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.

Authenticity and origin

Not all Spanish place names in the United States originate from the Spanish colonial period. And in fact, not all Spanish-sounding place names in the country are really Spanish. Spanish-sounding place names can be classified into three categories:

• Colonial: Spanish names that were given in the Spanish colonial period, or adaptations of names originally given in the colonial period to the same place or to nearby related places. Example: Los Angeles, California, shortened from the original Spanish name of the settlement, El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula.

• 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. Example: Lake Buena Vista, Florida, named in 1969 after a street in Burbank, California.

• Non-colonial: Spanish place names in areas that were never under Spanish control adopted due to other processes. Salamanca, New York, named for a Spaniard connected with the railroad company that built the town, and Toledo, Ohio, named after the city in Spain because the Anglo settlers wanted to do so, are prominent examples.

• Fake: place names that look like they're Spanish, but are in fact grammatically incorrect modern inventions given by people who do not speak or understand Spanish, but who wanted a Spanish-sounding name. Example: Sierra Vista, Arizona, named in 1956, with the intended meaning of "mountain view." Idiomatic Spanish names with that meaning would be "Mirasierra" or "Miramonte." This is not to be confused with grammatically incorrect adaptations of colonial names, where a name that was used in the Spanish colonial period is adapted to English without regard for Spanish grammar.

• Non-Spanish in origin: A good example of this is Eldorado, Illinois, where it comes from two Anglo last names being run together.

Note: Since this entire incomplete list is not classified by these categories in any way shape or form, it should be assumed that the places listed in this section are the only exceptions, until the whole list is properly revised and formatted to ascertain any specific claims.

States

Territories

Counties and parishes

This is not an exhaustive list.

Counties Seats

Populated cities

Cities

This is not an exhaustive list.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

L

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

U

V

Y

Z

Native American Reservations

Census-designated places and unincorporated communities

Districts and boroughs

Neighborhoods

Towns and Townships

Villages

Former settlements

Historic places (still standing)

Forts

Missions

Presidios

Ranchos

Further information: List of Ranchos of California

Islands

Natural places

Bays and inlets

Forest

Mountains, hills, rock, 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. ↑ What is a Ute?
  2. ↑ Native American placenames of the ... - William Bright - Google Libros. Books.google.es. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  3. ↑ Walter Romig, Michigan Place Names, p. 86
  4. ↑ Walter Romig, Michigan Place Names, p. 187

External links

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