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

Have you ever wondered how places get their names? It's called etymology, which is the study of where words come from. Los Angeles, California, is full of interesting street names, neighborhoods, and parks. Many of them are named after important people, places, or even plants! Let's explore the stories behind some of these famous Los Angeles names.

Names from A to K

Many places in Los Angeles are named after people who helped build the city or had a big impact on its history.

People and Places from A to C

• Abbot Kinney Boulevard is named after Abbot Kinney, who was the founder of the unique beach community of Venice, California.
• Aliso Street gets its name from the aliso, which is the Spanish word for a sycamore tree. A very old sycamore tree once stood at the entrance of a famous winery owned by Jean-Louis Vignes.
• Alvarado Street is named after Juan Bautista Alvarado, who was a Mexican Governor of California before it became part of the United States.
• The Baldwin Hills neighborhood is named after E. J. "Lucky" Baldwin. He was a successful investor in mining and real estate.
• Beaudry Avenue is named after Prudent Beaudry, who served as a mayor of Los Angeles.
• The fancy Bel-Air neighborhood is named after Alphonzo E. Bell, Sr.. He owned a large piece of land called the "Buenos Aires Ranch."
• Brooklyn Avenue, which is now known as César E. Chávez Avenue, was named after Brooklyn, New York. This was to honor the many Jewish Americans who lived in the Boyle Heights area at that time.
• Cahuenga Boulevard and Cahuenga Pass get their names from Cahuenga. This was the Spanish name for a Tongva village called Kawengna, which means "place of the mountain."
• César E. Chávez Avenue is named after César Chávez. He was a very important Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist.
• The Crenshaw neighborhood and Crenshaw Boulevard are named after George L. Crenshaw. He was a banker and someone who developed real estate.

Names from F to H

• Figueroa Avenue and Figueroa Street are named after José Figueroa. He was another Mexican Governor of California.
• The Glassell Park neighborhood is named after Andrew Glassell. He was a real estate lawyer and landowner.
• Griffith Park and the famous Griffith Observatory are named after Griffith J. Griffith. He was a wealthy industrialist and a generous person who gave money to good causes.
• Huntington Drive is named after Henry E. Huntington. He was a powerful railroad owner and businessman.

Names from L to Z

Many other parts of Los Angeles also have interesting stories behind their names.

Places from L to O

• La Brea Avenue gets its name from La Brea, which is Spanish for "tar." This refers to the natural tar pits near what is now Hancock Park.
• La Cienega Boulevard is named after Rancho Las Cienegas. This was a ranch in a low, wet area west of Los Angeles. The Spanish word ciénaga means "marsh" or "bog."
• Lankershim Boulevard is named after Isaac B. Lankershim. He was a German-American landowner.
• Leimert Park is named after Walter H. "Tim" Leimert.
• The Los Feliz neighborhood and Los Feliz Boulevard are named after Rancho Los Feliz. This land was first given to José Vincente Feliz.
• Micheltorena Street is named after Manuel Micheltorena. He was another Mexican Governor of California.
• Mulholland Drive and Mulholland Highway are named after William Mulholland. He was a key person in bringing water to Southern California.
• Olvera Street is named after Augustín Olvera. He was an early judge in Los Angeles.
• Olympic Boulevard was once called 10th Street. It was renamed in 1931 to honor the X Olympiad (10th Olympic Games) that took place in Los Angeles in 1932.

Places from P to Z

• Pico Boulevard is named after Pío Pico. He was the last Mexican Governor of California.
• Rosecrans Avenue is named after William Rosecrans. He was a general in the Civil War and owned a large ranch called Rancho San Pedro.
• Sepulveda Boulevard and Sepulveda Pass are named after the important Sepúlveda family.
• The Sherman Oaks neighborhood and Sherman Way are named after Moses Sherman. He was a land developer and owned streetcar lines.
• The Silver Lake neighborhood, Silver Lake Boulevard, and Silver Lake Reservoir are all named after Herman Silver.
• Slauson Avenue is named after J. S. Slauson, who was a land developer.
• The Tarzana neighborhood is named after the Tarzana Ranch. This ranch was owned by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who created the famous character Tarzan.
• The Tujunga neighborhood and Tujunga Avenue get their names from the Tongva term Tuyunga, which means "mountain range." It can also mean "place of the old woman."
• The Van Nuys neighborhood and Van Nuys Boulevard are named after Isaac Newton Van Nuys. He was a businessman, banker, and real estate developer.
• Vignes Street is named after Jean Louis Vignes. He was a French settler in Los Angeles who was one of the first to plant European grapes.
• The Watts neighborhood is named after Charles H. Watts, a real estate developer.
• The Wilmington neighborhood is named after Wilmington, Delaware. This was the birthplace of the area's founder, Phineas Banning.
• Wilshire Boulevard is named after Gaylord Wilshire. He was a land developer, a publisher, and a strong supporter of socialism.
• Workman Street in Lincoln Heights is named after William H. Workman, who was a mayor of Los Angeles.