List of California placenames of Native American origin

Many places throughout the U.S. state of California take their names from the languages of the indigenous Native American/American Indian tribes. The following list includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions whose names are derived from these indigenous languages.

Listings Counties

Inyo County – named after the eponymous Mono chief. Inyo Mountains Inyo Volcanic Chain Inyo National Forest Marin County – named after the eponymous Coast Miwok chief. Marin City Marin Creek Marin Headlands Marin Hills Marin Islands Modoc County – named after the Modoc people. Modoc National Forest Modoc Plateau Modoc Crater Mono County – from the Yokuts phrase monachi, meaning "those from the Sierra Nevada". Mono Village Mono Mills Mono Lake Napa County – from the Patwin phrase napo, meaning "home". City of Napa Napa River Napa Valley Shasta County – named after the Shasta people. Region of Shasta Cascade City of Shasta Lake City of Mount Shasta Village of Shasta Village of Little Shasta Mount Shasta Shasta Dam Shasta Lake Shasta River Siskiyou County – disputed origin; likely from a Chinook Jargon phrase meaning "bob-tailed horse". Siskiyou Mountains Siskiyou National Forest Solano County – named after the eponymous Suisun chief. Sonoma County – disputed origin; likely from a Pomoan phrase meaning "valley of the moon". City of Sonoma Sonoma Valley Sonoma Mountains Tehama County – from a Wintuan phrase meaning "high water". City of Tehama Mount Tehama Tuolumne County – disputed origin; likely from the phrase talmalamne of unknown origin, meaning "cluster of stone wigwams". Tuolumne City Tuolumne River Tuolumne Grove Tuolumne Meadows Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne Yolo County – from the Patwin phrase yo-loy, meaning "a place abounding in rushes". Village of Yolo

Settlements

Acalanes Ridge Aguanga Ahwahnee Alleghany Aptos Azusa – from Tongva village "Azucsagna". Cabazon Cahuenga Calistoga Camanche Village Camanche North Shore Cherokee – named after the Cherokee people. Cohasset Colma Concow Cotati Honcut Jolon Jurupa Valley Klamath River Named after the Klamath River Laguna Niguel Lake Shastina Lompoc Malibu – from Ventureño "Umalibu, perhaps reflecting , "it (the surf) makes a loud noise all the time over there". Merrimac Milpitas Mi-Wuk Village Napa New Chicago Nimshew NipinnawaseeU.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Nipinnawasee, California Nipomo Ojai Petaluma Piru Pismo Beach – from Chumash "Pismu" for "tar". Point Mugu Port Hueneme Poway – from Kumeyaay language. Rancho Cucamonga Saratoga Saticoy Séc-he, Cahuilla for Palm Springs, California Simi Valley – from Ventureño "Simiyi". Sisquoc Sonoma Soquel Suisun City Tassajara Hot Springs TehachapiTomo-Kahni Resource Center Temecula – from Luiseño "Temeekunga". Tionesta Toluca Lake Topanga Tujunga Wyandotte Yucaipa Yeomet Yreka Zayante

Bodies of water Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park – named after the Achowami people. Lake Cachuma Tahquitz Canyon and Creek, Falls, Peak, and Rock, named for Cahuilla legend Tahquitz Temescal Canyon, Creek, Mountains, and Valley Islands Anacapa Island Other Mojave Desert – named after the Mohave people. Yosemite National Park

See also List of place names in the United States of Native American origin List of placenames of indigenous origin in the Americas Native Americans in the United States

References Citations

Sources