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and right specific to California genealogy and history. If no titles appear in boxes, refresh this page. Click here or scroll below for a list of county origins. Genealogy |
History
Hollywood History |
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The creation date of a county is important to know to research the correct jurisdiction.
The date each county was formed is noted below.
Note that 27 of California's 58 counties were created on February 18, 1850.
| County Name |
Established |
Origin of Name |
County Seat |
| Alameda | June 6, 1853
| Spanish: "grove of poplar trees" | Oakland |
| Alpine | Mar 16,
1864 | French Alps | Markleeville |
| Amador
| June 14,
1854 | Jose Maria Amador: soldier, rancher, miner
| Jackson
|
| Butte | Feb 18,
1850 | Marysville or Sutter Buttes
| Oroville |
| Calaveras | Feb 18,
1850 |
Calaveras River ("skulls")
|
San Andreas
|
| Colusa | Feb 18,
1850 | Sacramento River Indian tribe | Colusa
|
| Contra Costa | Feb 18,
1850 |
"opposite coast" (opposite San Francisco)
|
Martinez
|
| Del Norte | Mar 2,
1857 | "the north" (extreme NW corner of state)
| Crescent City
|
| El Dorado | Feb 18,
1850 | "the gilded one" (ref. to gold)
| Placerville
|
| Fresno | April 19,
1856 | "ash tree"
| Fresno |
| Glenn | Mar 11,
1891 | Dr. Hugh J. Glenn
| Willows
|
| Humboldt | May 12,
1853 | Baron Alexander von Humboldt, explorer
| Eureka
|
| Imperial | Aug 15,
1907 | Imperial Land Company
| El Centro
|
| Inyo | Mar 22,
1866 | "dwelling place of the great spirit"
| Independence
|
| Kern | Apr 2,
1866 | Edward Kern, topographer
| Bakersfield
|
| Kings | Mar 22, 1893 | Kings River
| Hanford
|
| Lake | May 20, 1861
| many lakes in the area, e.g., Clear Lake
| Lakeport
|
| Lassen | Apr 1, 1864 | Mt. Lassen, named for Peter Lassen
| Susanville
|
| Los Angeles | Feb 18, 1850.
| from Spanish "Queen of the Angels" | Los Angeles |
| Madera | Mar 11, 1893
| town of Madera ("timber") | Madera
|
| Marin | Feb 18, 1850
| Chief Marin, Licatiut tribe or Marinera Bay
| San Rafael
|
| Mariposa | Feb 18, 1850 | Mariposa Creek (Span., "butterfly")
| Mariposa
|
| Mendocino | Feb 18, 1850 | family name of explorers named Mendoza
| Ukiah
|
| Merced | April 19, 1855
| Merced River | Merced
|
| Modoc | Feb 17, 1874
| Indian tribe | Alturas
|
| Mono | Apr 24, 1861
| Mono Lake, named for Indian tribe | Bridgeport
|
| Monterey | Feb 18, 1850 | Bay of Monterey ("king of the forest")
| Salinas
|
| Napa | Feb 18, 1850 | Patwin word meaning house.
| Napa |
| Nevada | Apr 25, 1851
| Nevada City ("snow covered" | Nevada City
|
| Orange | Mar 11, 1889
| extensive orange groves | Santa Ana
|
| Placer | Apr 25, 1851
| practice of placer gold mining
| Auburn
|
| Plumas | Mar 18, 1854
| branches of the Feather River
| Quincy
|
| Riverside | Mar 11, 1893
| City of Riverside
| Riverside
|
| Sacramento | Feb 18, 1850 | Sacramento River (""Lord's Supper")
| Sacramento
|
| San Benito | Feb 12, 1874
| San Benito Valley ("St. Benedict")
| Hollister
|
| San Bernardino | Apr 26, 1853
| "bold as a bear," St. Bernard
| San Bernardino
|
| San Diego | Feb 18, 1850 | San Diego Bay-San Diego de Alcala de Henares
| San Diego
|
| San Francisco | Feb 18, 1850 | St. Francis of Assisi
| San Francisco
|
| San Joaquin
| Feb 18, 1850 | San Joaquin River after St. Joachim
| Stockton
|
| San Luis Obispo | Feb 18, 1850 | Mission of St. Luis, Bishop of Toulouse | San Luis Obispo |
| San Mateo | Apr 19, 1856
| St. Matthew
| Redwood City
|
| Santa Barbara | Feb 18, 1850 | Mission Santa Barbara
| Santa Barbara
|
| Santa Clara | Feb 18, 1850 | Mission Santa Clara for St. Clara of Assisi
| San Jose
|
| Santa Cruz | Feb 18, 1850 | Santa Cruz Mission ("holy cross") | Santa Cruz
|
| Shasta | Feb 18, 1850 | Mt. Shasta after Indian tribe | Redding
|
| Sierra | Apr 16, 1852
| Sierra Nevada mountain chain ("snow saw")
| Downieville
|
| Siskiyou | Mar 22, 1852
| disputed: Chinook "bobtailed horse"; French "six stones" | Yreka
|
| Solano | Feb 18, 1850 | Chief Solano, named by Father Francisco Solano
| Fairfield
|
| Sonoma | Feb 18, 1850 | Chocuyen: "Valley of the Moon"
| Santa Rosa
|
| Stanislaus | Apr 1, 1854
| Stanislaus River, after Chief Estanislao
| Modesto
|
| Sutter | Feb 18, 1850 | General John Augustus Sutter, founder of Sacramento
| Yuba City
|
| Tehama | Apr 9. 1856
| City of Tehama
| Red Bluff
|
| Trinity | Feb 18, 1850 | Trinity River
| Weaverville
|
| Tulare | Apr 20, 1852
| Lake Los Tules ("catttails" or "reeds")
| Visalia
|
| Tuolumne | Feb 18, 1850 | Indian talmalamne, "cluster of stone wigwams"
| Sonora
|
| Ventura | Mar 22, 1872
| Mission San Buenaventura ("good fortune")
| Ventura
|
| Yolo | Feb 18, 1850 | Chief Yodo, Yodoi Village, or tribal name | Woodland
|
| Yuba | Feb 18, 1850 | Yuba River (Indian village Yubu or Spanish "Uba")
| Marysville
|