CHAMISE (shuh MEES, chuh MEES). With the variant spelling Chemise, refers to various kinds of brushwood, including the greasewood bush; it is from Spanish chamiso. Chamisal is Spanish for a place where chamise grows; in English it is also spelled Chemisal. These two terms occur in place names such as Chemise Creek [Mendocino Co.] and Chemisai Ridge [Monterey Co.].
CHANCHELULLA (chan chuh LOO luh) MOUNTAIN [Trinity Co.]. From Wintu son čuluula, literally, “rock black.”
CHANNEL ISLANDS. The collective name for the islands that are separated from the mainland by the Santa Barbara Channel, including Santa Catalina, San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz.
CHATSWORTH [Los Angeles Co.]. Named in 1887 after the estate of the Duke of Devonshire in England.
CHATTERDOWEN (CHAT er dow uhn) CREEK [Shasta Co.]. From Wintu čati tawin, literally, “digger pine-nut flat.”
CHEMEHUEVI (CHEM uh way vee). The name of an Indian tribe of San Bernardino County and their language, which belongs to the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan family; the term also occurs in place names such as Chemehuevi Valley. The name of the tribe is apparently derived from their name in the neighboring Mojave language: ’achiimuuév, “those who work with fish.”
CHEROKEE (CHAIR uh kee). During the Gold Rush, several mining camps were named for members of this Indian tribe from the southeastern United States who came to try their luck in California. The tribe’s name for themselves is tsalagi, of unknown origin.
CHICKABALLY (CHIK uh bah lee) MOUNTAIN [Shasta Co.]. Probably from Wintu łikup’uri, “a fight,” merged with buli, “mountain.”
CHICO (CHEE koh) [Butte Co.]. Spanish for “small,” abbreviated from the name of the land grant Arroyo Chico, “small stream.” Chico Creek has two tributaries, called Big Chico Creek (literally, “big small creek”) and Little Chico Creek (“small small creek”).
CHILAO (chuh LAY oh) [Los Angeles Co.]. Formerly Chileo or Chilleo, a nickname of the herder José Gonzales, famous for killing a grizzly bear near here with only a hunting knife. The nickname may be from Spanish chileno, “Chilean.”
CHILENO (chuh LAY noh) VALLEY [Marin Co.]. From the Spanish word for a native of Chile. The presence of Chilean miners during the Gold Rush gave rise to several California place names.
CHINA. As a part of California place names, this word reflects the role of Chinese workers in the Gold Rush and in the later history of the state. China Basin [San Francisco Co.] was named for the “China clippers,” ships that docked here in the 1860s.
CHINO (CHEE noh) [San Bernardino Co.]. The name given by the Spanish to a local Indian leader. The Spanish word chino means “Chinese,” but it is also used in Mexico for a person of mixed race.
CHINQUAPIN (CHING kuh pin) [Yosemite N.P.]. Named for a nut-bearing bush. The word is originally from a Virginia Algonquian language and was introduced into English by Captain John Smith in 1612.
CHIQUITO (chuh KEE toh) CREEK [Madera Co.]. Spanish for “little” (diminutive of chico), an abbreviation of Chiquito Joaquín, “little [San] Joaquin [River].”
CHIRPCHATTER MOUNTAIN [Shasta Co.]. From Wintu t’arap č’araw, literally, “cottonwood field,” from t’arap, “cottonwood tree,” plus č’araw, “green place.”
CHISMAHOO (CHIS muh hoo) CREEK [Ventura Co.]. Probably from Ventureño Chumash ts’ismuhu, “it streams out.”
CHOLAME (shoh LAM, choh LAM) [San Luis Obispo Co.]. The name of a Salinan Indian village; it is from Migueleño Salinan č’olám, said to refer to evil people.
CHOWCHILLA (chow CHIL uh) RIVER [Madera, Mariposa Cos.]. From the name of a Yokuts Indian tribe whom the Spanish called Chauciles. The name was also applied to a neighboring Miwok group.
CHUAL (CHOO uhl), MOUNT [Santa Clara Co.]. The term is Mexican Spanish for “pigweed,” from Aztec tzoalli. Chualar (choo uh LAHR) [Monterey Co.] is Mexican Spanish for “place where chual grows.”
CHUCHUPATE (choo choo PAT ee) [Kern Co.]. The Mexican Spanish name for a wild herb, derived from Aztec xoxouhca-pahtli (literally, “blue medicine”).
CHUCKAWALLA (CHUK wah luh) MOUNTAIN [Riverside Co.]. The name of a desert lizard, also spelled chuck- walla; the word comes from Cahuilla cháxwal.
CHUCKCHANSI (chuk CHAN see). Refers to a tribe and language of the Yokuts family, and to the Indian reservation now occupied by the group [Fresno Co.]. The original Yokuts name is čhukčhansi, of uncertain meaning.
CHULA VISTA (choo luh VIS tuh) [San Diego Co.]. The name, applied in 1888, is intended to be Spanish for “pretty view.”
CHUMASH (CHOO mash). A cover term for several related tribes and languages of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties—famous for their seagoing canoes, made of rough-hewn planks, drilled and sewn together with vines, then caulked with asphalt. Different groups are distinguished by their mission associations, such as Obispeño, Purisimeño, Ineseño, and Barbareño. Chumash originally referred to the group living on the Channel Islands. All the Chumashan languages are now extinct. There is a Chumash Peak in San Luis Obispo County.
CIENEGA (see EN uh guh) CREEK [San Benito Co.]. The Spanish term ciénega (with the alternative form ciénaga) refers to a marsh or a marshy meadow. It occurs in a variety of place names, including Cienaga Seca (SAY kuh) [San Bernardino Co.], meaning “dry meadow,” and La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles.
CISCO [Placer Co.]. Named by the Central Pacific Railroad in honor of John J. Cisco, treasurer of the company.
CLEAR LAKE [Lake Co.]. Called Laguna Grande, “big lake,” in Spanish times; the present name first appeared in 1851.
CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST [Orange, Riverside, San Diego Cos.]. Named in 1908 in memory of President Grover Cleveland, a week after his death.
CLIKAPUDI (KLIK uh poo dee) CREEK [Shasta Co.]. From Wintu łikup’uri, “a fight.”
CLOVIS (KLOH vuhs) [Fresno Co.]. Named in 1889 for the ranch owner Clovis Cole.
COACHELLA (koh CHEL uh, koh uh CHEL uh) VALLEY [Riverside Co.]. Earlier called the Cahuilla Valley, after the Indian tribe. The change to Coachella around 1900 may have been influenced by confusion with Spanish conchilla, “little shell.”
COALINGA (koh uh LING guh) [Fresno Co.]. Originally called Coaling Station by the Southern Pacific
