In the first grant of land in colonial days, Great Neck was called "Madnan's Neck." In 1630, it was given by King Charles I of England to William Thorne even though the Dutch were in actual possession of Long Island. In 1644, William Kieft, Governor of New Netherlands, granted a patent to the Town of Hempstead for all the lands of that town which then included Great Neck and all of North Hempstead. After the English took control, Governor-General Thomas Dongan in 1685 confirmed the patent. The charter for the Town of North Hempstead was granted by the colonial legislature during the American Revolution and then was validated by the New York State Constitution.

Great Neck Estates, the second oldest of the nine incorporated villages in Great Neck, was created in 1911. It had a President until 1926 and thereafter a Mayor and Board of Trustees.