land from the local Lenape to be on good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for his colony . Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tammany under an elm tree at Shackamaxon , in what is now the city 's Fishtown neighborhood . Penn named the city Philadelphia , which is Greek for brotherly love , derived from the Ancient Greek terms φίλος phílos ( beloved , dear ) and ἀδελφός adelphós ( brother , brotherly ) . As a Quaker , Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely . This tolerance , far more than afforded by most other colonies , led to better relations with the local native tribes and fostered Philadelphia 's rapid growth into America 's most important city . </P>
where did city of brotherly love come from
from the Ancient Greek terms φίλος phílos ( beloved , dear ) and ἀδελφός adelphós ( brother , brotherly )