Meaning father in Spanish, it was named after Father José Nicolás Ballí (c.1770-1829), who owned the island and served as a missionary priest and collector of finances for all the churches in the Rio Grande Valley.
Significa pai en español, foi chamada así por José Nicolás Ballí (c.1770-1829), que era dono da illa e desempeñouse como sacerdote misioneiro e coleccionista de finanzas para todas as igrexas no Val do Río Grande.