New Rochelle (French: Nouvelle-Rochelle [la nuvɛl ʁoʃɛl]) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. The town was settled by refugee Huguenots (French Protestants) in 1688 who were fleeing Catholic pogroms in France. Many of the settlers were artisans and craftsmen from the city of La Rochelle, France, thus influencing the choice of the name of "New Rochelle". In 2007, the city had a population of 73,260, making it the seventh largest in the state of New York.