Spanish Place Names in California

• Alameda - Poplar Grove
• Los Alamitos - The Poplars or The Cottonwoods (Alamitos is the diminutive for the Spanish word for poplars or cottonwoods)
• Alamo - Poplar (the tree)
• Alcatraz - Pelican (Alacatraz Island - Isla del los Alcatraces - Pelican Island)
• Los Angeles - The Angels
• Bolsa Chica - Small Stock Market
• La Brea - The Tar
• Buena Vista - Good View
• Cabo - Cape
• Cajon - Bos, chest or drawer
• Canada - Dell, a small isolated valley
• Los Cerritos - The Small Hills
• Chico - Little Stream
• Chino - Chinese
• Colorado - Red Colored
• Costa Mesa - Coastal Plateau
• Crusces - Crosses
• Las Tunas - The Cactus Pear
• Escondido - Hidden (probably reffing to a hidden valley)
• Florida - Flowery
• Fresno - Ash Tree (named after white ash trees in the area)
• Los Gatos - The Cats
• Gordo - Fat
• La Habra - The Opening (La Habra is named after a nearby mountain pass)
• Hermosa - Beautiful
• Isabel - Elizabeth
• Junta - Meeting
• Las Vegas - The Meadows
• Llano - Plain
• Lobo - Wolf
• Manteca - Lard (from manteca)
• Mariposa - Butterfly
• Merced - Mercy
• Milpitas - Little Cornfields
• Mirada - view
• Miraloma - Look at the hillock (low ridge)
• Miramar - Look at the sea
• Modesto - Modest
• Montana - Mountain
• Monticello - Hill or small mountain
• Negro - Black
• Nevada - Snow, snowfall, snow-covered
• Nogales - Walnut trees
• Obispo - Bishop
• Oro - Gold
• Pais - Country
• Palo - Stick, pole, tree (Palo Alto - high tree)
• Palomar - Dovecot (small house on a pole for doves)
• Paso - Mountain pass
• Placer - Sandbank
• Plano - Flat
• Plata - Silver
• Presidio - Fort or Fortress
• Pueblo - Town, village
• Puente - Bridge
• Puerto - Port
• Punta - Point
• Quinta - Country house
• Rancho - Ranch or farm
• Redondo - Round
• Rosa - rose
• Salida - exit
• Salinas - Salt marshes
• Sangre - Blood
• Sausalito - Little Willow
• Sierra - Mountain Range
• Socorro - Help, aid, assistance
• Tejon - Badger
• Tiburon - Shark
• Tierrasanta - Saintly land, or holy ground
• Tonto - Stupid (think about the Lone Ranger)
• Vaca - Cos, beef
• Valle - Valley
• Vallecito - Small valley
• Vegas - Meadows
• Ventura - Happiness, luck

Kastner Home Page