A
Handbook for Californiacs

A Key to Meaning and Pronunciation
of
Spanish and Indian
Place Names

By
GERTRUDE MOTT
(Mrs. Frank K. Mott)

With Foreword
By
HERBERT E. BOLTON

Director of Bancroft Library
University of California

 

Harr Wagner Publishing Company
San Francisco, California
926

 

 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page
Foreword, by Dr. Herbert E. Bolton............ vii
Excerpt from “The Californiacs’......ccooeeevens ix
“Just California,” by John McGroarty.......... xi
Introduction 1
Derivation of name “California”......ccom....... 5
Excerpt from poem by Charles W. Stod-
dard 6
Counties of California... niin. 7
Excerpt “Heroes of America,” by Joaquin
Miller 13
Cities and Towns of California, pronuncia-
tion and derivation of those names of
Spanish and Indian origin.......occenee 14
“The Joy of the Hills,” poem by Edwin
Markham .. 73"
Mountains and Peaks bearing names of
Spanish or Indian origin..................... 74
“The Days of Forty-Nine,” poem by Joa-
quin Miller 77
Rivers bearing names of Spanish or Indian
origin 79

 
TABLE OF CONTENTS—Continued

 

 

Page

Hill Trails, by Harry Noyes Pratt... ...... 83
Lakes bearing names of Spanish or Indian

origin 84

Eacalypts, by Harry Noyes Puatt................ 85

Islands bearing names of Spanish or In-
dian origin 86

 

Excerpt from “Glorietta,” by S. H. M.
Byers 87

 

Capes with names of Spanish or Indian
origin 88

 

Poem, “Padre Junipero Serra,” by Clar-
ence Urmy .. 89

 

Spanish Missions of California, pronuncia-
tion, derivation, date of founding......... 90

Padres, Presidentes and Assistant Padres.. 95

Governors of California, Spanish, Mexi-

can, under ‘Military Bale... ............... 99
Famous Men of California History.............. 102
Bibliographical Note -.....cnieerile.- 104
FOREWORD

Spain effectively and permanently colonized
half of the Western Hemisphere. From Chili
to San Diego, and from Argentina to the Rio
Grande the civilization is still Spanish. In all
that vast region the language, the laws, and
the traditions of the dominant people are in-
herited from Spain.

Farther north, in Texas, New Mexico, Ari-
zona, and California, Spain’s hold was less
firm, for these provinces were mere outposts,
which in Spanish days never got beyond the
frontier stage. They were Borderlands, which
finally fell into the hands of the Anglo-
Americans. The real Spanish-America, then
as now, lay to the south of the Rio Grande.

But even in these Borderlands Spain left
a permanent impress. Not the least of her
contributions to California civilization are
the geographical and place names which she
spread so liberally over our map. These beau-
tiful names are one of California’s most dis-
tinctive historical and cultural treasures.

Unfortunately, many of these musical words
are badly mangled in the lips of our residents
and of visitors to our state, and their rich sig-

vii
nificance is lost to them through ignorance of
their historic or symbolic import. Realizing
this, and wishing to help those who care to
know, Mrs. Mott has prepared this guide to
the correct pronunciation and the meaning of
California geographical and place names of
Spanish origin.

In the list she has included, also, a few
names bequeathed to us by the oldest Cali-
fornians, the Indians.

Her aim is most praiseworthy. Her little
book should be found highly useful, and it
goes forth with my best wishes.

7

 

Director of the Bancroft Library,
University of California.

viii
“California, where everybody is born

beautiful and nobody grows old —

that California is populated mainly
with Califormiacs.”

BY
Inez Haynes Irwin

1X
 
JUST CALIFORNIA.

"Twixt the seas and the deserts,
"Twixt the wastes and the waves,

Between the sands of buried lands
The ocean’s coral caves,

It lies not East nor West
But like a scroll unfurled,

Where the hand of God hath flung it,
Down the middle of the world.

It lies where God hath spread it,
In the gladness of His eyes,
Like a flame of jeweled tapestry
Beneath his shining skies;
With the green of woven meadows,
And the hills, in golden chains,
The light of leaping rivers,
And the flash of poppied plains.

Days rise that gleam in glory,
Days die with sunset’s breeze,
While from Cathay, that was of old

Sail countless argosies;

Morn breaks again in splendor
O’er the giant new-born West,
But of all the lands God fashioned,

"Tis this land is the best.

x1
Sun and dews that kiss it,
Balmy winds that blow,

The stars in clustered diadems
Upon its peaks of snow;

The mighty mountains o'er it,
Below, the white seas swirled—

Just California stretching down
The middle of the world.

From *‘Songs Along the Way,”
By John S. McGroarty.

xii
Spanish and Indian Place Names: ~~ > 1 =

CALIFORNIA

A long time ago, in the year 1510, there was
published in Madrid, a Spanish romance of
early chivalry entitled “Las Sergas de Esplan-
dian,” “The Exploits of Esplandian,” by Or-
dofiez de Montalvo, in which is told of black
Amazons ruling an island of great beauty and
happiness, named “California,” situated “to
the right of the Indies, very near the quarter
of the terrestrial paradise,” that was the scene
of some of the marvelous exploits of Esplan-
dian, son of Amadis of Gaul.

To the popular mind of that day, therefore,
the name “California” spelled romance, beauty,
mystery, adventure; small wonder then that
this beloved state of ours on the border of the
western seas was so baptized, for the early
explorers, adventurers, soldiers and friars real-
ized that they had found a land rich with
loveliness, replete with romance and adven-
ture, teeming with wealth, sunshine, freedom
and physical well being. How fitting, then,
the romantic name of California.

The name was first applied to Lower Cali-
fornia, soon after its discovery by men sent
20 Spanish and Indian Place Names

out by Cortés in 1534. Upper California was
visited first by Juan Cabrillo, 1542-43. In
1579, Francis Drake visited the coast in his
famous voyage around the world, for which
he was knighted by the Virgin Queen. No
settlement was made until, in 1769, an expe-
dition of Spanish friars and soldiers from
Mexico, founded San Diego, its purposes be-
ing both occupation and settlement on the
one hand, and the propagation of Franciscan
missions on the other.

In 1776 the mission at San Francisco was
founded. A few foreigners, French, English
and American, touched upon the coast before
the close of the century. In 1812, the Rus-
sians, coming from what was then Russian
America, Alaska, founded on the northern
part of the coast, a small colony, which re-
mained until 1841.

In 1822, Mexican independence was pro-
claimed, allegiance was given to Mexico, and
the first provisional legislature was chosen;
but throughout the whole succeeding period
the subjugation of the province to the Mexi-
can government was often not more than
nominal.

The Californians resented all Mexican in-
terference, quarreled with the Mexican gov-
Spanish and Indian Place Names 3

ernors, and in 1836, by revolution, put them-
selves in a position of virtual independence,
under a California governor, Juan B. Alva-
rado.

In 1846, war began between United States
and Mexico; in July of that year, Commodore
Sloat, U. S. N., raised the American flag at
Monterey. In 1848, by the Treaty of Guada-
lupe Hidalgo, Mexico ceded California to the
United States.

These many years of Spanish and Mexican
occupation bestowed upon the counties, towns,
mountains, rivers, lakes, islands and missions
of California hundreds of Spanish names. In
the course of time the meaning of these names
has been forgotten, and the pronunciation cor-
rupted and changed. Therefore it is the mis-
sion of this little book to set forth the signifi-
cation and pronunciation of the names of
Spanish, Mexican and Indian origin. The
Mexican pronunciation of “c” and “z”, and
not the Castilian will be given, for it is the
Mexican which has become the accepted one
in our state.

In the list of the counties of California, the
name of the county will be given, followed
by the name of the county seat, the number
of square miles of the county, and finally, in
4 Spanish and Indian Place Names

those of Spanish origin, the pronunciation of
the name and its meaning.

The division of the syllables is not accord-
ing to the Spanish rules of syllabification but
according to the English sound.

The Indian names are pronounced accord-
ing to popular usage. The derivation or mean-
ing of many of the Indian names is obscure.

 
Spanish and Indian Place Names 5

CALIFORNIA—(Kah-lee-for’nee-ah)

Possible but very improbable sources of the

derivation of the name of “California.”

The name seems to be a bit of unsolved

ethnology.

I

Greek—‘‘kali,” beautiful.
Latin—"fornix,” vaulted arch.
Hence “beautiful, glorious heavens.”

Greek—‘kallos,” beauty.

Greek—‘“ornis,” bird.

Possibly because many griffins were aid
to be found on the island of “California”
ruled by the Amazons.

The name of “Califia” borne by Queen
Califia is entirely fictional according to
various authorities.

Latin—‘‘calida fornax,” hot furnace.

Catalan (language of Spanish province of
Catalonia) “californo,” hot baking oven.
6 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Dream of the splendid trappings of the troops
that met and mingled—

Mexican caballeros and hidalgos of old Cas-
tile;

Hark to the music of the spurs of silver that
jolted and jingled;

And loudly laugh, as the wine you quaff at
the past beyond appeal.

Charles Warren Stoddard.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 7

THE COUNTIES OF CALIFORNIA

Alameda; Oakland; 732 sq. mi.; (ah-lah-may’
dah) a grove of poplar trees, public walk, a
shaded walk, a mall.

Alpine; Markleeville; 776 sq. mi.;

Amador; Jackson; 601 sq. mi.; (ah-mah-dor’)
lover, sweetheart, suitor; after Pedro Ama-
dor, one of Portola’s followers.

Butte; Oroville; 1698 sq. mi.; (bute) French
for “small knoll.”

Calaveras; San Andreas; 1027 sq. mi.; (cah-
lah-vay’rahs) skull, mad cap, hot-brained
fellow.

Colusa; Colusa; 1140 sq. mi.; (Ko-loo’sah)
Indian tribal name.

Contra Costa; Martinez; 714 sq. mi.; (con’-
trah), across, opposite; against; (cos’tah),
coast). Hence a coast opposite to another.

Del Norte; Crescent City; 1024 sq. mi.; (dell
nor’tay) of the north.

Eldorado; Placerville; 1737 sq. mi.; (el, the;
doh-rah’doh), the gilded one.

Fresno; Fresno; 5950 sq. mi.; (frays’noh) ash
tree.

Glenn; Willows; 1337 sq. mi.; after Hugh J.
Glenn, prominent resident.
8 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Humboldt; Eureka; 3575 sq. mi.; after geog-
rapher Baron von Humboldt.

Inyo; Independence; 9991 sq. mi.; (in’yo) In-
dian tribe.

Kern; Bakersfield; 8003 sq. mi.; after three
brothers of that name.

Kings; Hanford; 1150 sq. mi.; Anglicized cor-
ruption of El Rio de los Santos Reyes—
the River of the Holy Kings.

Lake; Lakeport; 1238 sq. mi.

Lassen; Susanville; 4531 sq. mi; after Peter
Lassen, a very brave pioneer who aided in
the development of California.

Los Angeles; Los Angeles; 4115 sq. mi.; (los
ong’hell-ess) the angels.

Madera; Madera; 2112 sq. mi.; (mah-day’rah)
wood, timber, lumber.

Marin; San Rafael; 529 sq. mi.; (mah-reen’)
is from “marina,” shore, sea-coast, marine.
or from “marinero,” sailor. More probably
after the celebrated Indian chief of the Lik-
atuit tribe.

Mariposa; Mariposa; 1463 sq. mi.; (mah-ree-
poh’sah) butterfly.

Mendocino; Ukiah; 3539 sq. mi.; (men-do-
see’no), named for Antonio de Mendoza,
first viceroy of New Spain.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 9

Merced; Merced; 1995 sq. mi.; (mare-sed”)
mercy, grace.

Modoc; Alturas; 3823 sq. mi.; (mo’dock) In-
dian tribe. Indian word which may possibly
mean “stranger,” or “southerners.”

Mono; Bridgeport; 3030 sq. mi.; (moh’noh)
monkey, ape; also Indian tribe.

Monterey; Salinas; 3330 sq. mi.; (mun-tay-
ray’) monte, mountain; rey, king; hence
the king’s mountain. Probably named for
the Conde de Monterey, viceroy of Mexico,
1596, who gave Viscaino permission to sail
to California.

Napa; Napa; 783 sq. mi.; (nah’pah) name of
Indian tribe. Indian term for “house,”
“city.”

Nevada; Nevada City; 974 sq. mi.; (nay-vah’
dah) white as snow.

Orange; Santa Ana; 795 sq. mi.

Placer; Auburn; 1411 sq. mi.; (plah’sare) a
sand bank: a place where gold is obtained
by washing.

Plumas; Quincy; 2593 sq. mi.; (ploo’mahs)
feathers, quills, plumes, pens.

Riverside; Riverside; 7223 sq. mi.

Sacramento; Sacramento; 983 sq. mi.; (sahk-
rah-mane’toh) sacrament; a sacred thing,
10 Spanish and Indian Place Names

San Benito; Hollister; 1392 sq. mi.; (sahn)
saint; (bay-nee’toh) Benedict.

San Bernardino; San Bernardino; 20,175 sq.
mi.; (sahn) saint; (bare-narr-dee’noh) Ber-
nard. :

San Diego; San Diego; 4221 sq. mi.; (sahn)
saint; (Dee-a’go) James.

San Francisco; San Francisco; 42 sq. mi.;
(sahn) saint; (Frahn-cees’ko) Francis.
San Joaquin; Stockton; 1448 sq. mi.; (sahn)

saint; (Ho-ah-keen’) Joachim.

San Luis Obispo; San Luis Obispo; 3334 sq.
mi.; (sahn) saint; (Loo-ées) Louis; (o-bees’
po) bishop.

San Mateo; Redwood City; 447 sq. mi.;
(sahn) saint; (Mah-tay’o) Matthew.

Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara; 2740 sq. mi.;
(sahn’tah) saint; (Bar’bar-ra) Barbara.

Santa Clara; San Jose; 1328 sq. mi.; (sahn’
tah) saint; (Clah’rah) Clara.

Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz; 435 sq. mi.; (sahn’
tah) saint or holy; (kroos) cross; hence
Holy Cross.

Shasta; Redding; 3858 sq. mi.; (shahs’tah)
group of Indian tribes, from Shastika, Saste.

Sierra; Downieville; 923 sq. mi.; (see-air’rah)
ridge of mountains.

Siskiyou; Yreka; (sis-kee-you’) Indian word
for bob-tailed horse lost in the hills.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 11

Solano; Fairfield; 822 sq. mi.; (soh-lah’noh)
Indian chief; also after Francisco Solano,
celebrated missionary.

Scnoma; Santa Rosa; 1582 sq. mi.; (soh-noh’
mah) Indian word “tso-noma”; tso, earth;
noma, village. Hence, an earthen village;
chief “Chocuyens”, signifying Valley of the
Moon, bestowed the name.

Stanislaus; Modesto; 1450 sq. mi.; (stahn-iss-
loss’) resident family.

Sutter; Yuba City; 608 sq. mi.; after Col,
John Sutter, upon whose land the first gold

in California was discovered by John Mar-
shall.

Tehama; Red Bluff; 2925 sq. mi.; (tay-hah’
mah) Indian tribe, name signifies ‘high
water.”

Trinity; Weaverville; 3096 sq. mi.

Tulare; Visalia; 4856 sq. mi.; (too-lar’aye)
tule: a Mexican name for a species of bull
rushes growing abundantly on overflowed
lands, especially in California, at the junc-
tion of the Sacramento and San Joaquin
rivers. Hence a place where the tules are
thick.

Tuolumne; Sonora; 2190 sq. mi.; (too-ol’um-
ne) Indian for “people of the stone huts.”
12 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Ventura; Ventura; 1878 sq. mi.; (vahn-too’
rah) luck, fortune, hazard, chance.

Yolo; Woodland; 1014 sq. mi.; (yo’loh) name
of Patwin Indian tribe; Indian word signi-
fying place “abounding with rushes.”

Yuba; Marysville; 632 sq. mi.; (you’bah)
name of Maidu Indian tribe; also may be
derived from the Spanish “el rio de las
uvas,” the river of grapes.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 13

THE HEROES OF AMERICA
By Joaquin Miller

What strong uncommon men were these,
These settlers hewing to the seas!
Great horny-handed men and tan;
Men blown from many a barren land
Beyond the sea; men red of hand,
And men in love, and men in debt,
Like David’s men in battle set;

And men whose very hearts had died,
And only sought these woods to hide
Their wretchedness, held in the van;
Yet every man among them stood
Alone, along that sounding wood,
And every man somehow a man.
They pushed the mailéd wood aside,
They tossed the forest like a toy,
What grand, forgotten race of men—
The boldest race that yet has been
Together since the siege of Troy.
14 Spanish and Indian Place Names

CITIES AND TOWNS

Name of town; county; pronunciation; sig-
nification of name.

Abalone Point; Monterey; (ah-bah-loh’nay)
great sea snail.

Acampo; San Joaquin; (ah-kahm’poh) com-
mon; pasture.

Acelga; Orange; (ah-sell’gah); salt wort.

Acolita; Imperial; (ah-koh-lee’tah) acolyte,
assistant.

Adelaida; San Luis Obispo; (ah-day-lah-ee’
dah) Adelaide.

Adelanto; San Bernardino; (ah-day-lahn’toh)
advance, progress.

Adios; Kern; (ah-dee-ohs’) good-bye, adieu;
“a’-to; “Dios”’-God.

Adobe; Tulare; (ah-doh’bay) unburnt brick
dried in the sun.

Aero; Los Angeles; (ah-air’roh) aerial.

Agenda; Monterey; (ah-hen’dah) note-book,
memorandum.

Agricola; Santa Barbara; (ah-gree’koh-lah)
agriculturist, farmer.

Agua Caliente; Sonoma; (ahg’wah kah-lee-
en’tay) agua, water; caliente, hot.

Ahwahnee; Yosemite Valley; (ah-wah’nee)
Indian name for “deep, grassy valley.”
Spanish and Indian Place Names 15

Alamitos; Santa Clara; (ah-lah-mee’tohs)
alamo, poplar tree; “itos,” diminutive, sig-
nifying “small.”

Alamo; Contra Costa; (ah’lah-moh) poplar
tree, California cottonwood tree.

Alcalde; Fresno; (ahl-cahl’day) mayor, jus-
tice of the peace.

Alcatraz; San Francisco; (ahl’kah-trahs) peli-
can.

Alessandro; Riverside; (ah-less-ahn’droh) Al-
exander.

Algodon; Yuba; (ahl-go-dohn”) cotton.

Alhambra; Los Angeles; (ahl-hahm’brah) the
fortress palace of the Moorish kings at
Granada, Spain.

Alicia; Yuba; (ah-lee’see-ah) Alice.

Alla; Los Angeles; (ahl-yah’) there; or the
name Alla (ahl’lah).

Alma; Santa Clara; (ahl’mah) soul, spirit,
mind.

Almaden; Santa Clara; (ahl-mah-dane’) mine
or mineral. Famous Spanish mine.

Almendra; Sutter; (ahl-mehn’drah) almond.

Almonte; Marin; (ahl-mohn’tay) al, to the;
monte, mountain,

Alta; Placer; (ahl’tah) high, elevated.
Altadena; Los Angeles; (ahl-tah-day’nah)
crown of the height.
16 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Alta Loma; San Bernardino; (ahl’tah loh’
mah) high hill.

Alta Mar; Orange; (ahl’tah mah’) high sea.

Alta Mesa; Santa Clara; (ahl’tah may’sah)
high tableland.

Altamont; Alameda; (ahl’tah-mont) high
mountain.

Altaville; Calaveras; (ahl’tah-veel’) corrup-
tion of Alta Villa, high or elevated city.
Alto; Marin; (ahl’toh) high. Singular, mas-

culine.

Altos; Sacramento; (ahl’tohs) high. Plural,
masculine.

Alturas; Modoc; (ahl-tooh’rahs) heights. The
heavens.

Alvarado; Riverside; (ahl-vah-rah’doh) named
for Juan J. Alvarado, one of the Mexican
Governors, 1836-42.

Alviso; Santa Clara; (ahl-vee’soh) named for
Don Francisco Alviso, early Spanish sett-
ler; family name. Signifies “to the view.”

Amador; Amador; (ah-mah-dohr’) lover,
sweetheart, suitor; after Pedro Amador,
one of Portola’s followers.

Amargo; San Bernardino; (ah-mahr’goh) bit-
er.

Andrade; Imperial; (ahn-drah’day) family
name.

Anita; Butte; (ah-nee’tah) little Anna.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 17

Antonio; Los Angeles; (ahn-ton’e-oh) An-
thony.

Aptos; Santa Cruz; (ahp’toss) Indian word
signifying the meeting of two streams, or
plural of Spanish “apto”, skillful.

Aqua; San Mateo; (ah’quah) water, from the
Latin.

Arena; Merced; (ah-ray’nah) sand.

Argos; San Bernardino; (ahr’gohs) the myth-
ological Argos.

Arguello; Santa Barbara; (ahr-goo-ayl’yo)
family name signifying the lack of health.
Jose Arguello, Spanish Governor, 1814-15.

Arimo; San Bernardino; (ah-ree’moh) sur-
name.

Armada; Riverside; (ahr-mah’dah) fleet,
squadron, navy.

Armona; Kings; (ahr-moh’nah) feminine form
of limber, agile.

Aromas; San Benito; (ahr-rohm’ahs) odors,
aromas.

Arriba; Los Angeles; (ahr-ree’bah) up, above,
high up.

Arroya Grande; San Luis Obispo; (ahr-roy’
yo grahn’day) arroyo, rivulet or dry gulley;
grande, large.

Asilomar; Monterey; (ah-secl’o-mah) asilo,
refuge; mar, sea; hence, a shelter by the
sea.
18 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Asfalto; Kern; (ahs-fahl’to) asphalt.

Aspara; Imperial; (ahs’pahr-rah) probably a
corruption of “aspera”, harsh, rugged.

Asuncion; San Luis Obispo; (ah-soon-see-
yohn’) assumption, ascension, ascent. Per-
sonal name.

Atascadero; San Luis Obispo; (ah-tahs-kah-
dare’oh) deep, miry place.

Avalon; Los Angeles; (ah-vah-lohn’) avalo,
earthquake; avalon, great earthquake; or
after a town in France.

Avena; San Joaquin; (ah-vay’nah) oats. .

Avila; San Luis Obispo; (ah’vee-lah) sur-
name. Gil Gonzales de Avila, Spanish his-
torian.

Avocado; Fresno; (ah-voh-cah’dah) alligator
pear. :

Azule; Santa Clara; (ah-zoo’lay) blue.

Azusa; Los Angeles; (ah-zoo’sah) Indian
name of a rancheria.

B.

Balboa; Orange; (bahl-boh’ah) Vasco Nufiez
de Balboa, Spanish adventurer and dis-
coverer of the Pacific Ocean.

Bandini; Los Angeles; (bahn-dee’nee) sur-
name.

Basta; Orange; (bahs’tah) enough, stop.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 19

Bellota; San Joaquin; (bell-yoh’tah) acorn.

Benicia; Solano; (bay-nee’see-ah) named for
General Vallejo’'s wife.

‘Bernardo; San Diego; (bare-nahr’doh) Ber-
nard.

Berenda; Madera; misspelling of Berrendo;
(bare-en’dah) antelope.

Berros; San Luis Obispo; (bare’rohs) water
cresses.

Berryessa; Santa Clara; (ber-ree-ess’ah).
Named for one of General Vallejo’s aides.

Blanco; Monterey and Tulare; (blahn’koh)
white.

Blavo; Butte; : (blah’voh) yellowish grey and
reddish color.

Boca; Nevada; (boh’cah) mouth.

Bodega; Sonoma; (boh-day’gah) wine vault,
storehouse; named for Juan de la Bodega,
Captain of Schooner “Sonora”, 1775.

Bolinas; Marin; (boh-lee’nahs) corruption of
baulines, Spanish for “whale.”

Bolo; San Bernardino; (boh’loh) large knife.

Bolsa; Orange; (bol’sah) purse.

Bonita; Alameda; San Diego; (bo-nee’tah)
pretiy.

Brazos; Napa; (brah’zohs) arms.

Brea; Orange; (bray’ah) pitch, tar.

Bretona; Yolo; (bray-toh’nah) British wo-
man. Corruption of “Bretofia”.
20 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Buena; San Diego; (boo-ane’ah) good.

Buena Vista; Amador; Monterey; Sonoma;
(boo-ane’ah vees’tah) good view.

Buenos Aires; Los Angeles; (boo-ane’ohs
i’ress) good, fine air.

C.

Cabazon; Riverside; (kah-bah-sohn’) corrup-
tion of Cabezon—big head.

Cabrilla; Los Angeles; (kah-breel’ya) little
goat.

Cadiz; San Bernardino; (kah’dees) city of
Cadiz, Spain.

Cahto; Mendocino; (kah’toh) Indian word
for fish.

Cahuenga; Los Angeles; (kah-hoo-en’gah).
Indian name; here, January 12, 1847, Gov-
ernor Pico signed the papers giving United
States possession of California.

Cahuilla; Riverside; (kah-wee’yah); name in
Indian tribe for “master”.

Cajon; San Bernardino; (kah-hohn”) box,
chest.

Calabasas; Los Angeles; (kah-lah-bah’sas)
pumpkins.

Calada; San Bernardino; (kah-lah’dah) soak-
ing.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 21

Calaveras; San Joaquin; (kah-lah-vare’ahs)
skulls.

Caldor; Eldorado; (kahl-dor’) probably meant
for caldo, broth, soup.

Calexico; Imperial; (kahl-lex’ee-koh) fusion
of the names California and Mexico.

Caliente; Kern; (kah-lee-en’tay) hot.

Califa; Madera; (kah-lee’fah) caliph.

Calindo; Contra Costa; (kah-leen’doh) prob-
ably corruption of Calinda, a creole dance,
or of Galindo, a family name.

Calipatria; Imperial; (kah-lee-pah’tree-ah)
fabricated name, of California and “patria”,
native country.

Calistoga; Napa; (kah-lees-toh’gah) hybrid
name, fusion of California and Saratoga.
Calneva; Lassen; (kahl-nay’vah) hybrid of

California and Nevada.

Calor; Siskiyou; (kah-lore’) heat; fusion of
California and Oregon.

Calpella; Mendocino; (kahl-pell’ah) name of
Indian chief.

Calvada; Sierra; (kahl-vah’dah) hybrid of
California and Nevada.

Calzona; San Bernardino; (kahl-zone’ah)
hybrid of California and Arizona.

Camanche; Calaveras; (kah-mahn’chee) Co-
manche tribe of Indians,
22 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Camarillo; Ventura; (kah-mah-reel’yo) prob-
ably corruption of ‘“camarilla”, coterie of
private advisers to the king; coterie of in-
fluential persons. Possibly also “small
room”.

Cambio; Kern; (kahm’bee-oh) exchange,
change, giving or taking bills of exchange.

Camino; Eldorado; (kah-mee’noh) highroad,
way, passage.

Campo; San Diego; (kahm’poh) country,
tract of flat and even country.

Campo Seco; Calaveras; (kahm’poh say’koh)
campo, land; seco, dry.

Camulos; San Diego; (kah-moo’lohs) Indian
word for “my fruit”.

Capay; Yolo; (kah-pay’) Indian word of un-
known meaning, possibly “stream”.

Cana; Butte; (kah’nah) grey hair; long
measure, about two ells.

Cando; Fresno; (kahn’doh) family name.

Cantara; Siskiyou; (kahn’tah-rah) large, nar-
row-mouthed pitcher.

Cantil; Kern; (kahn-teel’) steep rock.

Canyon; Contra Costa; (kahn-yohn”) cafion,
gorge, ravine.

Capitan; Santa Barbara;; (kah-pee-tahn’)
captain, leader.

Capitola; Santa Cruz; (kah-pee-to’lah) hybrid
word.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 23

Carbona; San Joaquin; (kah-boh’nah) char-
coal.

Carlotta; Humboldt; (kahr-loh’tah) Charlotte.

Carmel; Monterey; (kahr-male’) derivative of
Carmelita, a religious order, or “flower of
the great Indian cress”.

Carnardero; Santa Clara; (kahr-nahr-dare’oh)
slaughtering place; bait maker; possibly a
sheep owner.

Carneros; Napa; (kahr-nare’ohs) sheep.

Carpinteria; Santa Barbara; (kahr-peen-tah-
ree’ah) carpenter shop.

Carreaga; Santa Barbara; (kahr-ray-ah’gah)
family name.

Carriso Gorge; San Diego; (kah-ree’soh)
corruption of “carrizo”, reed grass.

Cartago; Inyo; (kahr’tah-goh) Carthage.

Casaba; Imperial; (kah-sah’bah) from “casa-
be”, the cassava plant.

Casa Blanca; Riverside; (kah’sah blahn’kah)
casa, house; blanca, white.

Casa Loma; San Bernardino; (kah’sah loh’
mah) casa, house; loma, hill; hence, house
on the hill.

Cascada; Fresno; (kahs-kah’dah) cascade,
waterfall.

Casino; Santa Cruz; (kah-see’noh) public re-
sort, dancing hall.

Casitas; Ventura; (kah-see’tahs) little houses.
24 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Castaic; Santa Clara; (kahs-tah-eek) Indian
word.

Castro; Santa Clara; (kahs’troh) game played
by boys; family name. After General José
Castro, Mexican Governor of California,
1835.

Castroville; Monterey; (kahs’troh-veel) ville,
city. City of the Castro family.

Catalina; Los Angeles; (kah-tah-lee’nah)
Catherine.

Cayucos; San Luis Obispo; (kai-u’-kohs)
small fishing boat used in Venezuela.

Cazadero; Sonoma; (kah-zah-dare’oh) hunt-
ing grounds, the chase.

Centinela; Los Angeles; (sen-tee-nay’lah)
sentinel or sentry.

Cerrito; Alameda; (sair-ree’toh) small hill.

Cerro; Marin; (sair’roh) hill.

Chico; Butte; (chee’koh) small. After Gen-
eral Mariano Chico, Governor, 1836.

Chileno; Marin; (chee-lay’noh) a Chilean.

Chiles; Napa; (chee’lays) red peppers.

Chino; San Bernardino; (chee’noh) belonging
to China.

Chiquita; Sonoma; (chee-kee’tah) very small.

Cholame; San Luis Obispo; (cho-lah’may)
name of Indian tribe, or rancheria.

Chollas; San Diego; (tchoh’yahs) skulls,
Spanish and Indian Place Names 25

Chorro; San Luis Obispo; (tchoh’roh) jet,
spurt, stream.

Chowchilla; San Joaquin; (chow-chill-ah) In-
dian tribe; from ‘“chauchilla’; murderers,
from “tandja” to kill. A very warlike people.

“Chualar; Monterey; (choo-ah-lar’) spot
abounding in pig weed.

Chula Vista; San Diego; (choo’lah) pretty,
attractive view. Vista (vees’tah) view.
Cienega; Los Angeles; (see-en’a-gah) prob-
ably corruption of *“cienaga’, marsh or

moor.

Cima; San Bernardino; (see’mah) summit,
crest.

Cinco; Kern; (seen’koh) five.

Cisco; Placer; (sees’koh) Algonquin Indian
word meaning fish; also may signify coal
dust.

Colima; Los Angeles; (koh-leemah) state of
Colima in Mexico.

Coloma; Eldorado; (koh-loh’mah) Koloma
tribe of Indians.

Colorado; Imperial; (koh-loh-rah’doh) red.

Colusa; Colusa; (koh-loo’sah) Indian tribal
name.

Cometa; San Joaquin; (koh-may’tah) comet.

Como; Orange; (koh’moh) how? or after the
lake of Como, Switzerland.
26 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Concepcion; Santa Barbara; (kohn-sep-see-
yohn’) conception; also personal name.

Conejo; Fresno; (koh-nay’hoh) rabbit.

Contra Costa; Contra Costa; (kon’trah kos’-
tah) contra, across, opposite, against; costa,
coast. Hence, a coast opposite to another.

Cordero; Orange; (kor-dare’oh) lamb.

Cordorniz; Orange; (korr-dorr-nees”) corrup-
tion of codorniz, a quail.

Cordova; Glenn; (korr’doh-vah) after Cor-
dova in Spain.

Corona; Riverside and Sonoma; (ko-rroh’nah)
crown, diadem.

Coronado; San Diego; (ko-rroh-nah’doh)
crowned; named for the famous explorer
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado.

Corral de Tierra; Monterey; (kor-rahl’” day
tee-air’rah) earthen enclosure for cattle.
Corralitos; Santa Cruz; (kor-rahl-ee’tohs) lit-

tle corrals or enclosures for cattle.

Corte Madera; Marin; (korr’tay mah-dare’ah)
wooded spot with felled trees.

Cortez; Los Angeles; (korr’tayss) Hernando
Cortez, Spanish conqueror of Mexico.

Costa Mesa; Orange; (kohs’tah may’sah)
level land along the coast.

Cosumne; Sacramento; Indian word for sal-
mon ; (koh-soom’ne).
Spanish and Indian Place Names 27

Cota; Los Angeles; (koh’tah) coat of mail;
quota, share.

Cotati; Sonoma; (koh-tah’tee) former Indian
village.
Coyote; Santa Clara; (koh-yoh’tay) the prai-
rie wolf; from the Aztec word “coyotl”.
Cresta; Butte; (kress’tah) brow or summit of
a lofty mountain.

Cristo; Santa Cruz; (krees’toh) Christ.

Crucero; San Bernardino; (kroo-sair’roh)
cross-bearer in a procession.

Cuando; Kern; (koo-ahn’doh) when?

Cucamonga; San Bernardino; (koo-kah-mohn’
gah) Indian place name.

Cuerna; Los Angeles; (koo-air’nah) stag or
deer horns.

Cuesta; San Luis Obispo; (koo-ess’tah) hill,
slope, grade.

Cuyamaca; San Diego; (koo-yah-mah’kah)
Indian word meaning “meeting of the
winds”.

D

Dehesa; San Diego; (day-hay’sah) pasture
ground.

Del Amo; Los Angeles; (dale ah’moh) del,
of the; amo, master, lord, proprietor.

Delano; Kern; (day-lah’noh) de, of; lano,
wool. Family name.
28 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Del Mar; Los Angeles; (dale mahr’) del, of
the; mar, sea.

Del Monte; Monterey; (dale mon’tay) del, of
the; monte, mountain.

Del Paso; Sacramento; (dale pah’soh) del, of
the; paso, pass, passage.

Delpiedra; Fresno; (dale-pee-a’drah) del, of
the; piedra, stone.

Del Rey; Fresno; (dale ray’) del, of the; rey,
king.

Del Rio; Sacramento; (dale ree’oh) del, of
the; rio, river.

Del Rosa; San Bernardino; (dale roh’sah)
del, of the; rosa, rose.

Del Sur; Los Angeles; (dale soor’) del, of
the; sur, south.

Delta; Los Angeles; (dale’tah) triangular
island at the mouth of certain rivers.

De Luz; San Diego; (day-loos’) de, of; luz.
light. 3

Del Valle; Los Angeles; (dale vahl’ye) del,
of the; valle, valley.

Descanso; San Diego; (days-kahn’soh) rest.

Diablo; Contra Costa; (dee-ah’blow) devil.

Diaz; Inyo; (dee’ass) named for Porfirio
Diaz, former President of Mexico.

Dirigo; Shasta; (dee-ree’goh) a straight
drive.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 29

Dolores; Los Angeles; (doh-lohr’ess) pains,
sorrows. Female name.

Dominguez; Los Angeles; (doh-meen’gwess)
family name.

Domino; Kern; (doh’mee-noh) game of dom-
inoes; a hooded garment.

Dos Cabezas; San Diego; (dohs kah-bay’
sahs) two heads.

Dos Palos; Merced; (dohs pah’lohs) two
sticks, trees or timbers.

Dos Rios; Mendocino; (dohs ree’ohs) two
rivers.

Duarte; Los Angeles; (doo-ahr’tay) surname.

Duena; Orange; (doo-ayn’yah) duenna, chap-
erone, married woman, proprietress.

Dulzura; San Diego; (dool-soo’rah) sweet-
ness, gentleness.

Durmid; Riverside; (duur-meed’) imperative
form for “sleep ye!”

E.
El Cajon; San Diego; (ayl kah-hone’) el, the;
cajon, box or chest.
El Centro; Imperial; (ayl sen’troh) el, the;
centro, center.
El Casco; Riverside; (ayl kahs’koh) skull,
potsherd.
30 Spanish and Indian Place Names

El Cerrito; Contra Costa; (ayl sare-ree’toh)
el, the; cerrito, little hill.

Chualar; Monterey; (chew-ah-lahr’) chual,
wild plant, pig weed; chualar, spot abound-
ing in chual.

El Dorado; Calaveras; (ayl doh-rah’doh) el,
the; dorado, gilded.

Elena; Shasta; (a-lay’nah) Ellen.

El Granada; San Mateo; (ayl grah’nah-dah)
el, the; granada, pomegranate.

El Modeno; Orange; (ayl moh-day’noh) el,
the; modeno, man from Modena, Italy.

“El Molino; Los Angeles; (ayl moh-lee’noh)
el, the; molino; mill.

El Monte; Los Angeles; (ayl mohn’tay) el,
the ; monte, mountain.

El Moro; Orange; (ayl moh’roh) el, the;
moro, Moor.

El Nido; Merced; (ayl nee’doh) el, the; nido,
nest.

El Nogal; Los Angeles; (ayl noh-gahl’) el,
the; nogal, walnut tree.

El Pinal; San Joaquin; (ayl pee-nahl’) el.
the; pinal, grove of pine trees.

El Portal; Mariposa; (ayl por-tahl’) el, the;
portal, porch, entrance, towngate, portico.

El Porto; Los Angeles; (ayl por’toh) el, the;
porto, port wine.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 31

El Poso; Los Angeles; (ayl poh’soh) el, the;
poso, probably corruption of pozo, well,
whirlpool.

El Prado; Fresno; (ay! prahvdoh) el, the;
prado, field, pasture.

El Ranchito; Los Angeles; (ayl rahn-cheet’-
oh) el, the; ranchito, little farm or ranch.

El Reposa; Stanislaus; (ayl ray-poh’sah) el,
the; reposa, rest, repose.

El Rico; Tuolumne; (ayl ree’koh) el, the;
rico, rich man.

El Rincon; Los Angeles; (ayl reen-kohn’) el,
the; rincon, corner, angle, nook.

El Rio; Ventura; (ayl ree’oh) el, the; rio,
river.

El Roble; Mendocino; (ayl roh’blay) el,
the; roble, oak tree.

El Segundo; Los Angeles; (ayl say-goon’doh)
el, the; segundo, second.

El Sereno; Los Angeles; (ayl say-ray’noh)
el, the; sereno, night watchman; also calm,
quiet, serene. :

El Tejon; Kern; (ayl tay-hone’) el, the;
tejon, badger.

El Toro; Orange; (ayl toh’roh) el, the; toro,
bull.

El Venado; Los Angeles; (ayl vay-nah’doh)
el, the; venado, deer, stag, venison.
32 Spanish and Indian Place Names

El Verano; Sonoma; (ayl vay-rahr’noh)
el, the; verano, summer.

Encanto; San Diego; (en-kahn’toh) enchant-
ment, charm, spell.

En Cima; Mendocino; (en-see’mah) en, in,
on; cima, summit.

Encinal; Sutter; (en-see-nahl’) grove of oak
trees.

Encinitas; San Diego; (en-see-nee’tahs) little
oak trees.

Escalon; San Joaquin; (ess-kah-lone’) step-
ping stone; step of a stair.

Escondido; San Diego; (ess-kohn-dee’doh)
concealed, hidden.

Escuelda; San Bernardino; (ess-koo-el’dah)
probably corruption of escuela, school.

Esmeralda; Sutter; (ess-mah-rahl’dah) em-
erald.

Esparto; Yolo; (ess-pahrr’toh) feather grass.

Esperanza; Orange; (ess-pare-ahn’zah) hope.

Espinosa; Monterey; (ess-pee-noh’sah) spiny,
thorny. Family name.

Estrada; Monterey; (ess-trah’dah) family
name.

Estrella; San Luis Obispo; (ess-trale’yah)
star.

Estudillo; Alameda; (ess-too-deel’yoh) family
name.

Etiwanda; San Bernardino; (et-tee-whan’dah)
Indian chief.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 23

F

Falda; San Diego; (fahl’dah) skirt.

Felice; Sonoma; (fay-lee’tchay) happy. Ital-
ian word.

Fleta; Kern; (flay’tah) probably corruption
of flete, freight.

Florencita; Los Angeles; (floor-en-see’tah)
little flower; corruption of florecita.

Fontana; San Bernardino; (fun-tah’nah)
fountain.

Fortuna; Humboldt; (for-too’nah) fortune,
fate, chance.

Fresno; Fresno; (frase’noh) ash tree.

Fruta; Tulare; (froo’tah) fruit,

Fruto; Glenn (froo’toh) fruit.

G.

Galindo; Contra Costa; (gah-leen’doh) family
name.

Gallina; Los Angeles; (gahl-ye’nah) hen.

Gallinas; Marin; (gahl-ye’nahs) hens.

Gamboa Point; Monterey; (gahm-bo’ah) fam-
ily name.

Garcia; Marin; (garr-see’ah) family name.
Early Spanish settler.

Garvanza; [.os Angeles; (garr-vahn’zah) chick
pea. Corruption of “garvanzo”.

Gato; Santa Barbara; (gah’toh) cat.
34 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Gaviota; Santa Barbara; (gah-vee-oh’tah) sea
gull.

Glorietta; Fresno; (glor-e-ate’ah) summer-
house, bower, arbor.

Goleta; Santa Barbara; (go-lay’tah) schooner.

Gomez; Sutter; (go’mace) family name.

Gonzales; Monterey; (gun-zah’lays) family
name.

Graciosa; Santa Barbara; (grah-see-oh’sah)
graceful, pleasing.

Granada; Los Angeles; (grah’nah-dah) pome-
granate.

Guadalupe; Santa Barbara; (gwa-dah-loo’pay)
female name.

Gualala; Mendocino; (Gwa-lah’lah) Indian
name for the meeting place of many waters.

Guilicos; Sonoma; (gwee’lee-kos) Indian
tribe.

Guinda; Yolo; (geen’dah) fruit of the wild
cherry.

H
Hacienda Park; Los Angeles; (ah-see-en’dah)
plantation, estate, landed property.
Helena; Trinity; (a-lay’nah) Helen.
Hermanos; Riverside; (air-mahn’ohs) broth-
ers.

Hermosa Beach; Los Angeles; (air-moh’sah)
handsome.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 35

Hermosillo; Los Angeles; (air-moh-seel’yo)
city in Mexico.

Hernandez; San Benito; (air-nahn’dess) fam-
ily name.

Hetch Hetchy; Tuolumne; (hetch het’chee)
Indian word for a kind of grass.

Honcut; Butte; (on’kut) tribe of Maidu In-
dians.

Honda; Santa Barbara; (ohn’dah) deep (fem-
inine).

Hondo; Los Angeles; (ohn’doh) deep (mas-
culine).

Hoopa; Humboldt; (hoop’ah) named for
Hupa Indians.

Huasna; San Luis Obispo; (hoo-ahs’noh)
former Indian village.

Hueneme; Ventura; (who-en’a-may) former
Chumash Indian village; “house by the

2”

sea’.

Huron; Fresno; (hew-ron’) one of the Iro-
quois tribes, signifying “rough hair”.

Hyampom; Trinity; (he-ahm’pom) Indian
name.

I.

Iaqua; Humboldt; (e-yah’quah) Indian salu-
tation.

Ignacio; Marin; (eg-nah’see-oh) Ignatius.

Inca; Riverside; (een’kah) inca—Indian of
Pern.
36 Spanish and Indian Place Names
Indio; Riverside; (een’dee-oh) Indian.

J

Jacinto; Glenn; (hah-seen’toh) hyacinth.

Jacumba; San Diego; (ha-coom’bah) hut by
the water.

Jamacha; San Diego; (hah-mah’cha) Indian
for water covered with scum.

Jamul; San Diego; (ha-mool’) Indian name,
signifying “antelope water”.

Jasmin; Kern; (hoss-meen’) jasmine.

Jesbel; Madera; (hes-bell”) Jezabel.

Jolon; Monterey; (ho-lone’) Indian for valley
of dead oaks, or “snow”.

Juan; San Bernardino; (hwahn) John.

Juarez; (hwar’ace) for Benito Juarez, Mexi-
can patriot.

X.

Klamath; Humboldt; (klah’math) name of
Indian tribe, signifies “the encamped”.

L.

La Bolsa; Orange; (lah bohl’sah) the purse.

La Borde; Los Angeles; (lah bor’day) the
border, the verge.

Labranza; Merced; (lah-brahn’sah) cultiva-
tion, tillage, husbandry.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 37

La Canada; Los Angeles; (lah cahn-ya’dah)
glen between mountains.

La Cima; San Bernardino; (lah see’mah) the
summit.

La Cresenta; Los Angeles; (lah kra-sen’tah)
the crescent.

La Cresta; Los Angeles; (lah krays’tah) the
brow of a hill.

Ladrillo; San Diego; (lah dreel’yo) brick,
tile.

La Fresa; Los Angeles; (lah fray’sah) the
strawberry.

Laguna; Imperial; (lah goo’nah) pond, la-
goon.

Lagunitas; Marin; (lah-goo-nee’tahs) little
ponds.

La Habra; Orange; (lah ahb’rah) mountain
pass.

La Honda; San Mateo; (lah ohn’dah) the
deep or hollow place.

La Jolla; San Diego; (lah ho’yah) probably
corruption of “la joya”, the jewel, the gem.

La Jota; Napa; (lah ho’tah) a Spanish dance.

Lamanda Park; Los Angeles; (lah mahn’dah)
the proposal, the bequest.

La Mesa; San Diego; (lah may’sah) the
table; the table-land.

La Mirada; Los Angeles; (lah mee-rah’dah)
the glance, the look.
38 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Lanare; Fresno; (la-nar’a) probably corrup-
tion of “lanar”, wooly.

La Panza; San Luis Obispo; (lah pahn’zah)
the paunch.

La Patera; Santa Barbara; (lah pah-tare’ah)
the place where ducks gather; the goblet.
La Pera; Los Angeles; (lah pare’ah) the pear.

Lapis; Monterey; (lah’pees) pencil

La Pita; San Diego; (lah pee’tah) the prickly
pear.

La Presa; Los Angeles; (lah pray’sah) the
dam or dike.

La Quinta; San Bernardino; (lah keen’tah)
the country seat, the manor house.

La Ramada; Los Angeles; (lah rah-mah’dah)
the arbor, the mass of branches.

Largo; San Joaquin; (lahr’go) long.
La Rica; Los Angeles; (lah ree’kah) the rich
woman.

La Salle; Santa Barbara; (lah sahl’). Famous
Spanish explorer.

Laton; Santa Barbara; (lah-tone’) brass.
Las Altas; Los Angeles; (lahs ahl’tahs) the
heights.

Las Cruces; Santa Barbara; (lahs kroo’says)
the crosses.

La Senda; Los Angeles; (lah sen’dah) the
path.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 39

Las Flores; Tehama; (lahs floor’ess) the
flowers.

La Sierra Heights; Riverside; (la see-air’rah)
the mountain ridge.

Las Juntas; Contra Costa; (lahs hoon’tahs)
the meeting; the council.

Las Lomas; Los Angeles; (las loh’mahs) the
hills.

Las Minas; San Bernardino; (lahs mee’nahs)
the mines.

Lapaco; Los Angeles; (lah-pah’koh) a kind
of vicuha or alpaca.

La Solas; Kern; (lah soh’lahs) probably a
corruption of Las Olas—the waves.

Las Palmas; Fresno; (lahs pahl’mahs) the
palms.

Las Rosas; Los Angeles; (las roh’sahs) the
roses.

Las Uvas; San Bernardino; (lahs oo’vahs) the
grapes.

La Vifia; Los Angeles; (lah veen’yah) the
vineyard.

Leon; Riverside; (lay-own’) lion.

Leona; Alameda; (lay-own’ah) lioness.

Lerdo; Kern; (lare’doh) surname. Slow,
heavy, dull.

Lima; Los Angeles; (lee’mah) lime tree.

Linda Rosa; Riverside; (leen’dah roh’sah)
beautiful rose.
40 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Linda Vista; San Diego; (leen’dah vees’tah)
beautiful view.

Linea; Orange; (lee’nay-ah) line.

Lio; Kern; (lee’oh) bundle, parcel, pack.

Llanada; San Benito; (yah-nah’dah) level
ground, flat land.

Llano; Sonoma; (yah’noh) even, smooth,
level.

Loco; Inyo; (loh’koh) insane, crazy.

Loleta; Humboldt; (loh-lee’tah) probably
corruption of Lolita, little Lola; Mexican
colloquial term for “Mary of the Sorrows”.

Loma; Tulare; (loh’mah) little hill.

Loma Linda; San Bernardino; (loh’mah leen’
dah) loma, hill; linda, beautiful.

Loma Portal; San Diego; (loh’mah por-tahl’)
hill at the entrance.

Loma Prieta; Santa Cruz; (loh’mah pree-
a’tah) loma, hill; prieta, very dark.

Lomita; Los Angeles; (loh-mee’tah) little
hill.

Lomo; Sutter; (loh’moh) loin, back of an
animal.

Lompoc; Santa Barbara; (lum’pohk) Indian
village.

Lona; Los Angeles; (loh’nah) canvass.

Lorenzo; Alameda; (loh-ren’zo) Lawrence.

Losa; Glenn; (loh’sah) slab, flagstone.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 41

Los Alamitos; Orange; (lohs ah-lah-mee’tohs)
the little poplars.

Los Alamos; Santa Barbara; (los ah’lah-
mohs) the poplars.

Los Alisos; Los Angeles; (lohs ah-lee’sohs)
the alder trees.

Los Altos; Santa Clara; (lohs ahl’tohs) the
heights.

Los Angeles; Los Angeles; (lohs ong’hell-
ess) the angels.

Los Bafios; Merced; (lohs bahn’yos) the
baths.

Los Cerritos; Los Angeles; (lohs say-ree’-
tohs) the little hills.

Los Feliz; Los Angeles; (lohs fay-lees’) the
happy ones.

Los Gatos; Santa Clara; (lohs gah’tohs) the
cats.

Los Guilicos; Sonoma; (geel’ee-kohs) an In-
dian tribe.

Los Mendanos; Contra Costa; (lohs mayn-
dah’nohs) the sand banks, the dunes.

Los Molinos; Tehama; (lohs moh-lee’nohs)
the mills.

Los Nietos; Los Angeles; (nee-a’tohs) the
grandsons.

Los Nogales; IL.os Angeles; (lohs noh-gah’-
lays) the walnut trees.

Los Olivos; Santa Barbara; (lohs oh-lee’-
vohs) the olive trees.
42 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Los Patos; Orange; (lohs pah’tohs) the
ducks.

Los Robles; Los Angeles; (lohs roh’blace)
the oak trees.

Loyola; Santa Clara; (loy’o-lah) Ignatius
Loyola, Spanish founder of the order of the
Jesuits.

Lucia; Monterey; (loo-see’ah) Lucy.

Lugo; San Bernardino; (loo’goh) a surname.

Luna; Tulare; (loo’nah) the moon.

M.

Machado; Los Angeles; (mah -cha’doh)
hatchet.

Madera; Madera; (mah-dare’ah) wood, tim-
ber.

Madrone; Sonoma; (mah’drone) corruption
of “madrofia”, a tree sometimes called
strawberry tree, indigenous to California.

Magra; Placer; (mah’grah) slice of ham.

Malaga; Fresno; (mah’lah-gah) city in Spain.

Manila; Humboldt; (mah-neel’ah) city in the
Philippines.

Manteca; San Joaquin; (mahn-tay’kah) but-
ter, lard.

Manzanar; Inyo; (mahn-zah-nahr’) apple
orchard.

Manzanita; Marin; (mahn-zah-nee’tah) little
apple; a California shrub.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 43

Marco; Kern; (mar’koh) Mark; a personal
name.

Marea; Imperial; (mah-ray’ah) tide, beach.

Marina; Monterey; (mah-reen’ah) shore, sea-
coast, navy.

Mariposa; Mariposa; (mah-ree-poh’sah) but-
terfly.

Martinez; Contra Costa; (mahr-teen’ess) fam-
ily name.

Mar Vista; Los Angeles; (mahr vees’tah)
mar, sea; vista, view.

Matilija; Ventura; (mah-teel-ee’hah) Indian
name.

Mateo; Orange; (mah-tay’oh) Matthew.

Medano; Madera; (may-dah’noh) sand bank,
dune.

Medio; Los Angeles; (may’dee-oh) half, mid-
dle.

Mendota; Fresno; (mane-doh’tah) surname;
also Indian for “mouth of a river”.

Merced; Merced; (mare-said’) mercy, favor.

Mesa; Marin; (may’sah) table, plain.

Mesa Grande; San Diego; (may’sah grahn’-
day) mesa, table; grande, large.

Mesaville; Riverside; (may-sah-veel’) city of
the plain. “Ville” is French for “villa”, city.

Mesquite; San Bernardino; (mess-keet’) a
shrub, native to California.

Mesto; Orange; (mess’toh) large, prickly
oak.
44 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Metate; Orange; (may-tah’tay) curved stone
for grinding maize or corn.

Milpitas; Santa Clara; (meel-pee’tahs) little
patches of corn.

Mina; Mendocino; (mee’nah) mineral or
mine.

Mirabel; Sonoma; (meer-ah-bell’) summer
cypress; sunflower.

Mirador; Tulare; (meer-ah-dor’) spectator;
considerate, circumspect.

Mira Mar; Los Angeles; (meer-ah mah”) look
at the sea.

Miramonte; Fresno; (meer’ah-mohn’tay)
glimpse or look at the mountain. -

Moda; Glenn; (moh’dah) fashion; style.

Modesto; Stanislaus; (moh-dess’toh) modest.

Mojave; Kern; (moh-hah-vay) Indian tribal
name, signifying “three hills”.

Mokelumne Hill; Calaveras; (moh-kell’ume)
Indian tribe, “wakalumni”, people of Mo-
kel.

Molino; San Bernardino; (moh-lee’noh) mill.

Montalvo; Ventura; (mont-ahl’voh) family
name.

Montara; San Mateo; (mon-tahr’ah) family
name, signifying “mound of earth”.

Monte Vista; Los Angeles; (mohn’tay vees’-
tah) monte, mountain; vista, view,
Spanish and Indian Place Names 45

- Monte Bello; Los Angeles; (mohn’tay bell’-
yo) monte, mountain; bello, beautiful.

Montecito; Santa Barbara; (mohn’tay-see’-
toh) little mountain.
Monterey; Monterey; (mohn’tay-ray’) moun-
tain of the king. See Monterey County.
Monte Rio; Sonoma; (mohn’tay ree’oh)
mountain of the river, or by the river.

Montesano; Sonoma; (mohn’tay -sah’noh)
monte, mountain; sano, healthy.

Montezuma; Solano; (mohn’tay - soo’mah)
last king of the Incas of Mexico; was as- ,
sassinated by the Spaniards who conquered
Mexico under Cortez.

Montrio; Sonoma; (mohn-tree’oh) contraction
of Monte Rio.

Morada; San Joaquin; (moh-rah’dah) purple.

Moraga; Contra Costa; (moh-rah’gah) fam-
ily name; named for Lieut. Jose Joaquin
Moraga, one of Anza’s Mexican followers.

Morena; San Diego; (moh-ray’nah) brown,
tawny, swarthy.

Moreno; Riverside; (moh-ray’noh) surname;
brown, swarthy, tawny (masculine).

Moro Cojo; Monterey; (moh’roh coh’ho)
moro, Moor; cojo, lame.

Morrano; San Joaquin; (moh-rah’noh) sur-
name.
46 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Morro; San Luis Obispo; (moh’roh) head-
land shaped like a snout.

Muga Point; Ventura; (moo’gah) Indian
tribe. “Mugu.”

Mundo; Imperial; (moon’doh) world.

Murietta; Riverside; (moor-e-et’tah) family
name.

N.

Nacimiento; Monterey; (nah-see-mee-en’toh)
birth, nativity.

Néacio; Contra Costa; (nah’see-oh) born;
short for the name Ignacio.

Nacional; Monterey; (nah-see-oh-nahl’) na-
tional.

Napa; Napa; (nah’pah) name of Indian tribe,
signifies “city” or “house”. Tribe destroyed
by epidemic of smallpox, 1838.

Naranjo; Tulare; (nah-rahn’ho) orange tree.

Natoma; Sacramento; (nah-toh’mah) Indian
word. Of obscure meaning.

Naval; Los Angeles; (nah-vahl’) naval.

Navarro; Mendocino; (nah-vahr’roh) family
name.

Nedo; Ventura; (na’doh) corruption of “nido”,
nest.

Nema; Santa Clara; (name’ah) sealing of a
letter.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 47

Neponset; Monterey; (nay-pon’sett) Indian
word, for “he walks in his sleep”.

Nervo; Sonoma; (nare’voh) probably corrup-
tion of “nervio”—mnerve, tendon, cord.

Nevada; Nevada; (nay-vah’dah) white as
snow, snowfall.
New Almaden; Santa Clara; (ahl-mah-dane’)

mine or mineral; named after the famous
Almaden mine in Spain.

Nimshew; Butte; (nim’shew) Indian for “Big
River”. “Nimsewi’.

Nipomo; San Luis Obispo; (nee-poh’moh)
Indian word, possibly name of village.

Nipinnawasee; Madera; (ne-peen-ah-wahs’-
see) Indian tribe.

Nitro; Contra Costa; (nee’troh) nitre; salt-
petre.

Noe Valley; San Francisco; (no’a) family
name.

Novato; Marin; (no-vah’toh) novice, begin-
ner; surname.

Noyo; Mendocino; (no’yoh) a cordial; also
an Indian word, obscure meaning.

Nuestro; Sutter; (noo-ace’troh) our.

Nuevo; Riverside; (noo-a’voh) new.
48 Spanish and Indian Place Names

oO.

Oceano; San Luis Obispo; (oh-say’ah-noh)
ocean.

Ojai; Ventura; (o’high) Indian word for nest.

Olancha; Inyo; (oh-lanch’ah) Indian tribe.
Word signifies “huge wave”.

Olema; Marin; (oh-lay’mah) Indian word
meaning coyote.

Oleo; Orange; (oh-lay’oh) holy oil, extreme
unction.

Oleta; Amador; (oh-lay’tah) oily.

Olinda; Orange and Shasta; (oh-leen’dah)
may be a contraction of “O linda”, “Oh
beautiful”.

Oliva; Santa Barbara; (oh-lee’vah) olive tree.

Olivetto; Sonoma; (oh-lee-vet’toh) little olive
iree.

Omo; Eldorado; (oh’moh) Indian Moquel vil-
lage.

Opaco; San Francisco; (oh-pah’koh) opaque,
gloomy. .
Optimo; Butte; (up’tee-moh) best, eminently

good.

Ora; Fresno; (or’rah) now, whether.

Orella; Santa Barbara; (oh-rell’yah) family
name.

Orinda; Contra Costa; (oh-reen’dah) finer
than gold.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 49

Orofino; Siskiyou; (or-oh-fe’noh) oro, gold;
fino, fine.

Ora Grande; San Bernardino; (or-roh grahn’
day) oro, gold; grande, large.

Oro Loma; Fresno; (or-roh loh’mah) oro,
gold; loma, hill.

Oroville; Butte; (or’roh-veel) oro, gold; ville,
corruption of “villa”, city.

Ortega; Santa Barbara; (orr-tay’gah) family
name; grouse.

Oso; Sutter; (oh’soh) bear.

Otay; San Diego; (o’tay) Indian village.
Signifies “very large”, or brushy.

P.

Pachappa; Riverside; (pah-chap’pah) Indian
word.

Pacheco; Contra Costa; (pah-chay’koh) fam-
ily name. Romualdo Pacheco, Governor of
the State of California, 1875.

Pacoima; Los Angeles; (pah-koh-ee’mah) In-
dian word.

Paicines; San Benito; (Pi-see’ness) Indian
tribe.

Pajaro; Santa Cruz; (pah’hah-roh) bird.
Named because the Indians here killed an
eagle whose wings measured seven feet
four inches from tip to tip.
50 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Pala; San Diego; (pah’lah) Indian word for
water.

Palmas; Los Angeles; (pahl’mahs) palms.

Palmo; Kern; (pahl’moh) measure of length,
span, eight inches. May be corruption of
“Palma”, Indian chief who befriended Juan
Bautista Anza, founder of San Francisco.

Palo Alto; Santa Clara; (pahl’loh ahl’toh)
palo, stick, tree, timber; alto, high.

Palo Cedro; Shasta; (pahl’loh say’droh) palo,
stick, tree, timber; cedro, cedar.

Paloma; Monterey; (pah-loh’mah) dove,
pigeon.

Palomar; Los Angeles; (pah-loh-mar’) dove-
cote, pigeon-house.

Paloro; San Joaquin; (pah-lor’roh) pallor;
paleness.

Palo Verde; Stanislaus; (pah’loh vare’day)
palo, stick, tree, timber; verde, green.

Panama; Kern; (pah-nah-mah’) Panama.

Parada; Los Angeles; (pah-rah’dah) stop,
halt; parade,

Paraiso Springs; Monterey; (pah-rah-ee’soh)
paradise.

Pasadena; Los Angeles; (pah’sah-day-nah)
Chippewa Indian name for “Crown of the
Valley’.

Paso Robles; San Luis Obispo; (pah’soh rob’-
lace) paso, pass, passage; robles, oaks.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 51

Pasqualito; Los Angeles; (pahs-kwahl-ee’toh)
little Pascal; personal name.

Patata; Los Angeles; (pah-tah’tah) potato.

Pedro Valley; San Mateo; (pay’droh) Peter.

Peral; Tulare; (pay-rahi’) pear tree.

Peralta; Orange; (pay-rahl’tah) family name.

Pescadero; San Mateo; (pess-cah-dare’roh)
fish monger, by retail.

Petaluma; Sonoma; (pay-tah-loo’mah) Indian
word meaning “flat back”; peta, flat; luma,
back; also Indian word for “duck-pond”.

Petro; Kern; (pay’troh) abbreviation of “pe-
troleo”, petroleum.

Picacho; Imperial; (pee-kah’choh) top, peak,
summit.

Pico; Los Angeles; (pee’koh) surname; beak
of a bird.

Piedra; Fresno; (pee-a’drah) rock, stone.

Pinogrande; Eldorado; (pee’no-grahn’day)
large pine tree.

Pinole; Contra Costa; (pee-noh’lay) Aztec
word for aromatic powder to mix with
meal; cereal meal.

Pintoresca; Los Angeles; (peen-toh-ress’kah)
picturesque.

Piojo; Monterey; (pee-oh’ho) louse.

Pismo; San Luis Obispo; (pees’moh) Indian
word for a place to fish.
52 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Piute; San Bernardino; (pee-yute’) Indian
tribe between Rockies and Sierras.

Placerville; Eldorado; (plah’sare-veal) placer,
sand bank; ville for villa, town.

Planada; Merced; (plah-nah’dah) level
ground. :

Plano; Tulare; (plah’noh) level, smooth.

Planta; Orange; (plahn’tah) plant.

Plantel; Santa Clara; (plahn-tell”) nursery for
plants and trees.

Platina; Shasta; (plah-tee’nah) an ore of
platinum.

Playa del Rey; Los Angeles; (ply’yah dell
ray’) playa, beach, strand; del, of the; rey,
king.

Pleyto; Monterey; (play’toh) corruption of
“pleito”, dispute, contest.

Plumas; Lassen and Yuba; (ploo’mahs) feath-
ers, plumes, pens.

Point Arena; Mendocino; (ah-ray’nah) sand.

Point Fermin; Los Angeles; (fare-meen’)
named for the Father President of the Fran-
ciscan order.

Point Loma; San Diego; (loh’mah) hill.

Point Reyes; Marin; (rey’yes) kings.

Pomar; Santa Cruz; (poh-mahr’) orchard,
especially apple trees.

Pomo; Humboldt; (poh’moh) Indian village.
Signifies “people”.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 53

- Ponto; San Diego; (pun’toh) the sea, poetic-
ally speaking.

Porque; Kern; (por-kay’) why? Name of In-
dian chief who attacked Balboa just below
the peak of Darien. :

Port Costa; Contra Costa; (kohs’tah) coast.

Portola; Plumas; (porr-toh-lah’) named for
Gaspar de Portola, discoverer of San Fran-
cisco Bay; he later became the first Gov-
ernor of California, 1769-71.

Port San Luis; San Luis Obispo; (sahn loo-
ees’) Saint Louis,

Potrero; San Diego; (poh-trare’roh) herds-
man of colts; pasture ground.

Poway; San Diego; (pow’ay) Indian place
nathe.

Pozo; San Luis Obispo; (poh’soh) well.

Pradera; Los Angeles; (prah-dare’ah) prairie,
meadow. :

Prado; Riverside; (prah’doh) lawn, field.

Prenda; Riverside; (pren’dah) pledge, se-
curity.

Presidio; Monterey and San Francisco; (pray-
see’dee-oh) garrison of soldiers, fortress.

Primero; Tulare; (pree-mare’roh) first.

Proberto; Tehama; (pro-bare’toh) probably
corruption of “probeta”, pressure gauge.

Pueblo; Los Angeles, San Diego; (poo-a’-
blow) town, village, settlement,
54 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Puente; Los Angeles; (poo-en’tay) bridge.

Puente Alto; Los Angeles; (poo-en’tay ahl’-
toh) puente, bridge; alto, high.

Puente Largo; Los Angeles; (poo-en’tay lar’
goh) puente, bridge; largo, long.

Pulga; Butte; (pool’gah) flea.

Punta; Ventura; (poon’tah) point, end, tip,
promontory.

Purisima; San Mateo; (poo-rees’e-mah) most
pure, as applied to the Virgin Mary.

Q.

Quinto; Santa Clara; (keen’toh) surname,
one-fifth.

R.

Ramada; Butte; (rah-mah’dah) arbour, mass
of branches.

Ramal; Sonoma; (rah-mahl’) branch; branch
road. ;

Ramirez; Yuba; (rah-meer’race) family
name.

Ramona; Sacramento and San Diego; (rah-
moh’nah) personal name (feminine).

Ranura; Riverside; (rah-noor’rah) groove,
slot.

Rayo; Tulare; (rye’yoh) beam, ray of light.

Redo; Alameda; (ray’doh) family name.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 55

Redondo; Los Angeles; (ray -dohn’doh)
round, circular.

Refino; Santa Barbara; ‘(ray-fee’noh) very
fine, refined.

Remolacha; Orange; (ray-moh-latch’ah) beet
root, red beet.

Reno; Plumas; (ray’noh) reindeer.

Repollo; Orange; (ray-pohl’yo) white cab-
bage.

Represa; Sacramento; (ray-pray’sah) dam,
dike, sluice.

Reseda; Los Angeles; (ray-say’dah) mignon-
ette.

Ricardo; Kern; (Ree-kar’doh) Richard.

Rico; Imperial; (ree’koh) rich.

Riego; Placer and Sutter; (ree-a’go) irriga-
tion.

Rincbn; Santa Cruz; (reen-kohn’) corner,
angle, nook.

Rinconada; Santa Clara; (reen-kohn-ah’dah)
corner.

Rio Bonito; Butte; (ree’oh boh-nee’toh) rio,
river; bonito, pretty.

Rio Bravo; Kern; (ree’oh brah’voh) rio,
river; bravo, brave, strenuous.

Rio Campo; Sonoma; (ree’oh kahm’poh) rio,
river; campo, country, field.

Rio Hondo; Los Angeles; (ree’oh ohn’doh)
rio, river; hondo, deep.
56 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Rio Linda; Sacramento; (ree’oh leen’dah)
rio, river; linda, lovely, handsome.

Rionido; Sonoma; (ree’oh-nee’doh) rio, river;
nido, nest.

Rio Oso; Sutter; (ree’oh oh’soh) rio, river;
0so, bear.

Rio Vista; Solano; (ree’oh vees’tah) rio, river;
vista, view, outlook.

Rivas; Los Angeles; (ree’vahs) a family
name.

Rivera; Los Angeles; (ree-vare’ah) surname;
bank of a brook or creek. Captain Rivera
was military commander under Portola.

Roberto; Los Angeles; (roh-bare’toh) Rob-
Get.

Robla; Tulare; (roh’blah) corruption of
“roble”, oak.

Roblar; Sonoma; (roh-blar’) to rivet, to make
strong.

Roca; Los Angeles; (roh’kah) rock, stone,
cliff.

Rodeo; Contra Costa, Los Angeles; (row-
day’oh) round-up of cattle, enclosure for
cattle, stock yard.

Romero; Contra Costa; (roh-mare’roh) fam-
ily name; pilgrim, palmer.

Ronda; Yolo; (rohn’dah) night patrol, rounds
by a night watch.

Rosita; Los Angeles; (roh-see’tah) little rose.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 57

S.

Sacate; Santa Barbara; (sah-kah’tay) grass,
herb, hay.

Saco; Kern; (sah’koh) sack, bag.

Sacramento; Sacramento; (sak-krah-mane’toh)
sacrament; Christ substantiated in the Host.

Sagu; Sonoma; (sah-goo’) sago.

Salada Beach; San Mateo; (sah-lah’dah) salty,
briny.

Salida; Stanislaus; (sah-lee’dah) exit; depart-
ure, outlet.

Salinas; Monterey; (sah-lee’nahs) saline, salt
its.

Soins Napa; (sahl-mee’nah) salt mine.

Salvador; Napa; (sahl-vah-door’) saviour.

Salvia; Riverside; (sahl-vee’ah) sage.

San Andreas; Calaveras; (sahn ahn-dray’ahs)
Saint Andrew. Corruption “Andres”.

San Anselmo; Marin; (sahn ahn-sell’moh)
Saint Anselm, Bishop at Lucca.

San Antonio; Marin; (sahn ahn-tone’ee-oh)
Saint Anthony.

San Ardo; Monterey; (sahn ahrr’doh) Saint
Ardo.

San Augustine; Santa Barbara; (sahn ow-
goos’teen) St. Augustine.
58 Spanish and Indian Place Names

San Benito; San Benito; (sahn bay-nee’toh)
Saint Benedict, founder of Benedictine or-
der.

San Bernardino; San Bernardino; (sahn bare-
nah-dee’noh) Saint Bernard.

San Bruno; San Mateo; (sahn broo’noh) Saint
Bruno, founder of the order of Carthusians.

San Carlos; San Mateo; (sahn Kar’lohs)
Saint Charles Borroméo.

San Clemente; Marin; (sahn klay-men’tay)
Saint Clement.

San Diego; San Diego; (sahn dee-a’go) Saint
James.

San Dimas; Los Angeles; (sahn dee’mahs)
Saint Dimas.

San Emidio; Kern; (sahn a-mee-dee’oh) Saint
Emideo.

San Felipe; Santa Clara; (sahn fay-lee’pay)
Saint Philip.

San Fernando; Los Angeles; (sahn fare-nahn’
doh) Saint Ferdinand.

San Francisco; San Francisco; (sahn frahn-
sees’koh) Saint Francis.

San Gabriel; Los Angeles; (sahn gab-bree-
ell’) Saint Gabriel.

San Geronomino; Marin; (sahn hair-roh’nee-
moh) Saint Jerome.

San Gregorio; San Mateo; (sahn gray-gore’-
ee-oh) Saint Gregory.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 59

San Jacinto; Riverside; (sahn hah-seen’toh)
Saint Hyacinth.

San Joaquin; Fresno; (sahn hwah-keen’)
Saint Joachim.

San Jose; Santa Clara; (sahn ho-say’) Saint
Joseph.
San Juan Bautista; San Benito; (sahn hwahn’
bough-tees’tah) Saint John the Baptist.
San Juan Capistrano; Orange; (sahn hwan’
kop-ees-strah’noh) St. John Capistrano.
San Leandro; Alameda; (sahn lay-on’droh)
Saint Leander.

San Lorenzo; Alameda; (sahn low-renn’zoh)
Saint Lawrence.

San Lucas; Monterey; (sahn loo’kahs) Saint
Luke.

San Luis Obispo; San Luis Obispo; (sahn
loo-ees’o-bees’poh) Saint Louis the Bishop.

San Luis Rey; San Diego; (sahn loo-ees ray’)
Saint Louis the King.

San Marcos; San Diego; (sahn marr’koss)
Saint Mark.

San Marino; Los Angeles; (sahn marr-ee’
noh) Saint Marino.

San Martin; Santa Clara; (sahn marr-teen’)
Saint Martin.

San Mateo; San Mateo; (sahn mah-tay’oh)
Saint Matthew.
60 Spanish and Indian Place Names

San Miguel; San Luis Obispo; (sahn mee-
gell’) Saint Michael.

San Onofre; San Diego; (sahn oh-noh’fray)
Saint Onophrius.

San Pablo; Contra Costa; (sahn pah’blow)
Saint Paul.

San Pedro; Los Angeles; (sahn pay’droh)
Saint Peter,

San Quentin; Marin; (sahn ken-teen’) Saint
Quentin.

San Rafael; Marin; (sahn rah’fah-ell) Saint
Raphael.

San Ramon; Contra Costa; (sahn rah-mone’)
Saint Raymond.

San Simeon; San Luis Obispo; (sahn see-
may-ohn’) Saint Simon or Simeon.

San Ysidro; San Diego; (sahn e-see’droh)
Saint Isidore.

Santa Ana; Orange; (sahn’tah ahn’nah) Saint
Anne, the mother of the Virgin.

Santa Anita; Los Angeles; (sahn’tah ah-nee’
tah) Saint Anita (little Ann).

Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara; (sahn’tah
barr’barr-ah) Saint Barbara.

Santa Clara; Santa Clara; (sahn’tah klarr’ah)
Saint Clara.

Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz; (sahn’tah kroos’)
Holy Cross,
Spanish and Indian Place Names 61

Santa Fé Junction; Stanislaus; (sahn’tah fay’)
Holy Faith.

Santa Margarita; San Luis Obispo; (sahn’tah

~ marr-gar-ree’tah) Saint Margaret.

Santa Maria; Santa Barbara; (sahn’tah mah-
ree’ah) Holy Mary.

Santa Monica; Los Angeles; (sahn’tah moh’-
nee-kah) Saint Monica, mother of Saint
Augustine.

Santa Paula; Ventura; (sahn’tah pow’lah)
Saint Paula.

Santa Rita; Alameda; (sahn’tah ree’tah) Saint
Rita.

Santa Rosa; Sonoma; (sahn’tah roh’sah) Saint
Rose.

Santa Susanna; Ventura; (sahn’tah soo-zahn’
nah) Saint Susan.

Santa Inez; Santa Barbara; (sahn’tah e’nez)
Saint Agnes.

Santa Ysabel; Orange; (sahn’tah ee’sah-bell)
Saint Isabel.

Santicoy; Ventura; (sahn-tee-koy’) Indian
for “near-by” village.

San Tomas; Santa Clara; (sahn tow-mahs’)
Saint Thomas.

Santos; Yolo; (sahn’tohs) saints.

San Ysidro; San Diego; (sahn ee-see’droh)
Saint Isidore.
62 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Saratoga; Santa Clara; (sah-rah-toh’gah)
place where water is found in rocks.

Sausalito; Marin; (sow-sah-lee’toh) little wil-
low tree.

Seguro; Kern; (say-goor’roh) secure, safe.

Senorita; Los Angeles; (sane-yore-ree’tah)
young lady, miss.

Sepulveda; Los Angeles; (say-pull’vay-dah)
family name.

Sequoia; Humboldt and Contra Costa; (say-
quoy’yah) named for the Cherokee Indian
chief who invented the alphabet for his
people.

Serana; Santa Barbara; (say-ray’nah) serene.
calm, quiet.

Serra; Orange; (sare’rah) family name; Padre
Junipero (who-neep’a-roh) Serra, Francis-
can monk, founder of the California mis-
sions.

Serrano; San Luis Obispo; (sare-rah’noh)
mountaineer, highlander; family name.

Sespe; Ventura; (sess’pay) former Chumash
Indian village.

Shawmut; Tuolumne; (shaw’mut) Indian
tribe.

Sierra Madre; Los Angeles; (see-air’rah mah’
dray) mother range; sierra, ridge of moun-
tains; madre, mother. Hence the main or
mother range.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 63

Sierra Vista; Merced; (see-air’rah vees’tah)
sierra, range of mountains; vista, view.
Siesta; Santa Cruz; (see-ess’tah) hottest part

of the day; afternoon nap.

Siete; Tulare; (see-a’tay) seven.

Signa; Kern; (seeg’nah) sign, mark.

Silva; Yolo; (seel’vah) family name.

Simi; Ventura; (see’mee) Indian village.

Siscol; Napa; (sees’kol) Mokelumne tribe.

Sobrante; Contra Costa; (soh-brahn’tay) resi-
due, surplus.

Sobre Vista; Sonoma; (so’bray vees’tah)
sobre, above, over; vista, view. Hence, a
view over Or across.

Socorro; Los Angeles; (so-korr’roh) aid, help,
succor.

Solana Beach; San Diego; (so-lah’nah) strong
sunshine, sunny place. Also “east wind”.
Solano; Los Angeles; (so-lah’noh) after Fran-

cisco Solano, celebrated missionary.

Soledad; Monterey; (so-lay-dod’) solitude.

Solo; Madera; (so’loh) alone, single.

Somis; Ventura; (soh-mees’) Indian name.

Sonoma; Sonoma; (soh-noh’mah) Indian
word, tso-noma; tso, earth; noma, village.

Sonora; Tuolumne; (so-noh’rah) named for
province of Sonora, Mexico.

Soquel; Santa Cruz; (soh-kell’) Indian vil-
lage.
64 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Soto; Tehama; (soh’toh) grove, thicket. A
family name. Fernando de Soto, Spanish
explorer.

Sucrosa; Ventura; (soo-kro’soh) cane sugar.

Suisun; Solano; (soo-soon’) name of Indian
village, signifying “big expanse”.

Sultana; Tulare; (sool-tah’nah) Sultana or
sultaness.

Suplico; Kern; (soo’plee-koh) corruption of
“suplica”, request, supplication.

T

Tahoe; Placer; (tah’ho) Indian name of un-
certain meaning, some claim for da-o, deep
blue; big water.

Tallac; Eldorado; (tah-lack’) Indian name.

Tamalpais; Marin; (tah-mahl-pay’ees) Indian
name; tamal, bay; pais, land. An Indian
tribe.

Tamar; Kern; (tah-mah’) cluster of dates;
faggot of brushwood.

Tambo; Yuba; (tahm’bow) inn, dairy.

Tampico; Los Angeles; (tahm-pee’koh) city
in Mexico.

Tasajara; Monterey; (tah-sah-har’rah) Indian
word for place for hanging jerked meat.
Tehachapi; Kern; (tay-hatch’ah-pee) Indian
word of unknown meaning. “Ta-hi-cha-pa-

han-na”.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 65

Temecula; Riverside; (tem-a-koo’lah) Indian
tribe. Signifies “the rising sun”.

Tepic; Ventura; (tay-peek’) city in Mexico.

Temescal; Riverside; (tem-ess-kall’) Indian
sweat house.

Terese; Kern; (tare-raze’) Theresa.

Término; Los Angeles; (tare’mee-noh) end,
boundary, limit.

Ternez; Ventura; (tare-nace’) softness, ten-
derness.

Terra Bella; Tulare; (tare-rah bell’yah) terra,
land; bella, beautiful. Italian.

Terra Buena; Sutter; (tare’rah boo-a’nah)
terra, land; buena, good. Corruption of
“tierra”.

Tia Juana; San Diego; (tee-ah-hwan’ah)
Aunt Jane.

Tiburon; Marin; (tee-boo-rohn’) shark.

Tico; Ventura; (tee’coh) family name.

Tierra Alta; Los Angeles; (tee’air-rah ahl’-
tah) tierra, land; alta, high.

Tierra Loma; Fresno; (tee’air-rah loh’mah)
tierra, land; loma, hill.

Timba; Stanislaus; (teem’bah) hand in a
game of chance; bucket.

Tinemaha; Inyo; (teen’nay-mah’hah) Indian
word.
66 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Tippecanoe; San Bernardino; (tip’pee-kah-
noo’) Indian word, “at the great clearing” or
“buffalo fish place”.

Tocaloma; Marin; (toh-kah-loh’mah) toca,
hood ; loma, hill; cap or brow of a hill.

Toca; Tulare; (toh’kah) Indian word.

Tolenas; Solano; (toh-lay’nahs) Indian word.

Toluca; Los Angeles; (toh-loo’kah) city in
Mexico.

Tomales; Marin; (toh-mah’lays) corruption
of “tamales”, a Mexican dish made of crush-
ed maize mixed with minced meat, seasoned
with red pepper, dipped in oil, wrapped in
leaves of the corn husk, and steamed; or
from Miwok, Indian word for “bay”.

Tortuga; Imperial; (torr-too’gah) tortoise.

Tosantos; San Bernardino; (toh-sahn’tohs)
corruption of Todos Santos, all saints.

Tosca; Sonoma; (toss’kah) coarse, rough,
unpolished. Feminine name.

Tres Pinos; San Benito; (trace pee’nohs)
three pine trees.

Tres Vias; Butte; (trace vee’ahs) three ways
or roads.

Trevarno; Alameda; (tray-varr’noh) family
name.

Trigo; Madera; (tree’goh) wheat.

Trinidad; Humboldt; (treen-ee-dahd’) trinity.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 67

Triunfo; Ventura; (tree-oon’fo) triumph.

Trona; San Bernardino; (tro’nah) corruption
of “trono”, throne.

Tropico; Los Angeles; (troh’pee-koh) trop-
ical.

Truckee; Nevada; (truck’kee) name for an
Indian trapper and guide to General Fre-
mont.

Tujunga; Los Angeles (too-hoon’gah) Indian
name.

Tulare; Tulare; (too-lahr’a) place of tules.

Tule Vista; Sonoma; (too’lay vees’tah) tule,
bullrush growing abundantly in overflowed
lands in California, at the junction of the
San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers.

Tunitos; San Francisco; (too-nee’tohs) prick-
ly pears.

Tuolumne; Tuolumne; (too-whol’um-ne) In-
dian tribe, possibly signifying people of the
stone caves, or huts. Maybe “home”. “Tal-
malaume”.

Tustin; Orange; (toos-teen’) named for an
early settler, Fernando Tustin.

U.

Ukiah; Mendocino; (you-ki’ah) from Indian
tribe, “yokaia”; yo, south; ka-ia, valley.
Ultra; Tulare; (ool’trah) besides, moreover,

beyond.
68 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Una; Kern; (oon’ah) one (feminine).

Uno; Eldorado; (oon’oh) one (masculine).

Urbita Springs; San Bernardino; (oor-bee’-
tah) family name.

Usado; Los Angeles; (oo-sah’doh) used,
worn-out.

Usal; Mendocino; (oo-sahl’) Pomo Indian
tribe.

Uva; Fresno; (oo’vah) grape.

Uvas; Santa Clara; (oo’vahs) grapes.

v.

Vacaville; Solano; (vah’kah-veel) vaca, cow;
ville, for “villa”, town.

Vade; Eldorado; (vah’day) portfolio.

Valencia; San Bernardino, Santa Cruz; (vah-
lane’see-ah) province in Spain; family name.

Valla; Los Angeles; (vahl’yah) stockade,
fence.

Vallejo; Solano; (vahl-ya’ho) small valley.
Named for Gen. Guadalupe Vallejo, 1808-
1890.

Valpico; San Joaquin; (vahl-pee’koh) val or
valle, valley; pico, peak, top.

Val Verde; Riverside; (vahl vare’day) val or
valle, valley; verde, green.

Valyermo; Los Angeles; (vahl-yare’moh) val
or valle, valley; yermo, desert, uncultivated.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 69

Vasona; Santa Clara; (vah-soh’nah) surname.

Vecino; Butte; (vay-see’noh) neighbor.

Vega; Monterey; (vay’gah) open plain,
meadow.

Vejar; Los Angeles; (vay-haar’) to annoy or
io vex.

Venado; Colusa, Sonoma; (vay-nah’doh) deer,
stag, venison.

Venida; Tulare; (vay-nee’dah) arrival, re-
turn.

Venta; Orange; (vayn’tah) sale.

Ventura; Ventura; (vayn-too’rah) luck, for-
tune, chance. Contraction of San Buenaven-

_ tura.

“Veramont; Plumas; (vare-ah-munt®) vera,
edge; mont or monte, mountain.

Verano; Sonoma; (vay-rah’noh) summer.

Veras; Santa Barbara; (vay’rahs) truth, fer-
vor.

Verbena; Alameda; (vare-bay’nah) verbena.

Verde; San Luis Obispo; (vare’day) green.

Verdemont; San Bernardino; (vare-day-
munt’) green mountain.

Verdugo Park; Los Angeles; (vare-doo’go)
surname ; young shoot of a tree; cruel per-
son; hangman. Named for a Mexican very
prominent in the early history of Los An-
geles.

Verruga; San Diego (vare-roo’gah) wart,
70 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Vidal; San Bernardino; (vee-dahl’) surname.

Viejo; Los Angeles; (vee-a’ho) old.

Viento; San Bernardino; (vee-ain’toh) wind.

Vierra; Monterey; (vee-air’rah) surname.

Villa; Los Angeles; (veel’yah) town; sur-
name.

Villa Grande; Sonoma; (veel’yah grahn’day)
villa, town; grande, large.

Villa Verona; Butte; (veel’yah vay-roh’nah)
city of Verona, Italy.

Vilo; Santa Barbara; (vee’lo) vile.

Vina; Tehama; (vee’nah) corruption of
“vifia”, vineyard.

Vinedo; Los Angeles; (vee-nay’doh) sur-
name.

Vino; Fresno; (vee’noh) wine.

Viola; Shasta; (vee-o’lah) violet.

Virgilia; Plumas; (veer-heel’ee-ah) female
name Virgilia.

Visalia; Tulare; (vee-sahl’ee-ah) a lookout
place.

Visitacion; San Mateo; (vee-see-tah-see-
yohn’) visitation.

Vista; San Diego; (vees’tah) view.

Vista del Mar; Los Angeles; (vees’tah del
marr’) view of the sea.

Vista del Valle; Los Angeles; (vees’tah del
vahl’ya) view of the valley.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 71

Vista Grande; San Mateo; (vees’tah grahn’-
day) vista, view; grande, great, extensive,
large.

Vista Robles; Butte; (vees’tah roh’blace)
vista, view ; robles, oaks.

Vivienda; San Bernardino; (vee-vee-en’dah)
dwelling house.

Volcan; Kern; (vohl-kahn’) volcano.

Ww.

Wahtoque; Fresno; (wah-toh’kay) Indian
word for pine nut.

Wawona; Mariposa; (wah-woh’nah) Indian
word, possibly signifying “big tree”.

Weitchpee; Humboldt; (whych-pee’) Indian
tribe, “eitpus”, junction of rivers.

x.

Xalisco; Orange; (ha-lees’koh) city in Mex-
ico.

Y.

Yerba Buena (yare’bah boo-a’nah) sweet
smelling herb; early name of San Fran-
cisco.

Yermo; San Bernardino; (yare’moh) desert
waste.
72 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Yolo; Yolo; (yo’lo) name of Patwin Indian
tribe. Means “tule land”.

Yorba; Los Angeles; (yorr’bah) surname.

Yosemite; Mariposa; (yo-sem’ee-tee) Indian
word for “grizzly bear”.

Yreka; Siskiyou; (why-ree’kah) Indian name
corrupted from “wai-ri-ka”, “mountain of
the cave”.

Ysidora; San Diego; (e-see-dorr’rah) Isadora.

Yuba; Sutter; (you’bah) name of tribe of
Maidu Indians; also corruption of Spanish
el rio de las uvas”, the river of the grapes.

Yucaipa; San Bernardino; (you-ki’pah) Indian
place. “Wet lands”.

Zz

Zamora; Yolo; (zah-morr’rah) province in
Spain.

Zaca; Santa Barbara; (zah’kah) large leather
bag for clearing a mine of water.

Zeta; Placer; (zay’tah) name of the letter “z”.

Zuleka; Siskiyou (zoo-lay’kah) Zuleika, a
woman's name,
Spanish and Indian Place Names 73

THE JOY OF THE HILLS
By Edwin Markham
I ride on the mountain tops, I ride;
I have found my life and am satisfied.
Onward I ride in the blowing oats,
Checking the field-lark’s rippling notes—
Lightly I sweep
From steep to steep:
Over my head through the branches high
Come glimpses of a rushing sky;
The tall oats brush my horse’s flanks;
Wild poppies crowd on the sunny banks;
A bee booms out of the scented grass;
A jay laughs with me as I pass.

I ride on the hills, I forgive, I forget
Life’s hoard of regret—
All the terror and pain
Of the chafing chain.
Grind on, O cities, grind:
I leave you a blur behind.
I am lifted elate—the skies expand:
Here the world’s heaped gold is a pile of sand.
Let them weary and work in their narrow
walls;
I ride with the voices of waterfalls!
I swing on as one in a dream—I swing
Down the airy hollows, I shout, I sing!
The world is gone like an empty word:
My body’s a bough in the wind, my heart a
bird!
74 Spanish and Indian Place Names

MOUNTAINS AND PEAKS
Name of mountain; County; pronunciation;
signification of name if not already given.
A.

Alamo Ridge; Contra Costa.
Amargosa Range; Inyo; (ah-marr-goh’sah)
bitter, acrid.
B.
Bolinas Ridge; Inyo.
C.
Chanchetulla Mount; Trinity; (chan-chay-
tool’lah) Indian word.
Coso; Inyo; (koh’soh) place or square for
bull-fights or other public entertainments.
Coyote Hills; Alameda.

Coyote Peaks; Tulare.
Cucamonga Peak; Los Angeles.

D.

Diablo Range; Monterey.
Diablo Mount; Contra Costa.

E.
El Paso Peak; Kern.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 75

F.
Fandango Peak; Modoc; (fahn-dahn’goh)
Spanish dance.
I.
Inyo; Inyo.
L

Las Trampas Ridge; Contra Costa; (lahs-
trahm’pahs) the traps, snares.

M.
Mariposa Peak; Merced.
Martinez Ridge; Contra Costa.
Mindego Hill; San Mateo; (meen-day’goh)
surname.
Mokelumne Peak; Amador.
Montara; San Mateo.
Monte Bello Ridge; Santa Clara.
Mt. Shasta; Shasta.
St. Helena Range; Sonoma; Napa; Lake.
Mt. Tamalpais; Marin.

P.

Panamint Range; Tulare; (pahn-ak-mint’)
Indian tribe of Shoshone family.

Pinto Range; Inyo; (peen’toh) painted or
spotted.

Pinole Ridge; Contra Costa.

Puente Hills; Los Angeles.
76 Spanish and Indian Place Names

S.

San Bernardino Mount; San Bernardino.

San Bruno Mount; San Mateo.

San Gabriel; Los Angeles.

San Jacinto; Riverside.

San Joaquin Mount; Mono.

San Jose Hills; Los Angeles.

San Juan Hills; Los Angeles.

San Leandro Hill; Alameda.

San Pablo Ridge; Contra Costa.

San Pedro Hills; Santa Catalina.

San Rafael; Santa Barbara.

Santa Ana; Riverside.

Siskiyou; Siskiyou.

Sobrante Ridge; Contra Costa; (soh-brahn’
tay) surplus, residue.

Sonora Peak; Mono.

Santa Monica, Los Angeles.

Sierra Madre; Los Angeles.

Sierra Morena; San Mateo; (moh-ray’nah)
dark.

Sierra Nevada; Eldorado.

NV.
Verdugo; Los Angeles.

Y.
Ysidro; San Diego.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 77

THE DAYS OF FORTY-NINE
By Joaquin Miller

We have worked our claims,
We have spent our gold,
Our barks are astrand on the bars;
We are battered and old,
Yet at night we behold,
Outcroppings of gold in the stars.

Chorus—
Tho’ battered and old,
Our hearts are bold,
Yet oft do we repine;
For the days of old
For the days of gold
For the days of forty-nine.

Where the rabbits play,
Where the quail all day

Pipe on the chaparral hill,

A few more days,

And the last of us lays

His pick aside and all is still.
78 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Chorus—
Tho’ battered and old,
Our hearts are bold,
Yet oft do we repine;
For the days of old
For the days of gold
For the days of forty-nine.

We are wreck and stray
We are cast away
Poor battered old hulks and spars;
But we hope and pray,
On the judgment day,
We shall strike it up in the stars.

Chorus—
Tho’ battered and old,
Our hearts are bold,
Yet oft do we repine;
For the days of old
For the days of gold
For the days of forty-nine.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 79

RIVERS

Name of river; County; pronunciation; sig-
nification of name if not already given.

A.

Alamo; Imperial.

Arroyo los Gatos; Fresno; (ahrr-roy’yo)
rivulet of the cats.

Arroyo Seco; Monterey; (ahrr-roy’yo say’-
coh) dry rivulet.

Arroyo Valle; Alameda; (ahrr-roy’yo vahl’-
yay) rivulet of the valley.

B.

Bernardo; San Diego.

C.

Calaveras; Alameda.

Carmel; Monterey.

Colorado; Imperial.

Cosumne; Sacramento.

Coyote; Santa Clara.

Cuyama; Santa Barbara; (koo-yah’mah) In-
dian word.

F.

Fresno; Fresno.
80 Spanish and Indian Place Names

G.

Gracia; Mendocino; (grah’see-ah) grace,
kindness, courtesy.

Guadalupe; Santa Clara.

Gualala; Sonoma.

H.
Hondo; Los Angeles.

1.
Juana; San Diego.

K

Kaweah; Tulare; (kah-wee’ah) Indian tribe.
Klamath; Humboldt.

L.
Little Shasta; Siskiyou.
Little Truckee; Placer.
Los Angeles; Los Angeles.

M.
Mariposa; Merced.
Merced; Merced and Mariposa.
Mohave; San Bernardino; (moh-hah’vay) In-
dian tribal name signifying “three hills”.
Mokelumne; Calaveras and Amador.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 81

N.
Nacimento; Monterey and San Luis Obispo.
Napa; Napa.
Navarro; Mendocino.
Noyo; Humboldt.
0.
Otay; San Diego.
P,
Pajaro; Monterey.
S.

Sacramento; Tehama County to Suisun Bay.

Salinas; Monterey.

San Antonio; Monterey.

San Benito; San Benito.

San Diego; San Diego.

San Gabriel; Orange and Los Angeles.

San Jacinto; Riverside.

San Joaquin; from Merced County to San
Francisco Bay.

San Luis Rey; San Diego.

Santa Ana; Orange and Los Angeles.

Santa Clara; Ventura.

Santa Margarita; San Diego.

Santa Maria; Santa Barbara.

Santa Inez; Santa Barbara.
82 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Sisquoc; Santa Barbara; (Siss’quock) former
Chumash Indian village name.

Stanislaus; Stanislaus.

Sur; Monterey.

T

Tulare; Tulare.
Tule; Tulare.
Tuolumne; Stanislaus.

Y.
Yuba; Yuba.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 83

THE HILL. TRAILS
By Harry Noyes Pratt

Hill Trails, dim trails,

Grown with brush and fern—
Wild trails, rough trails;

Round each twist and turn
Sound of falling waters,

Wind among the pines—
Clouds a-driftin’ over

In fleecy, laughing lines.

Wonder who has passed here
In the long ago,

Laughing, weeping, sighing—
I shall never know;

Only know the hill trails
As they are today—

The makers of the hill trails
Have long since passed away.

Hill trails, long trails
Leading from the past,

Out of years of silence
Into the silence vast.

Who has travelled on these trails
I shall never know—

Only know I follow them
Because I love them so.
84 Spanish and Indian Place Names

LAKES

Name of lake; county; pronunciation; sig-
nification of name if not already given.

Buena Vista; Kern.

Chabot; Alameda; (shah-bow’) surname.
Lower Klamath; Siskiyou.

Merced; San Francisco.

Mono; Mono.

Pilarcitos; San Mateo; (peel-lar-see’tohs) lit-
tle pillars of stone.

San Andreas; San Mateo.
Tahoe; Eldorado and Placer.
Tulare Basin; Kings.

Tule; Siskiyou.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 85

.EUCALYPTS
By Harry Noyes Pratt

I love these trees which hesitant stand
Afraid to venture on a land

Which is not theirs, however kind—
These alien trees, which never find
Kinship among the trees which grow
Where golden poppies flaming flow;
But stand aloof, their ragged cloaks,
Slight covering—while valley oaks
Flaunt velvet green above the field,
Their arrogance but half concealed.

I hold it is a princely tree
Which still may stand in dignity!
86 Spanish and Indian Place Names

ISLANDS

Name of island; locality; pronunciation;
signification of name if not already given.
Alcatraz; San Francisco Bay.

Ana Capa; Pacific Ocean off Ventura County;

(a-nah’ ka’pah) Indian word.

Farallones; Pacific Ocean off San Francisco;
(fah-ral-yon’es) headlands, small peaked
islands.

Guano; San Francisco Bay; (goo-ahn’noh)
sea birds’ dung for fertilizer.

Marin; San Francisco Bay.

Paoha; in Mono Lake, Mono County; (pah-
oh’hah) Indian word.

San Clemente; Pacific Ocean off San Diego
County.

San Miguel; Santa Barbara Channel.

San Nicholas; Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles
County; St. Nicholas.

Santa Barbara; Pacific Ocean off Los Angeles
County.

Santa Catalina; Pacific Ocean off Los Ange-
les County.

Santa Cruz; Santa Barbara Channel.
Santa Rosa; Santa Barbara Channel.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 87

"Twas at a time when Spanish friars bore
For many years their long and kindly sway
In grand old missions stretched along the
shore
From San Diego to Francisco Bay;
Then all was Spanish—manners, speech and
dress—
Save the wild Indians in the wilderness.

From “Glorietta” by S. H. M. Byers.
88 Spanish and Indian Place Names
CAPES

Name of cape; county; pronunciation; sig-
nification of name if not already given.
Bodega Head; Sonoma; (boh-day’gah) wine

vault; cellar.

Cape Viscaino; Mendocino; (vees-cah-ee’noh)
named for Sebastian Viscaino, discoverer
of the Bay of Monterey.

Goleta Point; Santa Barbara; (goh-lay’tah)
schooner.

Laguna Point; Ventura; (lah-goo’nah) lake.

Lopez Point; Monterey; (lo’pays) surname.

Pescadero Point; San Mateo.

Punta Gorda; Humboldt; (poon’tah gor’dah)
fat, broad headland.

Purisima Point; Santa Barbara; (poo-ree’see-
mah) very pure, undefiled.

Point Ano Nuevo; Santa Cruz (ahn’yo-noo-a’
voh) new year (Afio) year; nuevo, new.
Point Arguello; Santa Barbara; (arr-goo-ayl’

yo) named for Jose Arguello, Spanish Gov-

ernor of California in 1814-15.

Point Delgada; Humboldt; (dale-gah’doh)
thin, slender.

Point Esteros; San Luis Obispo; (ace-tare’ohs)
estuaries.

Point Loma; San Diego; (loh-mah) hill.

Point Pinos; Monterey; corruption of pifios;
(peen’yos) pine tree.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 89

PADRE JUNIPERO SERRA
By Clarence Urmy

Brave heart! How far thou camest over sea

And land undaunted by despair or dole;

Thro’ what great grieving thou didst reach
the goal

Mirage-like set beneath a cypress tree

At Monterey! So, here upon this knoll

Is set the Cross, a holy, silent plea

That all who read may ask on bended knee

The sweetest comfort for thy sainted soul.

A hallowed haunt this spot shall be,

As high on fame’s wide scroll all hearts agree

To write thy name—well earned thy aureole,

And long in wind and wave together roll;

As rang thy bells their Benedicite

The bells of memory shall ring for thee!
90 Spanish and Indian Place Names

SPANISH MISSIONS OF CALIFORNIA

The California Missions were established
by Spanish “padres” or friars under the lead-
ership of Padre Junipero Serra (who-nee’-
pay-row sare’rah) during the last half of the
eighteenth century and beginning of the nine-
teenth century. The Missions were scattered
along the coast from San Diego to Sonoma,
connected by a road named “El Camino Real”,
the King’s Highway. During this period Cali-
fornia was under Spanish dominion; it was a
period of poetry, adventure and romance. The
names of the Missions will be given in the
order of their founding.

San Diego de Alcald; near San Diego; found-
ed July 16, 1760. St. James of Alcala;
(sahn dee-a’goh day ahl-cah-lah”).

San Carlos Borroméo; also known as Mission
El Carmelo; near Monterey; founded June
3, 1770. St. Charles Borromeo; (sahn karr’
lohs borr-oh-may’oh).

San Carlos; in Monterey; founded 1770. This
was called an “Asistencia” or supplement-
ary mission to San Carlos Borromeo.

San Antonio de Padua; near Jolon; founded
July 14, 1771. St. Anthony of Padua; (sahn
ahn-tone’e-oh day pah’doo-ah).
Spanish and Indian Place Names 91

San Gabriel Arcangel; near Los Angeles;
founded September 8, 1771. St. Gabriel
the Archangel (sahn gah-bree-ell” ark ahn’
hell).

Pueblo Mission of Los Angeles; Los Angeles;
founded December 8, 1822. “Asistencia” or
supplementary mission to San Gabriel (poo-
a’blow).

San Luis Obispo de Tolosa; San Luis Obispo;
founded September 1, 1772. St. Louis,
Bishop of Tolosa; sahn loo-ees” oh-bees’
poh day toh-loh’sah).

Santa Margarita; San Luis Obispo. “Asist-

encia” or supplementary mission to San
Luis Obispo.

San Francisco de Asis; also called “El Mis-
sion Dolores”; San Francisco; founded Oc-
tober 9, 1776. St. Francis of Assisi. El
Mission Dolores standing for “Our Lady
of Sorrows or Dolores”; (sahn frahn-sees’
koh day ah-sees’).

San Juan Capistrano; Capistrano; founded
January 12, 1777. Si. John Capistrano;
(sahn whan’ kah-pees-trah’noh).

Santa Clara de Asis; Santa Clara; founded
Jonuary 12, 1777. Saint Clara of Assisi;
(sahn’tah klar’ah).
92 Spanish and Indian Place Names

San Buenaventura; San Buenaventura; found-
ed March 30, 1782. St. Buenaventura;
“saint good fortune”; (boo-ayn’ah-vehn-
too’rah).

Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara; founded De-

cember 4, 1786. Saint Barbara; (sahn’tah
barr’barr-ah).

La Purisima Concepcion; near Lompoc;
founded December 8, 1787. The Immacu-
late Conception; (lah poo-rees’e-mah cohn-
sep-see-own’).

Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz; founded September
25, 1791. Holy Cross; (sahn’tah kroos).

Nuestra Sefiora de la Soledad; near Soledad;
founded October 9, 1791. Our Lady of the
Solitude; (noo-ays’trah sayn-yore’ah day
lah so-lay-dahd’).

San José de Guadalupe; near San José; found-
ed June 11, 1797. St. Joseph of Guadalupe;
(sahn hoh-say’ day gua-dah-loo’pay).

San Juan Bautista; San Juan; founded June
24, 1797. St. John the Baptist; (sahn whan’
bough-tees’tah).

San Miguel Arcéngel; San Miguel; founded
July 25, 1797. St. Michael the Archangel;
(sahn mee-gell’ ark-ahn’hell).
Spanish and Indian Place Names 93

San Fernando, Rey de Espana; near San Fer-
nando; founded September 8 1797. St.
Ferdinand, King of Spain; (sahn fare-
nahn’doh ray day ess-pahn’yah).

San Luis, Rey de Francia; Oceanside; found-
ed June 13,1798. St. Louis, King of France;
(sahn loo-ees’ rey day frahn’see-ah).

San Antonio de Pala; Oceanside; founded
1816; “Asistencia” or supplementary mis-
sion to San Luis Rey. St. Anthony of
Pala; (sahn ahn-toh’nee-oh day pah’lah).

Santa Inez; near Los Olivos; founded Sep-
tember 17, 1804. St. Agnes; (sahn’tah ee’-
ness).

San Rafael, Arcangel; San Rafael; founded
December 14, 1817. St. Raphael the Arch-
angel; (sahn rah’fay-ell ark-ahn’hell).

San Francisco Solano; Sonoma; founded July
4, 1823. St. Francis Solano; (sahn frahn-
cees’koh soh-lah’noh).

The following Missions still remain in use:
San Carlos, San Gabriel, Pueblo Mission of
Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Mission Do-
lores of San Francisco, San Juan Capis-
trano, San Buenaventura, Santa Barbara,
94 Spanish and Indian Place Names

San Jose de Guadalupe, San Juan Bautista,
San Miguel Arcangel, San Luis Rey de
Francia, San Antonio de Pala, Santa Inez,
San Francisco Solano.

The following Missions have entirely disap-
peared: Santa Cruz, San Rafael, Arcangel.

The following ruins are still visible: San
Diego de Alcala, San Antonio de Padua,
Santa Clara de Asis, La Purisima Concep-
cion, Nuestra Senora de Soledad.
Spanish and Indian Place Names 95

PADRES PRESIDENTES

Padre Junipero Serra; Padre Presidente, 1769
to 1784; (who-nee’pay-row sare’rah).

Padre Fermin Francisco Lasuen; Padre Pres-
idente, 1784 to 1803; (fare-meen’ frahn-
cees’koh lah-soo’en).

Padre Estévan Tapis; Padre Presidente, 1803
to 1812; (es-tay’vahn tah pees).

Padre José Sefian; Padre Presidente, 1312 to
1815 (ho-say’ say’nyahn).

Padre Mariano Payéras; Padre Presidente,
1815; (mah-ree-ahn’noh pi-yare’ahs).
96 Spanish and Indian Place Names

FRANCISCAN FATHERS WHO SERVED
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF
PADRE JUNIPERO SERRA

José Altimira; (ho-say’ ahl-tee-mee’rah).

Abella; (ah-bell’yah).

Gregorio Amurrio; (gray-gor’ee-oh ah-moor’
ree-oh).

José Arroita; (ho-say’ arr-roh-ee’tah).

Isidore Barcenilla; (ee-see-door’roh bar-say-
neel’yah).

Juan Cabot; (hoo’ahn cah’bow).

Antonio Calzada; (ahn-toh’nee-yoh kahl-zah’-
dah).

Pedro Benito Cambon (pay’droh bay-nee’toh
cahm’bone).

Magin Catala; (mah’heen cah-tah’lah).

Cavaller; (cah-val’yare).

Antonio de la Concepcion; (ahn-toh’nee-yo
day lah kun-sep-see-ohn’).

Juan Crespi; (hoo-ahn’ cres’pee).

Cueva; (koo-a’vah).

Tomas de la Pefia; (toh-mahs’ day lah pane’-
yah).

José Maria del Real (hoo-say’ mah-ree’ah
dell ray-ahl’).

Juan Noberto de Santiago; (hoo-ahn no-bare’-
toh day sahn-tee-ah’go).
Spanish and Indian Place Names 97

Francisco Dumetz; (frahn-cees’koh doo’mets).

Narciso Duran; (nar-cees’soh doo-rahn’).

Vicénte Fuster; (vee-sen’tay foos’tare).

Diego Garcia; (dee-a’goh garr-see’ah).

Gil y Taboada; (heel ee tah-bow-ah’dah).

Gomez; (goh’mace).

Gorgonio; (gorr-goh’nee-oh).

Romualdo Guiterrez; (roh-moo-ahl’doh goot-
ee-air’ess).

Jayme; (hay’may).

Baldomero Lopez; (bahl-doh-mare’roh lo’-
pess).

José de Martiarena; (ho-say’ day mar-tee-ah-
ray’nah).

Luis Antonio Martinez; (loo-ees’ ahn-toh’nee-
oh marr-tee’ness).

Pedro Adriano Martinez; (pay’droh ah-dree-
ah’noh marr-tee’ness).

Augustin Merino; (ow-goos-teen’ may-ree’-
noh).

Pablo Mugartegui; (pah’blow moo-garr-tay-
gee’ee).

José Murguia; (ho-say’ moor-gee’ah).

Oramas; (oh-rah’mahs).

Parron; (parr-ohn’).

Paterna; (pah-tare’nah).

Mariano Payéras; (mar-ree-ahn’noh pi-yare’-
ahs).
98 Spanish and Indian Place Names

Antonio Peyri; (ahn-toh’nee-oh pay’ree).

Miguel Pieras; (mee-gell” pee-air’rahs).

Antonio Ripoli; (ahn-toh’nee-oh ree-poh’lee).

Rodriguez; (roh-dree’goo-ace).

Mariano Rubi; (mar-ree-ahn’noh roo-bee’).

Isidro Salazar; (e-see’droh sall-ah-sarr’).

Santa Maria; (sahn’tah mar-ree’ah).

Vicente de Sarria; (vee-sen’tay day sarr-ree’-
ah).

José Sefian; (ho-say’ say-nee-yahn’).

Buenaventura Sitjar; (boo-a’nah-ven-too’rah
seet’har).

Angel Somera; (ahn’hell so-may’rah).

Estévan Tapis; (ess-tay’vahn tah’pees).

Luis Toboada; (loo-ees’ toh-boh-ah’dah).

Francisco Javier Uria; (frahn-sees’koh haar-
vee-air’ oo-ree’ah).

Verger; (vare’hare).

José Vinals; (ho-say’ veen’yals).

Vizcaino; (vees-cah-ee’noh).

José Maria Zaloidea; (ho-say’ mar-ree’ah zah-
loh-ee-day’ah).
Spanish and Indian Place Names 99

SPANISH GOVERNORS OF

 

CALIFORNIA
Gaspar de Portold (gahs-parr’ day
porratoh-lah) o.oo. 1769-71
Felipe de Berri fr lee’pay day bare’-
ree)... 1771-74
Felipe de Neve (fay-lee’pay day nay’-
MANY iii i ie al 1774-82

Pedro Fages (pay’droh fah’gace) ........ 1782-90
José Romeu (ho-say’ roh’may-00)........ 1790-92
José Arrillaga (ho-say’ ahr-reel-yah’-

 

galt) lla 1792-94
Diego de Borica (dee-a’go day boh’

see-bah) i. 1794-1800
José Arrillaga (ho-say’ ahr-reel-yah’-

gah) 1800-14
José Arguello hase) ll 1814-15

Pablo de Sola (pah’blow day soh’lah)..1815-22
100 Spanish and Indian Place Names

MEXICAN GOVERNORS OF

 

CALIFORNIA

Luis Arguello (loo-ees’ ahr-goo-ayl’

yo) 1823-25
José Maria Echeandia (ho-say’ mah-

fee’ah a-chay-shu’dee-ah) ............ 1825-31
Manuel Victoria (mahn-oo-ell” veek-

orfee-ah) ia 1831-32
Pio Pico (pee’oh pee’koh) iin 1832-33
José Figueroa (ho-say’ fee-gay-roh’ah)1833-35
José Castro (ho-say’ koss’trow)............ 1835-36
Nicholas Gutierrez (nee’koh-lahs goo-

tee-air’iress) en (Jan. to May) 1836
Mariano Chico (marr-ee-ahn’noh chee’-

Koll) ors. (Few months) 1836
Nicholas Gutierrez (nee’koh-lahs goo-

tee-air/ress) ofa (Few months) 1836
Juan B. Alvarado (hoo-ahn” bee ahl-

vare-raldoh) et tes 1836-42
Manuel Micheltorena (mahn -oo -ell’

mee-hell-toh-ray’nah) commen. 1842-45

Pio Pico (pee’oh pee’koh)...(Feb. to
Aug.) .. i 1846

 
Spanish and Indian Place Names 101

AMERICAN GOVERNORS UNDER
MILITARY RULE
John DD. Sloat. cei einai July 7th, 1846
Robert P. Stockton..................... July 29th, 1846
John C. Fremont........ Jan. 19th, 1847 (50 days)
Stephen W. Keainy........ 1847 (March to May)
Richard B. Mason................. 1847 (May 31st)
Persifer FB. Smith..oirmiins Feb. 28th, 1849
Bemmet Riley... | oo April 12th, 1849
102 Spanish and Indian Place Names

FAMOUS MEN OF CALIFORNIA
HISTORY

Juan Bautista Anza; (hoo-ahn’ bow-tees’tah
ahn’zah) a Spanish explorer who founded
the city of San Francisco, 1776.

Captain Ayala; (i-yah’lah) a Spaniard; the
first person to sail into the harbor of San
Francisco, 1775.

Vasco Nufiez Balboa; (vahs’koh noon’yaz
boll-boh’ah) a Spanish adventurer and ex-
plorer who discovered the Pacific Ocean,
1513, and thus opened the way for those who
finally reached the California Coast.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo; (hoo-ahn’ row-dree’-
goo-ess kah-breel’yoh) a Portuguese, was
the virtual discoverer of California. In
September, 1542, he sailed into the harbor
of what is now San Diego Bay.

Hernando Cortéz (air-nahn’doh kor-tace’)
the Spanish conqueror of Mexico. He over-
threw Montezuma, king of the Aztec In-
dians, 1519. It was his spirit of exploration
which started the stream of discoverers who
finally reached California.
 

Spanish and Indian Place Names 103

Sir Francis Drake, the first Englishman to
circumnavigate the globe, sailed up the Cal-
ifornia coast and entered Drake’s Bay, near
Point Reyes, 1573.

Lieut. José Joaquin Moraga; (ho-say’ hooah-
keen’ moh-rah’gah) one of Anza’s Spanish
followers, whom he left in charge of the
infant colony of San Francisco, 1776.

Gaspar de Portold; (goss’par day porr-toh-
lah’) a Spaniard, was the discoverer of San
Francisco Bay, 1770. He became the first
Governor of California.

Ortega; (orr-tay’gah) one of Portola’s Span-
ish followers, was the first man to see the

Golden Gate, 1770.

Sebastian Vizcaino; (say-boss-tee-ahn” Vees-
kah-ee’noh) a Spaniard, discovered the Bay
of Monterey, 1602-1603, and sailed as far
north as Cape Mendocino.
104 Spanish and Indian Place Names

NOTE

Among the authorities consulted in prepar-
ing this book, grateful acknowledgement is
due to:

Henry Gannett: The Origin of Certain
Place Names in the United States. U. S.
Geological Survey Bulletin.

Prof. A. L. Kroeber: California Place Names

of Indian Origin.

Nellie Vandegrift Sanchez: Spanish and
Indian Place Names of California.

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