Origins of Los Angeles Neighborhood Names Explained

Naming Conventions in Los Angeles

• 🗺️ A viral map from the Instagram account @etymologynerd is shedding light on the origins of Los Angeles neighborhood names.
• 💡 Some names have straightforward etymologies, like San Pedro, named after Saint Peter of Alexandria.
• 🤔 Others have more convoluted or debated origins, such as Hollywood, which is rumored to be named after a friend's estate from Illinois.

Specific Neighborhood Name Origins

• 🌳 Encino is derived from the Spanish word for oak.
• 🏘️ Chatsworth has a less clear origin, with the transcript humorously suggesting it might be related to not asking neighbors what they're doing.
• 🚢 Wilmington in Long Beach is named after Wilmington, Delaware, illustrating a city being named after another city.
• 🚋 Sherman Oaks is named in honor of Moses Sherman, who was instrumental in building the LA streetcar system.
• 👨‍🌾 Pico is named after Mexican Governor Pio Pico, and Will Sure is named after a farmer named Henry Will Sure.
• 🦁 Tarzana is named after the author of Tarzan, who owned a ranch in the area in the early 1920s.