This document provides Spanish translations and meanings for various place names in California and other Southwestern U.S. states. It explains that many place names derive from Spanish words for natural features, people, religious figures, or descriptive terms. For example, it notes that Los Angeles means "the angels," Sierra Nevada means "snowy mountains," and Santa Barbara refers to a female saint.

1. Spa
nish
kno
you
wy
ou k don’t
plac
eve
es y now
ou k
…fr n
now om
, no
?
añol
S Esp
eSO e

2. Palabras que tú
ya conoces:
lugares

3. Camino Real

4. royal, road

5. Corona del Mar

6. crown of the sea

7. El Toro

8. the bull

9. Palos Verdes

10. green sticks

11. La Jolla

12. la joya = the jewel

13. Mission Viejo

14. old mission

15. Santa Ana

16. abuela de Jesús
madre de María

17. Palo Alto

18. tall stick
palo alto
short stick
palo bajo

19. Tijuana

20. tía = aunt, or chick, woman
Tía Juana = Aunt Juana

21. Pueblo

22. a people, a nation, a small town
Pueblo Indians were Indians that
built pueblos, who built a nation,
who were a people.

23. Santa Bárbara

24. b ar
b ar
(f e
ma ian s
ain
le)
t

25. La Mirada

26. la mirada = the glance
mirar = to look, to see

27. Los Angeles

28. the angels
el ángel
los ángeles

29. El Cajón

30. the box

31. Verdugo Flats

32. hangman, executioner

33. Baja California

34. Lower
California

35. Escondido

36. en
id d
h

37. Del Mar

38. of the ocean

39. Colorado

40. red colored

41. Florida

42. flowery
las flores = the flowers

43. Nevada

44. snowy
la nieve = the snow

45. El Alamo

46. the poplar (tree)

47. Arizona

48. arid zone
árido/a = arid

49. Texas

50. tiles

51. Las Pulgas Road

52. las pulgas = the fleas

53. Camino de Estrella

54. road of the star

55. Oso parkway

56. el oso = the bear

57. Mira Mar

58. see
mirar = to look, to see
mar = ocean

59. Costa Mesa

60. le
st tab
oa
c

61. Yorba Linda

62. Yorba Linda comes from hierba linda
hierba linda - beautiful grass

63. La Puente

64. el puente = the bridge

65. Río Grande

66. big river

67. Laguna

68. lagoon

69. El Monte

70. tain
oun
he m
t

71. Sierra Nevada

72. snowy mountain
sierra = saw or mountains
A sierra has a serrated edge.
nevada = snowy

73. Sierra Madre

74. mountain, mother
(mother mountain)

75. Cerritos

76. the hills

77. La Cañada

78. the gully, the ravine (canyon)

79. La Brea

80. the tar

81. Point Loma

82. loma = hillock, low ridge

83. Bolsa Chica

84. a
ls
o
b
e
d
n
a
r
g
bol
sa c
hic
a

85. Redondo Beach

86. round beach

87. Trabuco Canyon

88. blunderbus
Canyon is the same in Spanish, cañon.

89. Loma Linda

90. loma = hillock, low ridge
linda = beautiful

91. Rodeo Drive

92. detour
I took a rodeo (detour) to see a rodeo.
rodeo

93. Sacramento

94. the sacrements (Catholic) , the blessed
sacrement

95. Rancho
Cucamonga

96. ranch (same as in Spanish)
Rancho Cucamonga was a 13,045 acre
Mexican land grant given in 1839 to a
dedicated soldier, smuggler and
politician.

97. El Paso Roble

98. paso = way, pass, underpass
robles = oaks (tree)
Oak pass, way or road

99. Modesto

100. st
de
o
m

101. Marina del Rey

102. navy of the king
kings navy
navy
king

103. Calabasas

104. as h
squ
i n,
pk
pum

105. Chico, California

106. Chiquita: little girl, or
little one. An
affectionate
nickname
the little boy, the little girl, little, small
chico, chica, chiquita, chiquita
NOT THE BANANA

107. Manteca

108. pork fat, lard

109. Buena Vista

110. Bu
en
Co a
un V is
ty , ta
Ca , M
li fo a ri
r ni pos
a
a
good view

111. Buena Park

112. good park

113. Montana

114. Montana (la montaña) = the mountain

115. Altadena

116. Altadena is a name coined from the
Spanish “alta” meaning “up” and
“dena” from Pasadena.

117. Santa Fe

118. holy faith
A good name for a railroad. I have a
Santa Fe that Santa Fe will get me
there.

119. Del Amo

120. of t
he
ma
of t
s t er
he
own /m
of
i st r
er
es s
the
bos
s

121. Las Vegas

122. Las Vegas = the meadows