List of place names of Spanish origin in the United States

As a consequence of former Spanish and, later, Mexican sovereignty over lands that are now part of the United States, there are many places in the country, mostly in the southwest, with names of Spanish origin. Florida and Louisiana also were at times under Spanish control. There are also several places in the United States with Spanish names as a result to other factors. Some of these names preserved ancient writing.

Bacilia Peña Rodriguez

Bacilia Peña Rodriguez

Authenticity and origin

Not all Spanish place name etymologies in the United States originate from the Spanish colonial period or from the Spanish language. Spanish-sounding place names are classified into four categories:

  • Colonial: Spanish names that were given during the Spanish colonial period, or adaptations of names originally given in the colonial period to the same place or to nearby related places. (Ex: Los Angeles, California)
  • Post-colonial: Spanish place names that have no history of being used during the colonial period for the place in question or for nearby related places. (Ex: Lake Buena Vista, Florida, named in 1969 after a street in Burbank, California)
  • Non-Spanish: Place names originating from non-Spaniards or in non-historically Spanish areas. (Ex: Salamanca, New York, or Toledo, Ohio)
  • Faux: Fabricated Spanish place names, typically by non-Spanish speakers. (Ex: Sierra Vista)

States
  • California (from the name of a fictional island country in Las sergas de Esplandián, a popular Spanish chivalric romance by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo)
  • Colorado (meaning "red [colored]", "ruddy" or "colored" in masculine form. Named after Colorado City; now called Old Colorado City.)
  • Florida Meaning ""Flowery" or "Florid", because it was discovered by Ponce de León on Easter Sunday, called Pascua Florida to distinguish this holiday, which occurs in springtime when flowers are abundant, from other Christian holidays called Pascua in Spanish, such as Christmas and Epiphany.
  • Montana from Latinized Spanish meaning "mountainous", also in Spanish "montaña" is the name of "mountain"
  • Nevada comes from the Spanish Sierra Nevada (which is also a mountain range in Spain), meaning snowy mountain range (Nevada is the Spanish feminine form of snowy).
  • Utah derives from the Spanish name given to the Ute People by early explorers to the area. The Utes refer to themselves as Noochee, which in Spanish was changed to Yuta.[1]

Territories

Counties and parishes

County seats

Populated cities

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

Y

Z

Native American Reservations

Census-designated places (CDP) and unincorporated communities

Districts and boroughs

Neighborhoods

Towns and Townships

Villages

Former settlements

Historic places (still standing)

Forts

Missions

Presidios

Ranchos and Spanish lands
Further information: List of Ranchos of California

Islands

Natural places

Bays and inlets

Forest

Mountains, hills, rock, ranges, caves and volcanos

Regions

This is not an exhaustive list.

Rivers and lakes

Springs and waterfalls

Valleys

Wilderness, deserts and dunes

Wildlife Refuges and protected areas

Parks

Peninsulas

Institutions, buildings and streets

Estates, houses and buildings

Streets and roads

This is not an exhaustive list.

Railroads and Metro station

Airports

Churches

Theatres

Schools and Academies

Organizations

Others

See also

References
  1. Carvajal, Guillermo (January 13, 2014). El Desconocido Origen Español del Nombre de Ocho Estados de Norteamérica [The unknown Spanish origin of the name of eight States of North America]. ABC. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  2. Bright, William (2004). Native American placenames of the ... - William Bright - Google Libros. ISBN 9780806135984. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  3. Walter Romig, Michigan Place Names, p. 86
  4. Walter Romig, Michigan Place Names, p. 187
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