El Sobrante is a little community in northern California’s East Bay . That means the leftovers.
In this case what was left when the surrounding cities incorporated. El Sobrante was what no one else wanted.
Boca Raton, Florida is one most Anglos translate as Rat’s Mouth, rather than a bay, or inlet.
There’s a small town called Las Pulgas in Central California. Hardly a name to draw in the tourists!
When the San Fernando Valley was talking about seceding from Los Angeles, some people suggested naming it El Comal, because of the heat!
Coalinga in Central California is a contraction of Coaling Station. Like Soweto is a contraction of South West Township.
—- John Gonzalez wrote:
> I have come across some names in California that really throw me for a loop. My daughter lives in San Diego near a street names “Santa Cristobal”.
> In northern San Diego County there is a “Espola Rd” At first I thought that somebody had misspelled “Espuela” (spur) since this road is out in the countryside, in horse country. I found out that it is a combination of the first two letters of the name for each town that the road goes through: Escondido, Poway, and Lakeside. In the same area there is “Citricado Rd.” It took me a while to figure out the meaning. It is a combination of Citrus and avocado.! “Encinitas” If the root word is Encino, than the name should be “Encinitos”
>
> Sometimes I wonder about “Los Feliz” in Los Angeles. Feliz=happy but Felix is the proper name. “Mission Viejo” in Orange County ?. “La Mirada”? ( the look) “La Vista” would have been better. One only needs to drive through almost any new neighborhood or housing development to find streets with names that will make you laugh. Each city should have a knowledgeable advisor in their planning or licensing commission to revue the street names before they are assigned. Some street names in Spanish are outright rediculous!
> I am sure we all have experienced weird names in Spanish all over the Country.
>
> John Gonzalez
>
> 1gnzlz@verizon.net
El Sobrante is a little community in northern California’s East Bay . That means the leftovers.
In this case what was left when the surrounding cities incorporated. El Sobrante was what no one else wanted.
Boca Raton, Florida is one most Anglos translate as Rat’s Mouth, rather than a bay, or inlet.
There’s a small town called Las Pulgas in Central California. Hardly a name to draw in the tourists!
When the San Fernando Valley was talking about seceding from Los Angeles, some people suggested naming it El Comal, because of the heat!
Coalinga in Central California is a contraction of Coaling Station. Like Soweto is a contraction of South West Township.
—- John Gonzalez wrote:
> I have come across some names in California that really throw me for a loop. My daughter lives in San Diego near a street names “Santa Cristobal”.
> In northern San Diego County there is a “Espola Rd” At first I thought that somebody had misspelled “Espuela” (spur) since this road is out in the countryside, in horse country. I found out that it is a combination of the first two letters of the name for each town that the road goes through: Escondido, Poway, and Lakeside. In the same area there is “Citricado Rd.” It took me a while to figure out the meaning. It is a combination of Citrus and avocado.! “Encinitas” If the root word is Encino, than the name should be “Encinitos”
>
> Sometimes I wonder about “Los Feliz” in Los Angeles. Feliz=happy but Felix is the proper name. “Mission Viejo” in Orange County ?. “La Mirada”? ( the look) “La Vista” would have been better. One only needs to drive through almost any new neighborhood or housing development to find streets with names that will make you laugh. Each city should have a knowledgeable advisor in their planning or licensing commission to revue the street names before they are assigned. Some street names in Spanish are outright rediculous!
> I am sure we all have experienced weird names in Spanish all over the Country.
>
> John Gonzalez
>
> 1gnzlz@verizon.net
Ruly for Raul
Memo for Guillermo
Cheo for Eliseo
Tita for Martita
Mague for Margarita
Chayo for Rosario
On Jul 20, 2006, at 8:04 PM, erniealderete@charter.net wrote:
> In my family the nickname for Enrique has always been Kiko, with an
> “o” at the end. Perhaps from Enrico.
>
> Glorita for Gloria.
>
> Rules for Raul.
>
> Beto for Roberto.
>
> Nettie for Ernesto. My mother calls me Nessie. It took me years to
> figure out she meant Ernesto.
>
> Also Neto for Ernesto.
>
> Pata for Patricia.
>
> I don’t know if it was Uncle Sam’s influence that brought all these
> new names into Mexico, such as Alicia, Ernie, Patricia…largely
> replacing older names, such as Primitivo, Tirsa, Blasa, Filemon,
> Venadita, Osita, Nepomucena…and one of my favorites from old
> documents, “Nombres Dulces.”
>
> —- John Gonzalez wrote:
>> Other nicknames:
>>
>> Hilaria= Laya
>> Isaura= Chawa, Chava (also for Salvador)
>> Enrique= Kike
>> Francisco=Quico, Paco, Pancho, Cisco ( I have never heard Quico used
>> for
>> Enrique. Heard it here for the first time)
>> Socorro=Coco
>> Dolores=Lola, Lolo (male)
>> Eulalio=Lalo
>> Eulalia=Lala
>> Anastacio=Tacho
>>
>> John Gonzalez
>> Wildomar, CA.
>> 1gnzlz@verizon.net
>>
>> ———————————————————————-
>> ——————————————–
>> —– Original Message —–
>> From: “arturoramos”
>> To:
>> Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 1:24 PM
>> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] Name Translations
>>
>>> Some other nicknames:
>>>
>>> Rosario = Chayo
>>> Enrique = Quico
>>> Eduardo = Lalo
>>>
>>>
>>
Ruly for Raul
Memo for Guillermo
Cheo for Eliseo
Tita for Martita
Mague for Margarita
Chayo for Rosario
On Jul 20, 2006, at 8:04 PM, erniealderete@charter.net wrote:
> In my family the nickname for Enrique has always been Kiko, with an
> “o” at the end. Perhaps from Enrico.
>
> Glorita for Gloria.
>
> Rules for Raul.
>
> Beto for Roberto.
>
> Nettie for Ernesto. My mother calls me Nessie. It took me years to
> figure out she meant Ernesto.
>
> Also Neto for Ernesto.
>
> Pata for Patricia.
>
> I don’t know if it was Uncle Sam’s influence that brought all these
> new names into Mexico, such as Alicia, Ernie, Patricia…largely
> replacing older names, such as Primitivo, Tirsa, Blasa, Filemon,
> Venadita, Osita, Nepomucena…and one of my favorites from old
> documents, “Nombres Dulces.”
>
> —- John Gonzalez wrote:
>> Other nicknames:
>>
>> Hilaria= Laya
>> Isaura= Chawa, Chava (also for Salvador)
>> Enrique= Kike
>> Francisco=Quico, Paco, Pancho, Cisco ( I have never heard Quico used
>> for
>> Enrique. Heard it here for the first time)
>> Socorro=Coco
>> Dolores=Lola, Lolo (male)
>> Eulalio=Lalo
>> Eulalia=Lala
>> Anastacio=Tacho
>>
>> John Gonzalez
>> Wildomar, CA.
>> 1gnzlz@verizon.net
>>
>> ———————————————————————-
>> ——————————————–
>> —– Original Message —–
>> From: “arturoramos”
>> To:
>> Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 1:24 PM
>> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] Name Translations
>>
>>> Some other nicknames:
>>>
>>> Rosario = Chayo
>>> Enrique = Quico
>>> Eduardo = Lalo
>>>
>>>
>>
John,
I know what you mean about names of communities or new housing developments in Southern California. It is so obvious that non-Spanish speakers have been assigning some of the names that often don’t make any sense at all in Spanish. They seem to just pick any old name that sounds Spanish. I have been waiting to see a “San Conejo”. I wouldn’t be surprised.
Emilie
—– Original Message —–
From: John Gonzalez
To: general@nuestrosranchos.org
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 6:34 PM
Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] Names
I have come across some names in California that really throw me for a loop. My daughter lives in San Diego near a street names “Santa Cristobal”.
In northern San Diego County there is a “Espola Rd” At first I thought that somebody had misspelled “Espuela” (spur) since this road is out in the countryside, in horse country. I found out that it is a combination of the first two letters of the name for each town that the road goes through: Escondido, Poway, and Lakeside. In the same area there is “Citricado Rd.” It took me a while to figure out the meaning. It is a combination of Citrus and avocado.! “Encinitas” If the root word is Encino, than the name should be “Encinitos”
Sometimes I wonder about “Los Feliz” in Los Angeles. Feliz=happy but Felix is the proper name. “Mission Viejo” in Orange County ?. “La Mirada”? ( the look) “La Vista” would have been better. One only needs to drive through almost any new neighborhood or housing development to find streets with names that will make you laugh. Each city should have a knowledgeable advisor in their planning or licensing commission to revue the street names before they are assigned. Some street names in Spanish are outright rediculous!
I am sure we all have experienced weird names in Spanish all over the Country.
John Gonzalez
1gnzlz@verizon.net
John,
I know what you mean about names of communities or new housing developments in Southern California. It is so obvious that non-Spanish speakers have been assigning some of the names that often don’t make any sense at all in Spanish. They seem to just pick any old name that sounds Spanish. I have been waiting to see a “San Conejo”. I wouldn’t be surprised.
Emilie
—– Original Message —–
From: John Gonzalez
To: general@nuestrosranchos.org
Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 6:34 PM
Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] Names
I have come across some names in California that really throw me for a loop. My daughter lives in San Diego near a street names “Santa Cristobal”.
In northern San Diego County there is a “Espola Rd” At first I thought that somebody had misspelled “Espuela” (spur) since this road is out in the countryside, in horse country. I found out that it is a combination of the first two letters of the name for each town that the road goes through: Escondido, Poway, and Lakeside. In the same area there is “Citricado Rd.” It took me a while to figure out the meaning. It is a combination of Citrus and avocado.! “Encinitas” If the root word is Encino, than the name should be “Encinitos”
Sometimes I wonder about “Los Feliz” in Los Angeles. Feliz=happy but Felix is the proper name. “Mission Viejo” in Orange County ?. “La Mirada”? ( the look) “La Vista” would have been better. One only needs to drive through almost any new neighborhood or housing development to find streets with names that will make you laugh. Each city should have a knowledgeable advisor in their planning or licensing commission to revue the street names before they are assigned. Some street names in Spanish are outright rediculous!
I am sure we all have experienced weird names in Spanish all over the Country.
John Gonzalez
1gnzlz@verizon.net
