Etymology of place names in Los Angeles County, California
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
The names of places in Los Angeles County, California, have interesting stories behind them. Many of these names come from different languages and cultures, showing the history of the people who lived there. For example, some names are from Spanish or Native American languages, reflecting the area's rich past.
Learning about where place names come from helps us understand more about the history and culture of Los Angeles. It shows how different groups of people have influenced the area over time. By studying these names, we can discover fascinating facts about the people and events that shaped the region.
This list gives just a few examples of how places in Los Angeles got their names. Each name is a piece of the puzzle that tells us about the community's past. Exploring these names can be a fun way to learn more about the interesting history of Los Angeles County.
A-K
Many place names in Los Angeles County have interesting origins. The names often come from history, nature, or important people. For example, some names might come from rivers, mountains, or early settlers who lived in the area.
| Place Name | Source |
|---|---|
| Abbot Kinney Boulevard | Abbot Kinney, founder of Venice, California |
| Aliso Street | Named after the aliso, the old sycamore that stood at the entrance of Jean-Louis Vignes' winery |
| Alvarado Street | Juan Bautista Alvarado, Mexican Governor of Alta California |
| Baldwin Hills neighborhood | E. J. "Lucky" Baldwin, mining and real estate investor |
| Beaudry Avenue | Prudent Beaudry, Los Angeles mayor |
| Bel-Air neighborhood | Alphonzo E. Bell, Sr., owner of the "Buenos Aires Ranch" |
| Brooklyn Avenue | After Brooklyn, New York, in honor of the many Jewish Americans living in Boyle Heights at the time |
| Cahuenga Boulevard Cahuenga Pass | Cahuenga, the Spanish name for the Tongva village of Kawengna, meaning place of the mountain |
| César E. Chávez Avenue | César Chávez Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist |
| Crenshaw neighborhood Crenshaw Boulevard | George Crenshaw, banker and real estate developer |
| Figueroa Avenue Figueroa Street | José Figueroa, Mexican Governor of Alta California |
| Glassell Park neighborhood | Andrew Glassell real estate lawyer and owner |
| Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory | Griffith J. Griffith, Welsh-American industrialist and philanthropist |
| Huntington Drive | Henry E. Huntington, railroad magnate and business man |
L-Z
This section lists the origins of place names in Los Angeles County from L to Z. Each name has a unique story behind it, often tied to history, nature, or culture. The details are shown in a table.
| Place Name | Source |
|---|---|
| La Brea Avenue | La Brea, the Spanish name for the oil fields near present-day Hancock Park, meaning tar |
| Lankershim Boulevard | Isaac B. Lankershim, German-American landowner |
| Leimert Park | Walter H. "Tim" Leimert |
| Los Feliz neighborhood Los Feliz Boulevard | Rancho Los Feliz, originally granted to José Vincente Feliz |
| Micheltorena Street | Manuel Micheltorena, Mexican Governor of Alta California |
| Mulholland Drive Mulholland Highway | William Mulholland, water-services pioneer in Southern California |
| Olvera Street | Augustín Olvera, early Los Angeles judge |
| Olympic Boulevard | Formerly 10th Street; First referred to as Olympic Blvd in 1931 in honor of X Olympiad in 1932 (name change official in 1935) |
| Pico Boulevard | Pío Pico, last Mexican Governor of Alta California |
| Rosecrans Avenue | William Rosecrans, Civil War general and owner of Rancho San Pedro |
| Sepulveda Boulevard Sepulveda Pass | Sepúlveda family |
| Sherman Oaks neighborhood Sherman Way | Moses Sherman, land developer and streetcar line owner |
| Silver Lake neighborhood Silver Lake Boulevard Silver Lake Reservoir | Herman Silver |
| Slauson Avenue | J. S. Slauson, land developer |
| Tarzana neighborhood | Tarzana Ranch, owned by the creator of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs |
| Tujunga neighborhood Tujunga Avenue | From the Tongva term Tuyunga, meaning mountain range from tu'xuu = old woman tu'xuunga = place of the old woman |
| Van Nuys neighborhood Van Nuys Boulevard | Isaac Newton Van Nuys, businessman, banker and real estate developer |
| Vignes Street | Jean Louis Vignes, French settler in Los Angeles who planted European grapes |
| Watts neighborhood | Charles H. Watts, real estate developer |
| Wilmington neighborhood | Wilmington, Delaware, birthplace of founder Phineas Banning |
| Wilshire Boulevard | Gaylord Wilshire, land developer, publisher and outspoken socialist |
| Workman Street, Lincoln Heights | William H. Workman, Los Angeles mayor |
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Etymology of place names in Los Angeles County, California, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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