Another update to our post last night on references to La Jolla.
Even the community’s historians don’t agree on the roots of its name.
From the La Jolla Historical Society:
No one knows where the name originated — whether it comes from the Spanish word La Joya (which means “the jewel”) or from the Indian term Woholle (meaning “hole in the mountains”). The name has appeared in all land grant and mission records since 1928 and in scattered documents at least back to 1870 (spelled “La Joya”)
I received a really interesting point from reader TT along those lines:
Isn’t it funny how the people in La Jolla consider themselves a part of San Diego all of a sudden. I read in the UT this morning that some of the homeowners already have signed up with a lawyer to find out if there’s any way they can sue the city for the landslide…. I have always wondered what makes people build houses on the edge of steep San Diego canyons. It’s inevitable that one day they’ll slide down, being it earthquakes or heavy rain or even a broken water line….
Anyway, La Jolla is supposed to mean The Jewel (a bit of a stretch from the Spanish “La joya”), but I remember reading that it’s actually native indian for “the Hole”. Very fitting….