1500 California Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, A Revised version of 1000 California Place Names by Erwin G. Gudde, Third edition

Too short, by far - but the Author acknowledged this in the preface. We have had fun looking for meanings all over the state. And if you know some basic Spanish vocabulary, the missing names probably will not be a problem for you. I would like to see it updated and in a hard-back version; the paperback gets roughed up from being tossed about in the truck cab. This together with a geology of California book are our basic trip texts. The history we learn along the way.

Good little book. Very informative for people like me growing their first garlic.

Searching for why a place was named as I drive around California is great. I prefer Erwin G. Gudde's "California Place Names" more. It has more places defined, more explanation, more detail, but being able to quickly search William Bright's "1500 California Place Names" version on my Kindle is worth owning both of these gazetteers. If I could only have one it would be the Gudde/Bright book, not yet available on Kindle.

or even close. Mostly name you already know the history of or could make an intelligent guess. Many Spanish names that are just the meaning of the translation... Was hoping for a deeper dive into mining towns, rural northern CA towns and areas of major cities.

If you are touring in California and have the least bit of curiosity about the areas that you ride or drive through, you need this book! Fits nicely in glove box, tail trunk or pocket and is mighty nice to have. California's rich history leaves a legacy in its place names and their stories range from the fascinating to ho-hum, but it's a start if you are interested. I don't drive in the Sierras without a copy and it's a fun companion if you need something to read for a few minutes in Saint's Rest!The descriptions are usually brief, though some are several paragraphs long; there is a reference companion volume available here at Amazon.com: California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names, 40th Anniversary Edition. This work is available in both Hardbound and Softbound format.

I keep my copy in the car, and now whenever we're going anywhere and we see a name we're curious about, we just look it up. they're almost all there!

I ordered this book as well as the book on NM place names, "The Place Names of New Mexico" by Robert Julyan, and they arrived same day. If you want to see what a great book on place names looks like, get the NM place name book above. The CA place names book is tiny in physical size and has 170 pages. Compare with the NM book which is massive and has 385 pages. The reviews in the CA book are tiny...most are three lines that tell how the town got its name with little passion. The NM book has large reviews on most town and place names, 6 to 12 lines that are told with some passion and interest. Take an example from the CA book for the town name Dulzura- Spanish for sweetness, from dulce "sweet". that's it! Not much passion or interest in the descriptions!One would think with the physical size of California, compared to the smaller physical size of New Mexico that California would have made a better showing. I noticed many CA towns were NOT included in the book, French Gulch being one.Save your money on this one folks.

I LOVE California my birth state and I especially love how and where these interesting cities names arose from. Great read for everyone who loves and appreciates California!