Location Names

On the west coast of America a lot of city names have Spanish or Native American origins. Some are more obvious like San Francisco and New Mexico, but a lot are new to me. How many of the following did you know before you got here? Be honest. 😀

  1. Arizona: From the Spanish Arizonac which itself comes from the O'odham language alĭ ṣonak, meaning little spring
  2. Colorado: red-colored
  3. Nevada: snowy
  4. Utah: From the Spanish yuta, their name for the indigenous Ute tribe.
  5. Buena Vista: good view
  6. Fresno: ash tree
  7. Monterey: king's mountain
  8. San Francisco: Saint Francis
  9. Santa Cruz: holy cross