Etymology of place names in Los Angeles County, California facts for kids

Los Angeles is a huge, exciting city, and many of its streets, neighborhoods, and parks have interesting stories behind their names! These names often tell us about the people who helped build the city, the native languages spoken here long ago, or even what the land looked like in the past. Let's explore some of these cool origins!

Discovering Los Angeles Place Names

Have you ever wondered why a street or a park has a certain name? In Los Angeles, many places are named after important people, Spanish words, or even famous stories. Knowing these origins helps us understand the city's history and the different cultures that shaped it.

Streets and Neighborhoods Named After People

Many parts of Los Angeles honor individuals who played a big role in the area's development. These people were often pioneers, landowners, or leaders.

Famous Founders and Leaders

• Abbot Kinney Boulevard: This famous street in Venice is named after Abbot Kinney. He was the person who founded Venice, California, imagining it as a "Venice of America" with canals and unique architecture.
• Alvarado Street: This busy street remembers Juan Bautista Alvarado, who was a Mexican Governor of Alta California before California became part of the United States.
• Baldwin Hills: This neighborhood gets its name from Elias J. Baldwin, often called "Lucky Baldwin." He was a successful investor in mining and real estate.
• Beaudry Avenue: Named after Prudent Beaudry, who served as a Los Angeles mayor in the late 1800s.
• Bel-Air: This fancy neighborhood was named by Alphonzo E. Bell, Sr.. He owned a large piece of land called the "Buenos Aires Ranch" and developed the area.
• César E. Chávez Avenue: This important avenue honors César Chávez, a Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist. He worked hard to improve conditions for farm workers.
• Crenshaw Boulevard and Crenshaw neighborhood: These are named after George L. Crenshaw, a banker and real estate developer who helped build parts of the city.
• Figueroa Street: One of LA's longest streets, it's named after José Figueroa, another Mexican Governor of Alta California.
• Glassell Park: This neighborhood is named after Andrew Glassell, a real estate lawyer and landowner.
• Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory: These iconic landmarks are named after Griffith J. Griffith. He was a wealthy industrialist who donated the land for the park to the city.
• Huntington Drive: This road is named after Henry E. Huntington, a powerful railroad owner and businessman who had a big impact on Southern California.
• Lankershim Boulevard: Named for Isaac B. Lankershim, a German-American landowner who owned vast areas of the San Fernando Valley.
• Leimert Park: This neighborhood was developed and named by Walter H. Leimert, often called "Tim" Leimert, a real estate developer.
• Los Feliz Boulevard and Los Feliz neighborhood: While "Feliz" means "happy" in Spanish, this area is actually named after José Vincente Feliz, who was granted the original land, known as Rancho Los Feliz.
• Micheltorena Street: Named after Manuel Micheltorena, another Mexican Governor of Alta California.
• Mulholland Drive and Mulholland Highway: These famous scenic routes are named after William Mulholland. He was a water-services pioneer who brought much-needed water to Los Angeles.
• Olvera Street: This historic street is named after Agustin Olvera, an early Los Angeles judge.
• Pico Boulevard: Named after Pío Pico, who was the very last Mexican Governor of Alta California.
• Rosecrans Avenue: This avenue honors William Rosecrans, a general during the American Civil War who later owned a large ranch in the area.
• Sepulveda Boulevard and Sepulveda Pass: These are named after the important Sepúlveda family, who were early landowners in Southern California.
• Sherman Oaks and Sherman Way: This neighborhood and street are named after Moses Sherman, a land developer and owner of streetcar lines.
• Silver Lake and Silver Lake Boulevard: These are named after Herman Silver, who was a local politician and businessman.
• Slauson Avenue: Named after J. S. Slauson, another land developer who helped shape the growing city.
• Van Nuys and Van Nuys Boulevard: This neighborhood and street are named after Isaac Newton Van Nuys, a businessman, banker, and real estate developer.
• Vignes Street: Named after Jean Louis Vignes, a French settler in Los Angeles who was famous for planting European grapes and starting a winery.
• Watts: This neighborhood is named after Charles H. Watts, a real estate developer.
• Wilmington: This neighborhood is named after Wilmington, Delaware, which was the birthplace of its founder, Phineas Banning.
• Wilshire Boulevard: This major boulevard is named after Henry Gaylord Wilshire, a land developer, publisher, and outspoken socialist.
• Workman Street: Located in Lincoln Heights, this street is named after William H. Workman, who was a Los Angeles mayor.

Streets and Neighborhoods with Spanish Roots

Many names in Los Angeles come from the Spanish language, reflecting California's history as part of Mexico and Spain. These names often describe the natural features of the land.

Words from Nature and History

• Aliso Street: This street is named after the aliso, which is the Spanish word for a sycamore tree. A very old sycamore tree once stood at the entrance of Jean-Louis Vignes' winery.
• Cahuenga Boulevard and Cahuenga Pass: These names come from Cahuenga, the Spanish name for a Tongva village called Kawengna. It means "place of the mountain." The Tongva people were the native inhabitants of this area.
• La Brea Avenue: La Brea is Spanish for "the tar." This name refers to the famous tar pits near what is now Hancock Park, where ancient animals got stuck.
• La Cienega Boulevard: This name comes from the Spanish word ciénaga, which means "marsh" or "bog." It refers to the Rancho Las Cienegas, a ranch in a low-lying, marshy area west of Los Angeles.
• Tujunga and Tujunga Avenue: These names come from the Tongva term Tuyunga, which means "mountain range." It can also mean "place of the old woman."

Unique Stories Behind the Names

Some place names in Los Angeles have truly unique and unexpected origins, from honoring major events to famous fictional characters!

From New York to Tarzan

• Brooklyn Avenue (now part of César E. Chávez Avenue): This street was originally named after Brooklyn, New York. It was named to honor the many Jewish Americans who lived in the Boyle Heights neighborhood at the time.
• Olympic Boulevard: This street was once called 10th Street. It was renamed in 1931 to honor the X Olympiad (the 10th Olympic Games) that took place in Los Angeles in 1932. The name change became official in 1935.
• Tarzana: This neighborhood has a fun origin! It's named after the Tarzana Ranch, which was owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the famous author who created the character of Tarzan.