Does anyone know where the name "California" came from? And what does it mean?

Question

I know this question sounds stupid, but I have had different responses from learned people and they all varied.

Answer 1

California: The state was named for a mythical land described in a popular Spanish novel from around 1500, Las sergas de Esplandián (The exploits of Esplandián) by Garcia Ordóñez de Montalvo.

Answer 2

Origin of the name California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The toponym California is currently used by three North American subnational entities Рthe U.S. state of California and the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur Рand by many other places in other parts of the world. Historically, the name was also used by the Mexican province of Alta California, and the Gulf of California is a common alternative appellation for the Sea of Cort̩s.

The name is suggested to be of Spanish, Latin or Native American origin, but all of these are disputed, and considerable controversy exists surrounding the etymology of the name.[1] The following paragraphs illustrate some of the extant claims.

California originally referred to the entire region composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and land in the current U.S. states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming, known as Alta California. In these early times, the boundaries of the Sea of Cortés and the Pacific coast were only partially explored and California was shown on early maps as an island.

Some suggest that the word California may signify that a place is "hot as an oven" (cali > hot, fornia > oven). It may be derived from caliente fornalia, Spanish for hot furnace, or it may come from calida fornax, Latin for hot climate.

Another possible source may be kali forno, an indigenous phrase meaning "high mountains". There is no agreement among scholars.

Answer 3

California originally referred to the entire region composed of the Mexican peninsula now known as Baja California and land in the current U.S. state of California.
The name is thought to have derived from the mythical paradise of Calafia portrayed in Amadís de Gaula, a 16th century Spanish romance by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, which in the book was a difficult to reach land with gold in plenty, free-loving Amazons living in caves, and strange beasts.

Some suggest that the word California may come from the early Spanish explorers who entered California via the hot southern regions and referred to California as being "hot as an oven" or a "lime oven" ("cali > hot", "fornus->forno > oven" + ending "ia" for a place; or with "cal > lime", which, ..., which is a usual form of Spanish to form new words out of Latin roots with Spanish new words). It may be derived from caliente fornalia, Spanish for hot furnace, or it may come from calida fornax, Latin for hot climate. According to one esteemed historical society it came from Califa, legendary figure in the indigenous settlement .

Answer 4

It was named after the island of the Amazons (ruled by Queen Califa) from the novel The Exploits of Esplandian by Garcí Ordóñez de Montalvo.

Answer 5

Seems that the name may be derived from Spanish words the Caliente and Fornalia which means hot and furnace.. Wikipedia also suggests that it may be from calida fornax, which is Latin for hot climate..