Los Angeles is called the City of Angels because its name is Spanish for “the angels.” The name goes back to August 2, 1769, when a Spanish expedition camped by a river and named it after Our Lady of the Angels, a title of the Virgin Mary honored by Franciscans on that date. The town founded near that river in 1781 kept the name, and English speakers later translated it as the City of Angels.
The story behind those few words involves a tiny chapel in Italy, a long-running argument among historians, and a village that stood here long before any of it. Here is how the name came about, and what the city is known for today.
The name is a translation, not a slogan
Unlike many city nicknames, this one was not invented by a tourism office. “Los Ángeles” literally means “the angels,” so “City of Angels” is simply the English version of the name. The full Spanish phrase was much longer, though, and the angels in it were part of a title for Mary, not a description of the place.
That title was “Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles,” or Our Lady of the Angels. Over time, people dropped the religious part and kept the last two words. Then English speakers shortened it again to L.A.
August 2, 1769: a river named for a feast day
In the summer of 1769, an overland party led by Gaspar de Portolá was traveling north from San Diego. The group included Franciscan friar Juan Crespí, who kept a detailed diary. On August 2 they reached a river near today’s downtown and camped beside it.
Spanish explorers often named places after the saint or feast of the day they arrived. August 2 was the Franciscan feast tied to the Porziuncola, a small chapel near Assisi, Italy, closely linked to St. Francis. That chapel was dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. So the friars named the stream the river of Our Lady of the Angels of the Porciúncula. It is the waterway we now call the Los Angeles River.
The Los Angeles Almanac’s account of the settlement covers the expedition and the founding in more detail.
1781: the town of the Queen of the Angels
Twelve years later, California’s Spanish governor, Felipe de Neve, ordered a farming town built near the river. A group of 44 settlers, known as the pobladores, made up of 11 families and their children, came north from Sonora and Sinaloa. The traditional founding date is September 4, 1781.
The new settlement was called El Pueblo de la Reina de los Ángeles, the Town of the Queen of the Angels. It was not built on empty land, however. The Tongva, also called Kizh, people lived nearby in the village of Yaanga, and the site’s history starts with them.
Yaanga stood close to the river, roughly where downtown meets the 101 freeway today. Its residents traded food, baskets and other goods with the newcomers, and many worked for them. Within a few decades, though, the village had been pushed out and broken up. El Pueblo now marks the spot with a small Yaanga Park, so visitors see that the story began before 1781.
The founding date itself is partly tradition. As PBS SoCal’s Lost LA series explains, some families were probably farming their plots weeks before September 4. Still, the city marks that date as its birthday.
A flood washed out the first pueblo in 1815, so it was rebuilt on higher ground. That spot is today’s Old Plaza, part of the El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument near Union Station. Los Angeles became a city under Mexico in 1835 and was incorporated as an American city on April 4, 1850.
The long-name myth
You may have read that the city’s “real” name is something like El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula. That version shows up on plaques, in trivia books and even in record books. However, historians have found little proof that the town ever used it officially.
Early maps and records mostly use shorter forms, such as the Town of the Queen of the Angels. Historians think the long version blends the river’s name from 1769 with the pueblo’s name from 1781. In other words, both halves are real, but the combined phrase is mostly a later invention.
The angels never left, though. The downtown Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels carries the original title, and Spanish speakers still often call the city “Los Ángeles,” with the accent.
Angelenos, L.A. and other nicknames
People who live here are called Angelenos, another word built on the same root. Local papers and city officials use it every day, so newcomers pick it up quickly.
The city has picked up other nicknames too. Here are the ones you will hear most often:
- L.A.: the everyday short form, written with or without periods.
- La-La Land: a playful name tied to the entertainment business and the city’s dreamy reputation.
- Tinseltown: a name for Hollywood and the film industry rather than the whole city.
- The Southland: a broader term that local weather and news reports use for Southern California.
None of these is official. Still, “City of Angels” is the one with real history behind it, because it comes straight from the name the Spanish settlers chose. That is also why the phrase shows up in film titles, songs and team slogans so often.
The name also explains a common spelling question. In English, the city is written without an accent and pronounced “lawss AN-juh-luhs.” In Spanish, it keeps the accent on the first “a” of Ángeles, which reflects the original pronunciation.
What Los Angeles is known for
Ask people what the city of angels is famous for and most start with Hollywood. Even the famous sign began as an ad. It went up in 1923 reading “HOLLYWOODLAND” to sell hillside lots, and the last four letters were removed in 1949, according to Smithsonian’s history of the sign.
The city’s economy goes far beyond film, though. The Port of Los Angeles says it has been the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere for 26 straight years. In 2025 it handled about 10.2 million twenty-foot container units. Aerospace, fashion, food and tech companies all have deep roots in the region.
Size is another big part of the picture. Our guide to the Los Angeles population breaks down the city, county and metro numbers for 2026. If you are weighing a move, our Los Angeles vs New York comparison lines up housing, transit and everyday costs.
Other things the city is known for:
- Beaches and weather: a long coastline from Malibu to Long Beach and mild winters.
- Freeways and traffic: a car-centered layout, now slowly changing as Metro adds rail lines.
- Food: taco trucks, Koreatown, Thai Town and dozens of other immigrant food scenes.
- Sports: the city will host the Summer Olympics again from July 14 to 30, 2028, after the 1932 and 1984 Games.
Community work is part of the picture, too, even if it rarely makes postcards. Stories from our archive show it, such as WesternU Serves the Community at Care Harbor Los Angeles, about a large free health clinic. Another is The Los Angeles Conservation Corps Announces Its New Holiday Drive.
For more on how the city works, browse our Los Angeles and California guides.
Frequently asked questions
What does Los Angeles mean in English?
It means “the angels.” The name comes from Our Lady of the Angels, a title for the Virgin Mary.
Who named Los Angeles?
Members of the 1769 Portolá expedition, including friar Juan Crespí, named the river. The town took a related name when it was founded in 1781 under Governor Felipe de Neve.
When was Los Angeles founded?
The traditional date is September 4, 1781. The city was incorporated under American rule on April 4, 1850.
What is Los Angeles known for?
Hollywood and the entertainment industry come first for most people. The city is also known for its port, beaches, freeways, food scene and the 2028 Olympics.
Is the full name of Los Angeles really that long?
Probably not. The long version combines the 1769 river name with the 1781 town name, and historians find few official uses of it.
Have a question about this topic? Ask in the comments below. Our editors read every comment and answer questions here, and we add useful answers to the guide.
Sources
- laalmanac.com/history/hi03b.php
- pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/happy-birthday-los-angeles-but-is-the-stor…
- elpueblo.lacity.gov
- elpueblo.lacity.gov/sites/g/files/wph1641/files/2025-06/EL PUEBLO SCAVENGER …
- smithsonianmag.com/history/the-hidden-history-of-the-hollywood-sign-180982518
- portoflosangeles.org/business/statistics/facts-and-figures
- tickets.la28.org
- olympics.com/en/olympic-games/los-angeles-2028