California is home to 58 counties, nearly 500 cities and towns, and thousands of natural landmarks, including lakes, rivers, mountains, valleys, deserts, and coastal places. Many of those names trace back to California’s deep Native American history, including tribal names, village sites, Indigenous leaders, landscape descriptions, and words later filtered through Spanish or English spellings.
This guide is a growing list of Native American place names in California, with examples from counties, cities, communities, landmarks, and natural features across the state. Some meanings are well documented, while others are debated, uncertain, or based on more than one possible origin.
My goal with this guide is not just to list names, but to help connect familiar California places with the Native languages, cultures, and histories behind them.
What Are Native American Place Names in California?
Native American place names in California are names of counties, cities, towns, landmarks, rivers, mountains, valleys, and other places that come from Indigenous languages, tribal names, village names, leaders, or descriptions of the land. Some names were kept close to their original form, while others changed over time through Spanish, Mexican, or English spelling and pronunciation.
Because of that, not every place-name meaning is simple or certain. Some California names have well-documented Native American origins, while others have debated meanings, multiple possible sources, or older spellings that make the original meaning harder to trace.
California Counties With Native American Names
Several California counties, along with nearby mountains, valleys, rivers, forests, and other landmarks, have names tied to Native American people, languages, leaders, or place-name traditions. In some cases, the origin is fairly clear. In others, there are multiple theories, so the meaning should be treated with some caution.
Inyo County, Inyo Mountains and Inyo National Forest
- Meaning: Often connected to a Native name associated with the mountains or a Native leader.
- Origin: One explanation connects the name to the Mono people’s name for the mountains, while another links it to a Timbisha tribal chief.
- Tribe / Language: Mono or Timbisha, depending on the source.
- Note: The exact origin is debated, so Inyo is best treated as a Native American-related place name with more than one possible explanation.
Marin County, City and Headlands
- Meaning: Named for Chief Marin, a Coast Miwok leader.
- Origin: The county name honors Marin, also known as Huicmuse, though the name Marin itself came through Spanish-era records rather than being his original Native name.
- Tribe / Language: Coast Miwok.
- Note: This is still one of the clearest examples of a California county named in connection with a Native American leader.
Modoc County, Modoc National Forest and Modoc Plateau
- Meaning: Named after the Modoc people.
- Origin: The name comes from the Modoc people, whose history is strongly tied to northeastern California and southern Oregon.
- Tribe / Language:
- Note: This name also appears across several major northern California landmarks.
Mono County, Mono Lake and Mono Village
- Meaning: Commonly connected to the Mono people, who were called Monachi by neighboring Yokuts groups.
- Origin: The name is often linked to Yokuts usage for people from the Sierra Nevada region. Some older or popular explanations connect the name to “fly people,” though that meaning should be treated cautiously.
- Tribe / Language: Yokuts term used in reference to the Mono people.
- Note: The people and region connection is stronger than the popular “fly people” explanation.
Napa County, Napa Valley, City and River
- Meaning: Commonly said to mean “home,” “house,” “village,” or “fish,” depending on the source.
- Origin: Napa is often connected to Patwin or Wappo language traditions, but the exact origin is debated.
- Tribe / Language: Patwin or Wappo, depending on the interpretation.
- Note: Because several meanings are repeated in different sources, Napa should be presented as a debated Native American-related place name rather than one with a single confirmed translation.
Shasta County, Lake, Dam, Mountain and Other Landmarks
- Meaning: Commonly connected to the Shasta people.
- Origin: Shasta became the English form used for the Shasta people and later appeared across multiple northern California landmarks.
- Tribe / Language:
- Note: The deeper meaning of the word Shasta is debated, but the name remains strongly tied to the Shasta people and northern California Native history. Mount Shasta remains a sacred site to these tribes.
Siskiyou County and Siskiyou Mountains
- Meaning: One popular explanation says the name means “bob-tailed horse.”
- Origin: The “bob-tailed horse” theory is often connected to Chinook Jargon. Another explanation says the name may come from the French phrase six cailloux, meaning “six stones.”
- Tribe / Language: Possibly Chinook Jargon, though the origin is debated.
- Note: Since there are competing theories, Siskiyou should be treated as a debated place name with a commonly repeated Native-language explanation.
Solano County
- Meaning: Named in connection with Suisun chief Chief Solano, also known as Sem-Yeto.
- Origin: The county name honors Chief Solano, though Solano was connected to his Spanish baptismal name rather than being his original Native name.
- Tribe / Language: Suisun / Patwin.
- Note: This is still an important California county name tied to a Native American leader.
Sonoma County, City, Valley and Mountains
- Meaning: Commonly associated with “Valley of the Moon,” though the exact meaning is debated.
- Origin: Other explanations connect Sonoma to a Pomo phrase, the local tribe known as the Chucuines or Sonomas, a regional Native word tso-noma meaning “earth village,” or a Patwin word meaning “nose.”
- Tribe / Language: Possibly Pomo, Patwin, Wappo, or another regional Native source.
- Note: “Valley of the Moon” is the popular meaning most readers recognize, but the origin should be treated as uncertain.
Tehama County, City and Mount Tehama
- Meaning: Commonly said to mean “high water.”
- Origin: Tehama is believed to come from a Wintuan or Wintun village name near the Sacramento River.
- Tribe / Language: Wintuan / Wintun.
- Note: The “high water” meaning is widely repeated, but the exact translation should be treated cautiously.
Tuolumne County, River and Meadows
- Meaning: Commonly connected to meanings such as “many stone houses,” “cluster of stone wigwams,” or “people who dwell in stone houses,” though those translations are debated.
- Origin: Tuolumne is likely tied to a Native group, village, or river name in the region.
- Tribe / Language: Often connected to Central California Native language traditions, though the exact source is debated.
- Note: The popular “stone houses” explanation can be mentioned, but it should not be presented as settled fact.
Yolo County and Village
- Meaning: “A place abounding in rushes.”
- Origin: From the Patwin word yo-loy.
- Tribe / Language:
- Note: This is one of the more direct county-name examples in the list.
California Landmarks and Natural Features With Native American Names
California’s Native American place names are not limited to counties, cities, and towns. They also appear in state parks, islands, deserts, canyons, lakes, mountains, and other natural landmarks. Some names come from Native people or languages directly, while others passed through Spanish or English before becoming the versions used today.
Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park
- Meaning: Commonly translated as “where the waters come together.”
- Origin: The park name comes from Ahjumawi, a band of the Pit River people.
- Tribe / Language: Ahjumawi / Pit River.
- Note: This is one of the clearest state park examples of a California landmark name tied directly to Native people and place.
Fallen Leaf Lake
- Meaning: Possibly tied to a Native American legend, or to a Delaware chief.
- Origin: The name is associated with a Native American legend, or a Delaware Chief.
- Tribe / Language: Unclear or debated.
- Note: Because there is more than one possible explanation, this name should be treated as uncertain.
Tahquitz Canyon
- Meaning: Named for Tahquitz, a major figure in Cahuilla legend.
- Origin: The canyon name comes from Cahuilla oral tradition and stories connected to Tahquitz.
- Tribe / Language:
- Note: This is a good example of a place name connected to Native legend rather than a direct landscape translation.
Temescal Canyon, Creek and Mountains
- Meaning: “Sweat lodge.”
- Origin: Temescal comes through Spanish usage and is believed to trace back to the Nahuatl language.
- Tribe / Language: Nahuatl, through Spanish.
- Note: This is a Native-language-derived place name, though not from a California Native language.
Anacapa Island
- Meaning: Commonly translated as “mirage,” “illusion,” or “deception.”
- Origin: From a Chumash name for the island.
- Tribe / Language:
- Note: The name fits the island’s offshore setting, where fog, distance, and light can make the Channel Islands appear and disappear along the horizon.
Mojave Desert
- Meaning: Commonly connected to the Mojave/Mohave people, whose name is often translated as “people along the water” or “people by the river.”
- Origin: The desert name comes from the Mojave/Mohave people.
- Tribe / Language: Mohave / Mojave.
- Note: The spelling “Mojave” is commonly used for the desert, while “Mohave” is often used for the people.
Yosemite
- Meaning: Commonly traced to a Miwok term often interpreted as “they are killers” or “those who kill.”
- Origin: The name Yosemite was applied by outsiders. The people who lived in the valley called the area Ahwahnee, commonly translated as “big mouth” or “gaping mouth-like place.”
- Tribe / Language: Miwok and Ahwahneechee context.
- Note: Yosemite is one of California’s best-known Native American-related place names, but the modern name was not the original name used by the people who lived in the valley.
California Cities, Communities and Settlements With Native American Names
Many California cities, communities, towns, villages, and settlement names also have Native American origins. Some come from California Native languages, while others were brought west from Indigenous languages or tribal names outside California.
I’m keeping the broader place-name list together here, but not every entry is a direct California Native-language name. Some are California Native names, some come from Native languages outside California, and a few are included for related historical or regional context.
Place Name | County / Region | Meaning / Origin | Tribe / People / Language |
Acalanes Ridge | Contra Costa | From the Costanoan/Saklan village name Ahala-n. | Costanoan / Saklan |
Rancho Acalanes | Contra Costa | From the Costanoan/Saklan village name Ahala-n. | Costanoan / Saklan |
Aguanga | Riverside | From Luiseño awáanga, meaning “dog place.” | Luiseño |
Ahwahnee | Madera | From Southern Sierra Miwok awooni, connected to Yosemite Valley and often translated as “big mouth.” | Southern Sierra Miwok |
Alleghany | Sierra | From Lenape/Algonquian oolikhanna, meaning “fine river.” The name was brought west. | Lenape / Algonquian |
Aptos | Santa Cruz | From the Ohlone/Awaswas village name Awatos or Aptos. | Ohlone / Awaswas |
Arcata | Humboldt | From Wiyot/Yurok oket’oh, meaning “where there is a lagoon.” | Wiyot / Yurok |
Azusa | Los Angeles | From the Tongva village name Asuksagna. | Tongva |
Cabazon | Riverside | Named for Cahuilla leader Juan Cabazon, with the name recorded through Spanish spelling. | Cahuilla |
Cahuenga | Los Angeles | From Tongva, possibly meaning “place of the hill” or “place of the fox.” | Tongva |
Calistoga | Napa | From the Wappo village name Cali-sto-gawa. | Wappo |
Camanche | Calaveras / Amador | Possibly from Yokuts kamanci, meaning “many ponds,” though the origin is debated. | Yokuts, possible / debated |
Cherokee | Butte / Nevada | Named for the Cherokee people. This is an Eastern tribal name, not a California Native origin. | Cherokee |
Cohasset | Butte | From Algonquian, through a Massachusetts place name, quonohassit, meaning “long rocky place.” | Algonquian / Eastern origin |
Colma | San Mateo | Ohlone origin, possibly meaning “springs” or “hill.” | Ohlone |
Concow | Butte | From Maidu koyom-kawi, meaning “meadow people.” | Maidu |
Cotati | Sonoma | Named for Coast Miwok chief Kotati. | Coast Miwok |
Fresno | Fresno | Fresno is a Spanish name meaning “ash tree,” but it is included here for related Native American place-name context because the region is tied to Yokuts and other Central Valley Native histories. | Spanish name with Yokuts regional context |
Honcut | Butte / Yuba | From a Maidu name for a local stream. | Maidu |
Jolon | Monterey | From an Esselen or Salinan village name, often translated as “valley of dead oaks.” | Esselen / Salinan |
Jurupa Valley | Riverside | From the Serrano/Tongva place name Jurumpa or Jurupa. | Serrano / Tongva |
Klamath | Del Norte / Siskiyou | From the Chinookan/Salish ethnonym Klamet, connected to the Klamath people. | Klamath / Chinookan or Salish origin |
Laguna Niguel | Orange | From the Acjachemen/Juaneño village name Niguili. | Acjachemen / Juaneño |
Lake Shastina | Siskiyou | From the Shasta people or Shasta ethnonym. | Shasta |
Lompoc | Santa Barbara | From Chumash Lumpo’k, meaning “lagoon” or “stagnant water.” | Chumash |
Malibu | Los Angeles | From Ventureño Chumash Humaliwo, commonly connected to the sound of the surf and often translated as “where the surf sounds loudly.” The exact meaning should be treated cautiously. | Ventureño Chumash |
Merrimac | Butte | From Algonquian Monnomohkah, meaning “swift current.” This is an Eastern-origin name. | Algonquian / Eastern origin |
Milpitas | Santa Clara | From Nahuatl milpa, meaning “cornfield,” through Spanish milpitas. | Nahuatl, through Spanish |
Mi-Wuk Village | Tuolumne | Named for the Miwok people. | Miwok |
Mount Shasta | Siskiyou | From the Shasta people or Shasta ethnonym, though the deeper meaning of the name is debated. | Shasta |
Napa | Napa | Commonly connected to meanings such as “home,” “house,” “village,” or “fish,” depending on the source. The exact origin is debated. | Patwin / Wappo |
New Chicago | Amador | Named after Chicago, which is widely traced to the Miami-Illinois word shikaakwa, commonly connected to wild onion, wild garlic, leeks, or ramps. This is a Native American-origin name brought west rather than a California Native-language name. | Miami-Illinois |
Nimshew | Butte | From Maidu, meaning “large spring.” | Maidu |
Nipinnawasee | Madera | From Miwok nipina-wasi, meaning “home of the deer.” | Miwok |
Nipomo | San Luis Obispo | From Chumash nipumu, meaning “foot of the hills.” | Chumash |
Ojai | Ventura | From Ventureño Chumash ’awha’y, meaning “moon.” | Ventureño Chumash |
Palm Springs | Riverside | The English name Palm Springs came later, but the Cahuilla name for the area is commonly given as Séc-he, often translated as “boiling water” or connected to the sound of boiling water. | Cahuilla |
Pasadena | Los Angeles | From Ojibwe/Chippewa pa-sa-de-na, meaning “of the valley.” This name was brought west. | Ojibwe / Chippewa |
Petaluma | Sonoma | From Coast Miwok péta-luma, meaning “backside of the hills.” | Coast Miwok |
Piru | Ventura | From Chumash Píiru, linked to wild tobacco. | Chumash |
Pismo Beach | San Luis Obispo | From Chumash pismu, meaning “tar.” | Chumash |
Port Hueneme | Ventura | From Chumash Wene’mu, meaning “resting place.” | Chumash |
Poway | San Diego | From Kumeyaay, often translated as “watering hole” or “little valley.” | Kumeyaay |
Rancho Cucamonga | San Bernardino | From Tongva Kukamonga, meaning “sandy place.” | Tongva |
Saticoy | Ventura | From the Chumash village name Sa’aqtikoy. | Chumash |
Shasta Lake | Shasta | From the Shasta people or Shasta ethnonym, though the deeper meaning of the name is debated. | Shasta |
Simi Valley | Ventura | From Chumash Shimiji or Shimiyi, often translated as “stringy mists” or “clouds.” | Chumash |
Sisquoc | Santa Barbara | From Chumash Sísqoq, with possible meanings including “knee” or “quail.” | Chumash |
Sonoma | Sonoma | Commonly associated with “Valley of the Moon,” though other explanations connect it to Pomo, Patwin, Wappo, or other regional Native sources. The exact origin is debated. | Pomoan / Patwin / Wappo, debated |
South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado | From Washo da’aw, meaning “the lake.” | Washo |
Soquel | Santa Cruz | From the Ohlone/Awaswas village name Soquel. | Ohlone / Awaswas |
Suisun City | Solano | From the Suisun, a Patwin people, often translated as “west wind.” | Suisun / Patwin |
Tassajara Hot Springs | Monterey | From Esselen tasajára, meaning “place of willows.” | Esselen |
Tehachapi | Kern | From Kawaiisu/Nüwa, often translated as “hard climb.” | Kawaiisu / Nüwa |
Tehama | Tehama | Commonly said to mean “high water,” though the name is also tied to a Wintuan or Wintun village name near the Sacramento River. | Wintuan / Wintun |
Temecula | Riverside | From Luiseño Temeekunga or Temecunga, commonly translated as “where the sun breaks through the mist.” | Luiseño |
Tionesta | Modoc | Possibly from a Paiute or Modoc village name. | Paiute / Modoc, possible |
Toluca Lake | Los Angeles | From Tongva Toluca, possibly meaning “fertile valley.” | Tongva |
Topanga | Los Angeles | From a Tongva place-name tradition. It is popularly translated as “where the mountain meets the sea,” though the exact meaning is debated. | Tongva |
Truckee | Nevada | Named after a Northern Paiute Chief. | Northern Paiute |
Tulare | Tulare | From Spanish tule, from a Nahuatl-origin word for a reed or marsh plant. | Nahuatl, through Spanish |
Ukiah | Mendocino | From Pomo Yokaya, meaning “deep valley” or “long valley.” | Pomo |
Wasco | Kern | Named after the Wasco people of Oregon. | Wasco / Chinookan |
Wyandotte | Butte | Named after the Wyandot people of the Great Lakes region. | Wyandot / Great Lakes origin |
Yucaipa | San Bernardino | From Serrano/Yuhaviatam Yukaipa’t, meaning “green valley.” | Serrano / Yuhaviatam |
Yeomet | Tuolumne | From a Miwok village name. | Miwok |
Yreka | Siskiyou | Possibly from a Shasta word, wáik’a, meaning “north mountain.” | Shasta, possible |
Zayante | Santa Cruz | From the Ohlone/Sayanta village name. | Ohlone / Sayanta |
California Cities, Communities and Settlements With Native American Names
Many California cities, communities, towns, villages, and settlement names also have Native American origins. Some come from California Native languages, while others were brought west from Indigenous languages or tribal names outside California.
I’m keeping the broader place-name list together here, but not every entry is a direct California Native-language name. Some are California Native names, some come from Native languages outside California, and a few are included for related historical or regional context.
Place Name | County / Region | Meaning / Origin | Tribe / People / Language |
Acalanes Ridge | Contra Costa | From the Costanoan/Saklan village name Ahala-n. | Costanoan / Saklan |
Rancho Acalanes | Contra Costa | From the Costanoan/Saklan village name Ahala-n. | Costanoan / Saklan |
Aguanga | Riverside | From Luiseño awáanga, meaning “dog place.” | Luiseño |
Ahwahnee | Madera | From Southern Sierra Miwok awooni, connected to Yosemite Valley and often translated as “big mouth.” | Southern Sierra Miwok |
Alleghany | Sierra | From Lenape/Algonquian oolikhanna, meaning “fine river.” The name was brought west. | Lenape / Algonquian |
Aptos | Santa Cruz | From the Ohlone/Awaswas village name Awatos or Aptos. | Ohlone / Awaswas |
Arcata | Humboldt | From Wiyot/Yurok oket’oh, meaning “where there is a lagoon.” | Wiyot / Yurok |
Azusa | Los Angeles | From the Tongva village name Asuksagna. | Tongva |
Cabazon | Riverside | Named for Cahuilla leader Juan Cabazon, with the name recorded through Spanish spelling. | Cahuilla |
Cahuenga | Los Angeles | From Tongva, possibly meaning “place of the hill” or “place of the fox.” | Tongva |
Calistoga | Napa | From the Wappo village name Cali-sto-gawa. | Wappo |
Camanche | Calaveras / Amador | Possibly from Yokuts kamanci, meaning “many ponds,” though the origin is debated. | Yokuts, possible / debated |
Cherokee | Butte / Nevada | Named for the Cherokee people. This is an Eastern tribal name, not a California Native origin. | Cherokee |
Cohasset | Butte | From Algonquian, through a Massachusetts place name, quonohassit, meaning “long rocky place.” | Algonquian / Eastern origin |
Colma | San Mateo | Ohlone origin, possibly meaning “springs” or “hill.” | Ohlone |
Concow | Butte | From Maidu koyom-kawi, meaning “meadow people.” | Maidu |
Cotati | Sonoma | Named for Coast Miwok chief Kotati. | Coast Miwok |
Fresno | Fresno | Fresno is a Spanish name meaning “ash tree,” but it is included here for related Native American place-name context because the region is tied to Yokuts and other Central Valley Native histories. | Spanish name with Yokuts regional context |
Honcut | Butte / Yuba | From a Maidu name for a local stream. | Maidu |
Jolon | Monterey | From an Esselen or Salinan village name, often translated as “valley of dead oaks.” | Esselen / Salinan |
Jurupa Valley | Riverside | From the Serrano/Tongva place name Jurumpa or Jurupa. | Serrano / Tongva |
Klamath | Del Norte / Siskiyou | From the Chinookan/Salish ethnonym Klamet, connected to the Klamath people. | Klamath / Chinookan or Salish origin |
Laguna Niguel | Orange | From the Acjachemen/Juaneño village name Niguili. | Acjachemen / Juaneño |
Lake Shastina | Siskiyou | From the Shasta people or Shasta ethnonym. | Shasta |
Lompoc | Santa Barbara | From Chumash Lumpo’k, meaning “lagoon” or “stagnant water.” | Chumash |
Malibu | Los Angeles | From Ventureño Chumash Humaliwo, commonly connected to the sound of the surf and often translated as “where the surf sounds loudly.” The exact meaning should be treated cautiously. | Ventureño Chumash |
Merrimac | Butte | From Algonquian Monnomohkah, meaning “swift current.” This is an Eastern-origin name. | Algonquian / Eastern origin |
Milpitas | Santa Clara | From Nahuatl milpa, meaning “cornfield,” through Spanish milpitas. | Nahuatl, through Spanish |
Mi-Wuk Village | Tuolumne | Named for the Miwok people. | Miwok |
Mount Shasta | Siskiyou | From the Shasta people or Shasta ethnonym, though the deeper meaning of the name is debated. | Shasta |
Napa | Napa | Commonly connected to meanings such as “home,” “house,” “village,” or “fish,” depending on the source. The exact origin is debated. | Patwin / Wappo |
New Chicago | Amador | New Chicago is not a Native-language place name, but it is included here as a related historical settlement entry from the broader place-name list. | Not Native-origin / historical settlement context |
Nimshew | Butte | From Maidu, meaning “large spring.” | Maidu |
Nipinnawasee | Madera | From Miwok nipina-wasi, meaning “home of the deer.” | Miwok |
Nipomo | San Luis Obispo | From Chumash nipumu, meaning “foot of the hills.” | Chumash |
Ojai | Ventura | From Ventureño Chumash ’awha’y, meaning “moon.” | Ventureño Chumash |
Palm Springs | Riverside | The English name Palm Springs came later, but the Cahuilla name for the area is commonly given as Séc-he, often translated as “boiling water” or connected to the sound of boiling water. | Cahuilla |
Pasadena | Los Angeles | From Ojibwe/Chippewa pa-sa-de-na, meaning “of the valley.” This name was brought west. | Ojibwe / Chippewa |
Petaluma | Sonoma | From Coast Miwok péta-luma, meaning “backside of the hills.” | Coast Miwok |
Piru | Ventura | From Chumash Píiru, linked to wild tobacco. | Chumash |
Pismo Beach | San Luis Obispo | From Chumash pismu, meaning “tar.” | Chumash |
Port Hueneme | Ventura | From Chumash Wene’mu, meaning “resting place.” | Chumash |
Poway | San Diego | From Kumeyaay, often translated as “watering hole” or “little valley.” | Kumeyaay |
Rancho Cucamonga | San Bernardino | From Tongva Kukamonga, meaning “sandy place.” | Tongva |
Saticoy | Ventura | From the Chumash village name Sa’aqtikoy. | Chumash |
Shasta Lake | Shasta | From the Shasta people or Shasta ethnonym, though the deeper meaning of the name is debated. | Shasta |
Simi Valley | Ventura | From Chumash Shimiji or Shimiyi, often translated as “stringy mists” or “clouds.” | Chumash |
Sisquoc | Santa Barbara | From Chumash Sísqoq, with possible meanings including “knee” or “quail.” | Chumash |
Sonoma | Sonoma | Commonly associated with “Valley of the Moon,” though other explanations connect it to Pomo, Patwin, Wappo, or other regional Native sources. The exact origin is debated. | Pomoan / Patwin / Wappo, debated |
South Lake Tahoe | El Dorado | From Washo da’aw, meaning “the lake.” | Washo |
Soquel | Santa Cruz | From the Ohlone/Awaswas village name Soquel. | Ohlone / Awaswas |
Suisun City | Solano | From the Suisun, a Patwin people, often translated as “west wind.” | Suisun / Patwin |
Tassajara Hot Springs | Monterey | From Esselen tasajára, meaning “place of willows.” | Esselen |
Tehachapi | Kern | From Kawaiisu/Nüwa, often translated as “hard climb.” | Kawaiisu / Nüwa |
Tehama | Tehama | Commonly said to mean “high water,” though the name is also tied to a Wintuan or Wintun village name near the Sacramento River. | Wintuan / Wintun |
Temecula | Riverside | From Luiseño Temeekunga or Temecunga, commonly translated as “where the sun breaks through the mist.” | Luiseño |
Tionesta | Modoc | Possibly from a Paiute or Modoc village name. | Paiute / Modoc, possible |
Toluca Lake | Los Angeles | From Tongva Toluca, possibly meaning “fertile valley.” | Tongva |
Topanga | Los Angeles | From a Tongva place-name tradition. It is popularly translated as “where the mountain meets the sea,” though the exact meaning is debated. | Tongva |
Truckee | Nevada | Named after a Northern Paiute Chief. | Northern Paiute |
Tulare | Tulare | From Spanish tule, from a Nahuatl-origin word for a reed or marsh plant. | Nahuatl, through Spanish |
Ukiah | Mendocino | From Pomo Yokaya, meaning “deep valley” or “long valley.” | Pomo |
Wasco | Kern | Named after the Wasco people of Oregon. | Wasco / Chinookan |
Wyandotte | Butte | Named after the Wyandot people of the Great Lakes region. | Wyandot / Great Lakes origin |
Yucaipa | San Bernardino | From Serrano/Yuhaviatam Yukaipa’t, meaning “green valley.” | Serrano / Yuhaviatam |
Yeomet | Tuolumne | From a Miwok village name. | Miwok |
Yreka | Siskiyou | Possibly from a Shasta word, wáik’a, meaning “north mountain.” | Shasta, possible |
Zayante | Santa Cruz | From the Ohlone/Sayanta village name. | Ohlone / Sayanta |
Why Some California Place-Name Meanings Are Debated
Not every Native American place name in California has one clear meaning. Some names were written down by Spanish explorers, missionaries, settlers, mapmakers, or government officials who were hearing Indigenous words through a different language. Over time, spellings changed, pronunciations shifted, and some original meanings became harder to trace.
In other cases, a place name may have more than one possible source. A name might be linked to a Native village, a tribal group, a local leader, a landscape description, or a later interpretation that became widely repeated. That is why some names in this guide are listed with possible meanings instead of one definite answer.
When the origin is uncertain, I try to note that clearly rather than present one version as fact. California’s Native American place names are important, but they also deserve careful wording because many of these names come from complex histories, living cultures, and languages that were often recorded imperfectly by outsiders.
Native American Place Names and Living Culture in California
These place names are one way California’s Native American history still appears on modern maps, road signs, parks, counties, cities, and landmarks. But they are only one part of a much larger living culture that continues across the state today.
I also put together a guide to California Pow Wows for readers who want to learn more about gatherings where Native communities share dancing, drumming, regalia, food, art, and cultural traditions with the public.
FAQ About Native American Place Names in California
Here are a few quick answers to common questions about Native American place names in California.
What are Native American place names in California?
Native American place names in California are names of counties, cities, towns, landmarks, rivers, mountains, valleys, islands, deserts, and other places that come from Indigenous languages, tribal names, village names, Native leaders, or descriptions of the land.
What California counties have Native American names?
Several California counties have names tied to Native American origins, including Inyo, Marin, Modoc, Mono, Napa, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Tuolumne, and Yolo. Some of these names have clear origins, while others have debated meanings or multiple possible sources.
What California cities have Native American names?
California cities and communities with Native American place-name origins include Malibu, Ojai, Pismo Beach, Poway, Temecula, Topanga, Yucaipa, Yreka, and others. Some names come from California Native languages, while others may come from Indigenous languages outside California.
What does Yosemite mean?
Yosemite is commonly traced to a Miwok term often interpreted as “they are killers” or “those who kill.” However, the people who lived in Yosemite Valley called the area Ahwahnee, commonly translated as “big mouth” or “gaping mouth-like place.” That makes Yosemite one of the best-known examples of a California place name with a complicated Native American origin.
What does Malibu mean?
Malibu is believed to come from the Chumash village name Humaliwo. It is commonly connected to the sound of the surf and often translated as “where the surf sounds loudly,” though the exact meaning should be treated cautiously.
What does Napa mean?
Napa is commonly said to mean “home,” “house,” “village,” or “fish,” depending on the source. It is often connected to Patwin or Wappo language traditions, but because of competing explanations, Napa’s exact meaning is best treated as uncertain.
Are all California Native American place-name meanings certain?
No. Some meanings are well documented, but others are debated or uncertain. Many names changed as they passed through Spanish, Mexican, or English records, and some were written down by people who were not native speakers of the original language.
Why do some California place names have Native American origins outside California?
Some California place names come from Native American languages or tribal names outside California because settlers, officials, or later residents brought those names with them. That means a place can have a Native American-origin name even if the language or tribe connected to the word was not originally from California.
Sources
Bright, W. (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press.
Gudde, E. G., & Bright, W. (revised ed.). (1998). California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names and 1500 California Place Names. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Kroeber, A. L. (1916). California Place Names of Indian Origin. University of California Press.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/California_place_names_of_Indian_origin_%28IA_californiaplacen00kroerich%29.pdf
U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Board on Geographic Names. (2024). Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) — Download names data. U.S. Department of the Interior.
Native American Heritage Commission. (n.d.). Cultural base map / Tribal atlas / Sacred Lands summaries. California Native American Heritage Commission.
Visit California. “Ahjumawi Lava Springs State Park.”
https://www.visitcalifornia.com/experience/ahjumawi-lava-springs-state-park/
National Park Service. “Mojave Tribe.” Mojave National Preserve.
https://www.nps.gov/moja/learn/historyculture/mojave-tribe.htm
City of Temecula. “Temecula History.”
https://temeculaca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/283
City of Pismo Beach. “Department History.”
https://www.pismobeach.org/319/Department-History
Wikipedia contributors. (2025, February 7). “List of California placenames of Native American origin.” In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
American Name Society. “How Chicago got its name.”
https://www.americannamesociety.org/how-chicago-got-its-name/
