Of all the facts about California, perhaps the most obscure is how California got its name. Which of these is allegedly the source of the state's name?

While there are several theories about how California got its name, most historians believe it's from the fictional island called California from Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo’s novel The Deeds of Esplandián. In the book, the island of California, east of the Indies, is ruled by Queen Calafia.

Asked by Tom Cohen · Last updated 5 years ago · 1.3K views