California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names, Fourth edition 4th Edition

by Erwin G. Gudde (Author), William Bright (Editor)

32 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0520213166

ISBN-10: 0520213165

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Absco, a Southern Pacific station, was coined in the 1920s from the name of the American Beet Sugar Company, which had a factory in Oxnard.

Pochea is an Indian village site in Riverside County, said to mean "where the rabbit went in."

Siskiyou was the Chinook word for 'bobtailed horse,' originally taken over from the Cree language. From Abadi Creek to Zzyzyx Spring, thousands of discoveries await the reader of California Place Names. This is the fourth edition, extensively revised and expanded, of a classic work of Californiana. The curious traveler or resident, as well as the serious student, will find a wealth of description and history in these names, as rich and various as the California landscape itself.

Like its predecessors, this edition concentrates on the origins of the names currently used for the cities, towns, settlements, mountains, and streams of California, with engrossing accounts of the history of their usage. It has been updated to incorporate the latest research on California place names published by regional historians and to include new names that have been added to the California map since 1969. Readers will appreciate the local pronunciation of place names with unusual spellings; anyone curious about how to say La Jolla or Weitchpec can find the information here, in phonetic transcriptions. Finally, the many California place names of American Indian origin—such as Yreka, Shasta, Napa, Sonoma, Tamalpais, Yosemite, Lompoc, Mugu, Coachella, or Poway—receive particular attention from editor William Bright. The dictionary includes a Glossary and a Bibliography.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Western history buffs will enjoy this sizable guide to California place-names . . . . An up-to-date, authoritative, and interesting book." -- The Bloomsbury Review

About the Author

Erwin G. Gudde, at his death in 1969, was an emeritus member of the University of California faculty. William Bright is Professor Adjoint in Linguistics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and author of numerous books including A Coyote Reader (California, 1993). He supplied a new foreword plus maps and itinerary for the Fourth Edition of Up and Down in California in 1860-1864: The Journal of William H. Brewer (California, 2003).

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; 4th edition (August 20, 1998)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 460 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520213165
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520213166
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.04 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1.5 x 10.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,022,663 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,269 in Etymology (Books)
- #1,803 in Trivia & Fun Facts (Books)
- #2,378 in Art Encyclopedias

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Top reviews from the United States

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drewyer05

Fantastic Book About California Place Names

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2010

Verified Purchase

Ran across this book many years ago when I was in college. Always regretted that I did not purchase a copy then. I have been looking for a used edition ever since coming back to California several years ago. Talking to a used book dealer, I couldn't even recall the title; but he managed to track down the author and title for me. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Erwin G. Gudde's classic: CALIFORNIA PLACE NAMES: THE ORIGIN AND ETYMOLOGY OF CURRENT GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES was issued in a Fourth Edition in 1998. For anyone interested in the background and origin of the names of California towns, cities, mountains and rivers [and every other geographical feature]THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BOOK!! A fantastic resource for the individual seeking a treasure trove of information regarding California's rich history. Well worth the price! Very pleased with my purchase!!

3 people found this helpful

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D. Delgardo

Essential California Reference

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2010

Verified Purchase

Honey Run. Putah. Gibsonville. Henness Pass. Loomis. Noyo. Sinkyone. These are but a few place names I've visited on the BMW (I ride an R1200GSA pretty much everywhere) and later looked up in this resource. This 40th anniversary edition of Erwin G. Gudde's dictionary of California place names is a hoot to carry along or refer back to when traveling throughout the state. Editor William Bright has provided short and insightful thumbnails of places one might otherwise simply pass right through. This work inspires the reader to stop, explore and to seek other resources to read and find out more. Add this to your reference library next to DeLorme's California Atlas and Gazetteer and Storer and Usinger's Sierra Nevada Natural History.

4 people found this helpful

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voodootruckers

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2017

Verified Purchase

I like to know where a name originates and this book has fixed my curiosity for California.

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Frederick Jee

place names in california

Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2014

Verified Purchase

This is the main resource for place name searches and their pedigree. If you need to find out where a place got its name this definitely is to go to source. a keeper for personal library.

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Julie R.

Excellent service

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2021

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The book was excellent and new as described. It came quickly after I ordered it.

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james f

The guide to the question.

Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2013

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Has all the info you need. We recently went to, I should say "through" "Fiddletown" CA, and the question arose about the origin of the name.. It's here. Very interesting background.

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Kevin Murray

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016

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A very interesting book

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Nina Bouska

Pretty much what it says it is -- a list of names.

Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2013

Verified Purchase

It is valuable to my research into local history. I wish there were more
complete description of the name origins.