The state was first divided into 27 counties on February 18, 1850. state of California is divided into 58 counties. In 1859 when the cession never occurred, the California State Legislature did not make the county.The U.S. Pautah County was formed in 1852 out of land which, the state of California thought, was to be given to it by the United States Congress from land in what is now the state of Nevada.Part of the county's territory went to Del Norte County in 1857, and in 1874 the rest was split between Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. Klamath County was formed in 1851 from the northern half of Trinity County.The local Maidu native peoples who lived on the banks of what is now known as the Feather & Yuba Rivers - or by Gabriel Moraga who used the Spanish name for wild grapes growing abundantly at the river's edge. The Yolan people, a local Native American tribe. The Trinity River, named for the town of Trinidad (Spanish for 'Trinity').ĭisputed origin possibly a corruption of the native term talmalamne, which means cluster of stone wigwams and references local cave dwelling tribes.Ībbreviation of San Buenaventura, Spanish for St. The Tehama people, a local Native American tribe. John Sutter, a Swiss pioneer of California associated with the California Gold Rush. Siskiyou Mountains meaning of Siskiyou is disputed.ĭisputed origin possibly a Pomo term meaning 'valley of the moon', which references a native legend about spiritual activity in the area. Spanish for 'mountain range', referencing the area's topography Mission Santa Cruz Spanish for holy cross Saint Benedict ( San Benedicto in Spanish Benito is the diminutive of Benedicto).Ĭity of San Bernardino, named for Saint Bernardino of Siena ( San Bernardino de Siena in Spanish) Sacramento River, named for the Santisimo Sacramento (Spanish for 'Most Holy Sacrament'). The city of Riverside, named for its location on the Santa Ana River. Spanish term for gravel deposits that contain gold references the California Gold Rush, which was centered in the area.įeather River Spanish name El Rio de las Plumas. The orange, which was widely grown in the area at the time the county was established. Spanish for 'snow-covered', referencing the area's high elevation Monterey Bay, Spanish portmanteau of monte ('hill') and rey ('king').ĭisputed origin possibly derived from the Patwin word napo, meaning home. Mono Lake name derived from Monachi, a Yokut name for native peoples of the Sierra Nevada. Merced River original Spanish name El Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced ('River of Our Lady of Mercy'). Spanish for 'wood', in reference to the forested area of the landscapeĭisputed, but could be a corrupted abbreviation of Bahía de Nuestra Señora del Rosario la Marina, the Spanish name for area headlands along San Francisco Bay.Īntonio de Mendoza, first viceroy of New Spain. Spanish for 'The Angels', abbreviated from El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of the river of Porziuncola). Peter Lassen, a Danish naturalist and explorer. Plumas and Shasta, and now defunct Lake County, Nevada

Kings River, original Spanish name Rio de los Santos Reyes ('River of the Holy Kings'). Kern River, named for Edward Kern, cartographer for John C. Imperial Valley, named for the Imperial Land Company.ĭisputed original early settlers believed Inyo to be the native name for area mountains, but this term may be the name of a Mono Indian leader Humboldt Bay, named after Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist and explorer. Glenn, a California businessman and politician. Spanish for 'northern', from its far northern location.Įl Dorado, a mythical city of gold, owing to the area's importance in the California Gold Rush.įresno Creek fresno is Spanish for 'ash tree.'ĭr. Spanish for 'opposite coast', from its location across San Francisco Bay from San Francisco. Sutter Buttes, mistakenly thought to be in the county during the county's establishment.Ĭalaveras River calaveras is Spanish for 'skulls'. Jose Maria Amador (1794–1883), a soldier, rancher, and miner who, along with several Native Americans, made a successful gold mining camp near present-day Amador City in 1848. Spanish for 'avenue shaded by trees' or ' cottonwood grove.'Īmador, El Dorado, Calaveras, Mono and Tuolumne

Map of california counties