# Cities with "San" or "Saint" in their names **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2012, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848 "2012-06-11T19:51:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/21 "2012-06-11T23:29:14Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > But Santa Fe (= “holy faith”) is not named after a saint, just as Santa Cruz (“holy cross”) isn’t either. Well, gee… if you’re going to spoil my story with the facts… (Frankly, I saw the Santa and assumed. I guess I thought maybe Tina Fey had been canonized?) ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/22 "2012-06-11T23:36:08Z")
San Dimas, CA. St. Hedwig, TX. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/23 "2012-06-11T23:51:31Z")
> [@Toucanna](#): > > San Dimas, CA. Wyld Stallyns RULE!!! _headbangs_ ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/24 "2012-06-12T00:04:03Z")
Here’s a list of the bigger towns in California. Go wild. > **[List of municipalities in California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_and_towns_in_California)** > > California is a state located in the Western United States. It is the most populous state and the third largest by area after Alaska and Texas. According to the 2020 United States Census, California has 39,538,223 inhabitants and 155,779.22 square miles (403,466.3 km2) of land. > California has been inhabited by numerous Native American peoples since antiquity. The Spanish, the Russians, and other Europeans began exploring and colonizing the area in the 16th and 17th centuries, with the Spanish ... ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/25 "2012-06-12T00:24:59Z")
> [@bmasters1](#): > > I counted 8 places in the U.S. with “San” or “Saint” in their names. California has 4 (San Francisco, San Bernandino, San Jose, San Diego), Texas has 2 (San Antonio and San Angelo), and Florida, Georgia and Minnesota each have one (St. Augustine, St. Simons Island, and St. Paul). Do you know of any others? California also has Santa Ana (Saint Anne) and Santa Monica (Saint Monica). “Santa” is just the feminine version of “San”. Puerto Rico has San Juan (Saint John), San German (Saint Germain), San Lorenzo (Saint Laurence), San Sebastian (Saint Sebastian), and Santa Isabel (Saint Elizabeth). ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/26 "2012-06-12T02:13:56Z")
Even with Santa Fe out of the running, there are still a few in New Mexico: Saint Vrain San Acacia San Antonio San Jose San Lorenzo San Rafael San Cristobal San Felipe San Fidel San Jose San Lorenzo San Miguel San Rafael Santa Ana San Jon San Jose San Juan San Lorenzo San Mateo San Miguel San Patricio San Pedro San Rafael San Ysidro Santa Ana Santa Clara Santa Rosa Santa Teresa Santo Domingo (the pueblo was recently renamed “Kewa”, so this may not count) Santo Tomas I imagine most of the places that were originally colonized by the Spanish will have a similar list. ---
**Author:** ![J\_Cubed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@J\_Cubed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J_Cubed)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/27 "2012-06-12T02:27:37Z")
Can’t you just go along the coast and figure out which day of the year the Spanish explorers sighted each topographic feature by the associated saint name? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/28 "2012-06-12T02:32:24Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > But Santa Fe (= “holy faith”) is not named after a saint, just as Santa Cruz (“holy cross”) isn’t either. > [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Well, gee… if you’re going to spoil my story with the facts… Not at all! Re-read the OP! He didn’t say anything about cities named after saints. He just asked for cities named with “Saint” or “San” – And it was Saint **Maggie the Ocelot** in post #3 who extended the discussion to include “Santa”. > [@InternetLegend](#): > > Even with Santa Fe out of the running, there are still a few in New Mexico: > > \ There are a LOT of repeated names in that list! San Rafael and San Lorenzo, for example, are each listed THREE times, and many other are there twice. A great many of those same names are also present in California too (although once only, here). ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/29 "2012-06-12T02:33:31Z")
> [@J\_Cubed](#): > > Can’t you just go along the coast and figure out which day of the year the Spanish explorers sighted each topographic feature by the associated saint name? Never heard of that, nor thought of it. Ya think? ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/30 "2012-06-12T03:14:36Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > There are a LOT of repeated names in that list! San Rafael and San Lorenzo, for example, are each listed THREE times, and many other are there twice. Whoops! I had _seven_ repeats in there - I’m sorry! That’s what happens when you don’t proofread properly, kids. However, that still leaves 23 New Mexico communities (“city” is too fancy a word for most of these places) with saints’ names. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/31 "2012-06-12T03:40:39Z")
From a [complete list of US post offices](http://chicagocarto.com/PO2005.html) I put up for my fellow placename researchers: SAINT AGATHA ME SAINT ALBANS ME SAINT ALBANS MO SAINT ALBANS VT SAINT ALBANS WV SAINT ALBANS BAY VT SAINT AMANT LA SAINT ANN MO SAINT ANNE IL SAINT ANSGAR IA SAINT ANTHONY ID SAINT ANTHONY IN SAINT ANTHONY IA SAINT AUGUSTINE FL SAINT AUGUSTINE IL SAINT BENEDICT LA SAINT BENEDICT OR SAINT BENEDICT PA SAINT BERNARD LA SAINT BERNICE IN SAINT BONAVENTURE NY SAINT BONIFACE PA SAINT BONIFACIUS MN SAINT CATHARINE KY SAINT CHARLES AR SAINT CHARLES ID SAINT CHARLES IL SAINT CHARLES IA SAINT CHARLES KY SAINT CHARLES MI SAINT CHARLES MN SAINT CHARLES MO SAINT CHARLES VA SAINT CLAIR MI SAINT CLAIR MN SAINT CLAIR MO SAINT CLAIR PA SAINT CLAIR SHORES MI SAINT CLAIRSVILLE OH SAINT CLOUD FL SAINT CLOUD MN SAINT CLOUD WI SAINT COLUMBANS NE SAINT CROIX IN SAINT CROIX FALLS WI SAINT DAVID AZ SAINT DAVID IL SAINT DAVID ME SAINT DAVIDS CHURCH VA SAINT DONATUS IA SAINT EDWARD NE SAINT ELIZABETH MO SAINT ELMO AL SAINT ELMO IL SAINT FRANCIS AR SAINT FRANCIS KS SAINT FRANCIS KY SAINT FRANCIS ME SAINT FRANCIS MN SAINT FRANCIS SD SAINT FRANCISVILLE IL SAINT FRANCISVILLE LA SAINT GABRIEL LA SAINT GEORGE GA SAINT GEORGE KS SAINT GEORGE SC SAINT GEORGE UT SAINT GEORGES DE SAINT GERMAIN WI SAINT HEDWIG TX SAINT HELEN MI SAINT HELENA CA SAINT HELENA NE SAINT HELENAS ISLAND SC SAINT HELENS KY SAINT HELENS OR SAINT HENRY OH SAINT HILAIRE MN SAINT IGNACE MI SAINT IGNATIUS MT SAINT INIGOES MD SAINT JACOB IL SAINT JAMES LA SAINT JAMES MD SAINT JAMES MN SAINT JAMES MO SAINT JAMES NY SAINT JAMES CITY FL SAINT JO TX SAINT JOE AR SAINT JOE IN SAINT JOHN IN SAINT JOHN KS SAINT JOHN ND SAINT JOHN WA SAINT JOHNS AZ SAINT JOHNS MI SAINT JOHNS OH SAINT JOHNS PA SAINT JOHNSBURY VT SAINT JOHNSBURY CENTER VT SAINT JOHNSVILLE NY SAINT JOSEPH IL SAINT JOSEPH LA SAINT JOSEPH MI SAINT JOSEPH MN SAINT JOSEPH MO SAINT JOSEPH TN SAINT JOSEPHS NY SAINT LANDRY LA SAINT LAWRENCE SD SAINT LEO FL SAINT LEONARD MD SAINT LIBORY IL SAINT LIBORY NE SAINT LOUIS MI SAINT LOUIS MO SAINT LOUIS OK SAINT LOUISVILLE OH SAINT LUCAS IA SAINT MARIES ID SAINT MARKS FL SAINT MARTIN MN SAINT MARTINVILLE LA SAINT MARY KY SAINT MARY OF THE WOODS IN SAINT MARYS AK SAINT MARYS GA SAINT MARYS IA SAINT MARYS KS SAINT MARYS MO SAINT MARYS OH SAINT MARYS PA SAINT MARYS WV SAINT MARYS CITY MD SAINT MATTHEWS SC SAINT MAURICE LA SAINT MEINRAD IN SAINT MICHAEL AK SAINT MICHAEL MN SAINT MICHAEL ND SAINT MICHAEL PA SAINT MICHAELS AZ SAINT MICHAELS MD SAINT NAZIANZ WI SAINT OLAF IA SAINT ONGE SD SAINT PARIS OH SAINT PATRICK MO SAINT PAUL AR SAINT PAUL IN SAINT PAUL KS SAINT PAUL MN SAINT PAUL NE SAINT PAUL OR SAINT PAUL VA SAINT PAUL ISLAND AK SAINT PAUL PARK MN SAINT PAULS NC SAINT PETER IL SAINT PETER MN SAINT PETERS MO SAINT PETERS PA SAINT PETERSBURG FL SAINT PETERSBURG PA SAINT REGIS MT SAINT REGIS FALLS NY SAINT ROSE LA SAINT STEPHEN SC SAINT STEPHENS AL SAINT STEPHENS WY SAINT STEPHENS CHURCH VA SAINT THOMAS MO SAINT THOMAS ND SAINT THOMAS PA SAN ACACIA NM SAN ANDREAS CA SAN ANGELO TX SAN ANSELMO CA SAN ANTONIO FL SAN ANTONIO NM SAN ANTONIO TX SAN ARDO CA SAN AUGUSTINE TX SAN BENITO TX SAN BERNARDINO CA SAN BRUNO CA SAN CARLOS AZ SAN CARLOS CA SAN CLEMENTE CA SAN CRISTOBAL NM SAN DIEGO CA SAN DIEGO TX SAN DIMAS CA SAN ELIZARIO TX SAN FELIPE TX SAN FERNANDO CA SAN FIDEL NM SAN FRANCISCO CA SAN GABRIEL CA SAN GERONIMO CA SAN GREGORIO CA SAN ISIDRO TX SAN JACINTO CA SAN JOAQUIN CA SAN JON NM SAN JOSE CA SAN JOSE IL SAN JOSE NM SAN JUAN TX SAN JUAN BAUTISTA CA SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO CA SAN JUAN PUEBLO NM SAN LEANDRO CA SAN LORENZO CA SAN LUCAS CA SAN LUIS AZ SAN LUIS CO SAN LUIS OBISPO CA SAN MANUEL AZ SAN MARCOS CA SAN MARCOS TX SAN MARTIN CA SAN MATEO CA SAN MATEO FL SAN MIGUEL CA SAN MIGUEL NM SAN PATRICIO NM SAN PEDRO CA SAN PERLITA TX SAN PIERRE IN SAN QUENTIN CA SAN RAFAEL CA SAN RAFAEL NM SAN RAMON CA SAN SABA TX SAN SIMEON CA SAN SIMON AZ SAN YGNACIO TX SAN YSIDRO NM SANTA ANA CA SANTA ANNA TX SANTA BARBARA CA SANTA CLARA CA SANTA CLARA NM SANTA CLARA UT SANTA CLARITA CA SANTA CLAUS IN SANTA CRUZ CA SANTA CRUZ NM SANTA ELENA TX SANTA FE MO SANTA FE NM SANTA FE TN SANTA FE TX SANTA FE SPRINGS CA SANTA MARGARITA CA SANTA MARIA CA SANTA MARIA TX SANTA MONICA CA SANTA PAULA CA SANTA RITA PARK CA SANTA ROSA CA SANTA ROSA NM SANTA ROSA TX SANTA ROSA BEACH FL SANTA YNEZ CA SANTA YSABEL CA ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/32 "2012-06-12T03:41:50Z")
There’s also a town in Texas named Santo, which is Spanish for Saint or Holy–maybe the Spanish missionaries couldn’t decide what holy object or which saint to name it for? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/33 "2012-06-12T06:47:17Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > “Santa” is just the feminine version of “San”. So “Santa Claus” is just a girl in male drag. My gosh. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/34 "2012-06-12T06:59:54Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Does El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula count? There’s no word meaning “saint” in there, but it’s still named after one. ..del Río de la Porciúncula… I must say, whomever came up with the name sure liked a mouthful. > [@Giles](#): > > But Santa Fe (= “holy faith”) is not named after a saint, just as Santa Cruz (“holy cross”) isn’t either. It’s not “a saint” but it’s something that’s “saint”. > [@J\_Cubed](#): > > Can’t you just go along the coast and figure out which day of the year the Spanish explorers sighted each topographic feature by the associated saint name? Not every time, but it’s a good guess; sometimes it gets superseded by a Saint that’s popular with the Order which first settled the area (such as several St Augustines). There are other things which were named by the date method but which are not as easily evident as the ones with “Saint” in the name, such as Florida: the explorers landed, got water and held Mass on _Pascua Florida_ (Easter). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/35 "2012-06-12T10:53:51Z")
Note that not every Saint-place is named for a saint. Case in point is St Helens OR. It was named for the [volcano](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._St._Helens), which in turn was named for [some British dude](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleyne_Fitzherbert,_1st_Baron_St_Helens). ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/36 "2012-06-12T12:14:38Z")
And the British dude for a saint. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/37 "2012-06-12T12:37:00Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > And the British dude for a saint. No, British dude got his title from a town, [St Helens](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Helens,_Merseyside)in Lancashire (now Merseyside). The town got its name from St Elyn who had a chapel there. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/38 "2012-06-12T12:39:10Z")
OK, so there was another step: my point stands, that the name eventually came from a saint. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/39 "2012-06-12T13:58:26Z")
Oh yes, you’re right of course. I was just interested the multiple steps 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848/40 "2012-06-12T14:11:10Z")
There’s also the abbreviation “ste”, which occurs in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Of course, this is derived from the French “Sainte”, rather than Spanish. In this case, “Sault Sainte-Marie” is “The rapids of Saint Mary”, referring to the Saint Mary’s River. ETA: Oh, somebody caught it already. I missed it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-san-or-saint-in-their-names/624848.md?page=3)