Guess The Meaning Behind These 7 Town Names

Many towns in California are named after early European settlers to the area, but these town names are a bit different. You’ll be surprised how some of these towns got their names!

Twain Harte

Ramon Montelongo/Google Images Mark Twain and Bret Harte are two famous authors who lived in the area at one time. This Tuolumne County location got its name by combining the names of these two major historical figures from the area. Twain Harte, CA, USA

Likely

Eric Thorp/Google Images In the mid-1880s this Northern California census-designated place changed its name from South Fork to Likely. The change didn’t happen overnight. Locals were unable to agree on a new name for the area. As the story goes, a local rancher observed that they’ll likely never come to an agreement. The townspeople then voted to name the town Likely. Likely, CA 96116, USA

Coffee Creek

Tosha Coats/Google Images This small census-designated place in Trinity County is said to have got its name after a load of coffee was swept away in the creek. Some say it was a pack mule carrying the coffee, other sources say it was a train. Coffee Creek, CA 96091, USA

Loyalton

Ken Lund/Flickr Early settlers named this town Smithneck but changed the name during the American Civil War. Townspeople raised money for the Union Army and thought it was a good idea to change the town’s name to reflect their loyalty to the Union. Loyalton, CA 96118, USA

Samoa

Troy Smith/Flickr The small peninsula of Samoa was once a hub for the booming logging industry. Originally called Brownsville, Samoa was given its name in honor of the Samoan Island crisis in the 1890s. Locals assumed the harbor looked similar to Pago Pago in American Samoa. Samoa, CA 95564, USA

Ione

Ken Lund/Flickr If this town’s name sounds Greek to you, you’d be correct! The town was named after a character in the book “The Last Days of Pompeii’’ by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton. It’s said that early Ione settler Thomas Brown gave the town the name Ione and it stuck. Early gold miners to the area had previously called the town “Bedbug” and “Freezeout.” Ione, CA, USA

Albion

David Wilson/Flickr This coastal area was dubbed Nova Albion in 1844, inspired by what Sir Francis Drake named the coastal area when he sailed to California’s shores in the 16th century. Albion is the ancient name for Britain. Albion, CA, USA

Did any of these stories surprise you? Tell us about the history of your favorite Northern California town name.

Ramon Montelongo/Google Images

Mark Twain and Bret Harte are two famous authors who lived in the area at one time. This Tuolumne County location got its name by combining the names of these two major historical figures from the area.

Twain Harte, CA, USA

Eric Thorp/Google Images

In the mid-1880s this Northern California census-designated place changed its name from South Fork to Likely. The change didn’t happen overnight. Locals were unable to agree on a new name for the area. As the story goes, a local rancher observed that they’ll likely never come to an agreement. The townspeople then voted to name the town Likely.

Likely, CA 96116, USA

Tosha Coats/Google Images

This small census-designated place in Trinity County is said to have got its name after a load of coffee was swept away in the creek. Some say it was a pack mule carrying the coffee, other sources say it was a train.

Coffee Creek, CA 96091, USA

Ken Lund/Flickr

Early settlers named this town Smithneck but changed the name during the American Civil War. Townspeople raised money for the Union Army and thought it was a good idea to change the town’s name to reflect their loyalty to the Union.

Loyalton, CA 96118, USA

Troy Smith/Flickr

The small peninsula of Samoa was once a hub for the booming logging industry. Originally called Brownsville, Samoa was given its name in honor of the Samoan Island crisis in the 1890s. Locals assumed the harbor looked similar to Pago Pago in American Samoa.

Samoa, CA 95564, USA

If this town’s name sounds Greek to you, you’d be correct! The town was named after a character in the book “The Last Days of Pompeii’’ by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton. It’s said that early Ione settler Thomas Brown gave the town the name Ione and it stuck. Early gold miners to the area had previously called the town “Bedbug” and “Freezeout.”

Ione, CA, USA

David Wilson/Flickr

This coastal area was dubbed Nova Albion in 1844, inspired by what Sir Francis Drake named the coastal area when he sailed to California’s shores in the 16th century. Albion is the ancient name for Britain.

Albion, CA, USA

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