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
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