Why so many cities and states of USA have spanish names?

[Tenma de Pegasus]

There are names that are so american, but when you have attention, you perceive they are Spanish like Florida, Texas, Montana and California. To me, now its clear how USA was always very linked with the Spanish Empire. Together with English, Spain and France should be considered pseudo founders or at least contributors to modern USA.

Places like Arizona, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Fé, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Denver?, Texas, Austin?, Nevada, Florida, Oregon?, Las Vegas, California, Phoenix?, Colorado, San Jose, San Francisco are all spanish by birth right?

[PaleoEuropean]

That's not that many states. Almost nowhere in Oregon has Spanish names and Northern California aside from the Bay Area has like zero Spanish names. All the Spanish names are in the Southwest which was Mexico and Spain before we took it from Mexico.

[Tenma de Pegasus]

That's not that many states. Almost nowhere in Oregon has Spanish names and Northern California aside from the Bay Area has like zero Spanish names. All the Spanish names are in the Southwest which was Mexico and Spain before we took it from Mexico.

But its still too many, its curious how anglos never renamed these cities.

[sean]

There are also cities with German names, French Names and Native American Names. And also super stupid names like "Gun Barrel" City in Texas lel.

Naming conventions come from the local population that settled at the time. However, every single one of those cities with Spanish names were missions or forts, that consisted of a small military garrison and a few civilians, their only goal was to claim territory. They weren't cities like people think of. They didn't have a lasting impact on the areas.

Wisconsin had a German settlement and thus have names like Freistadt.

[Daco Celtic]

In 1920s California, there was actually a trend of renaming cities with Spanish name to tap into the romantic notion of a Spanish past. Anglos promoted it and it included a trend of Spanish revival architecture that lasted into the 1930s. It also include rehabbing old missions.

[Smitty]

Austin, Texas was obviously named after Stephen F. Austin.

[Westbrook]

So you already know the answer but ask anyway?

There are names that are so american, but when you have attention, you perceive they are Spanish like Florida and California. To me, now its clear how USA was always very linked with the Spanish Empire. Together with English, Spain and France should be considered pseudo founders or at least contributors to modern USA.

Places like Arizona, Fresno, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Fé, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Denver?, Texas, Austin?, Nevada, Florida, Oregon?, Las Vegas, California, Phoenix?, Colorado, San Jose, San Francisco are all spanish by birth right?

[Duffmannn]

That's not that many states. Almost nowhere in Oregon has Spanish names and Northern California aside from the Bay Area has like zero Spanish names. All the Spanish names are in the Southwest which was Mexico and Spain before we took it from Mexico.

Oregón itself is an spanish name, it means "big ear".

Montana too, "mountain"

[PaleoEuropean]

Oregón itself is an spanish name, it means "big ear".

Montana too, "mountain"

Yea but aside from the state names neither neither Montana or Oregon have like any towns or cities named Spanish names. The Mexicans and Spanish didn't colonize the North, they only had outposts like Sean said. Montana got its name pre-Anglo expansion. There are no cities named Spanish names in those areas because like Sean also said no cities existed up there. Even in California the only cities that existed were Sacramento and San Francisco. Los Angeles was nothing before WW2 but dairy farms and orange groves.

[Duffmannn]

Yea but aside from the state names neither neither Montana or Oregon have like any towns or cities named Spanish names. The Mexicans and Spanish didn't colonize the North, they only had outposts like Sean said. Montana got its name pre-Anglo expansion. There are no cities named Spanish names in those areas because like Sean also said no cities existed up there. Even in California the only cities that existed were Sacramento and San Francisco. Los Angeles was nothing before WW2 but dairy farms and orange groves.

The funniest fact is that Oregón and Montana were never part of Spain, not even de jure in maps.

There are no spanish names, because there was not spanish settlement.