1500 California Place Names
Their Origin and Meaning, A Revised version of 1000 California
Place Names by Erwin G. Gudde, Third editionWilliam Bright
This is the new "pocket" version of the classic California Place Names, first published by
California in 1949. Erwin G. Gudde's monumental work, which went through several
editions during its author's lifetime, has now been released in an expanded and updated
edition by William Bright. The abridged version, originally called 1000 California Place
Names, has grown to a dynamic 1500 California Place Names in Bright's hands. Those who
have used and enjoyed 1000 California Place Names through the decades will be glad to
know that 1500 California Place Names is not only bigger but better. This handbook
focuses on two sorts of names: those that are well-known as destinations or geographical
features of the state, such as La Jolla, Tahoe, and Alcatraz, and those that demand
attention because of their problematic origins, whether Spanish like Bodega and Chamisal
or Native American like Aguanga and Siskiyou.
Names of the major Indian tribes of California are included, since some of them have been
directly adapted as place names and others have been the source of a variety of names.
Bright incorporates his own recent research and that of other linguists and local historians,
giving us a much deeper appreciation of the tangled ancestry many California names
embody. Featuring phonetic pronunciations for all the Golden State's tongue-twisting
names, this is in effect a brand new book, indispensable to California residents and visitors
alike.