Pronunciation Guide
Newcomers often wonder how to pronounce certain place names or certain surnames of people from Santa Cruz County's past. Pronunciations sometimes get altered over the years as generations pass. This page is an effort to keep alive the original pronunciations. If you have suggestions for additions, please let us know.
Butano. Although now in San Mateo County, these creeks used to be in Santa Cruz County. Locals pronounce it BEW-ta-no.
Cor de Gavere. Well-known Seabright area artist of the early to middle 1900s. Those who knew her well pronounced it "de-GAV-er," with the "a" as in "ah."
Camp Evers. Oldtime resort in Scotts Valley. The first "e" has a long "e" sound: "ee-vers."
F. A. Hihn. Pioneer capitalist (1829-1913). Pronounced "heen."
Margaret Koch. Newspaper writer who wrote many articles and books on local history in the second half of the 1900s. Pronounced "coke."
Leibbrandt. John Leibbrandt opened the Dolphin Baths on the beach in Santa Cruz in 1868. Leibrandt Avenue (spelled with one "b") commemorates the family name. According to descendants, the accent is on the first syllable with a long "i" sound.
Leon Rowland. Newspaper writer who wrote articles and books on Santa Cruz history in the early to middle 1900s. He pronounced it like "ow," but his children used the long "o" sound, as in to row a boat.
Opal. A railroad stop just west of Capitola in the early 1900s. Locals called it "oh-PAL." Nobody seems to know why.
Rodeo Gulch. This drainage cuts through the Live Oak area and empties into Corcoran Lagoon. Longtime Live Oak residents pronounce it the Spanish way: row-DAY-oh.
Saba. A popular Capitola restaurant and nightclub of the 1950s. Pronounced SAY-bah. Owner Brad Macdonald uses this pronunciation in an audio recording, and this was the pronunciation given in the newspaper at the time it opened.
Soquel. A town and creek. This one frequently baffles visitors. It is "so-KELL."
Tyrrell Park. A city park in Seabright, named for an early resident. Often mispronounced today as "tie-RELL," old time Seabright residents said "TEAR-ell," as in tear drop.
Vue de L'Eau. A streetcar terminus on West Cliff Drive at the end of Woodrow Avenue in the early 1900s. It is French for "view of the water." In French it would be (roughly) pronounced voo-di-low (with a short "i" sound). Locals, however, called it view-de-loo.
Cor de Gavere. Well-known Seabright area artist of the early to middle 1900s. Those who knew her well pronounced it "de-GAV-er," with the "a" as in "ah."
Camp Evers. Oldtime resort in Scotts Valley. The first "e" has a long "e" sound: "ee-vers."
F. A. Hihn. Pioneer capitalist (1829-1913). Pronounced "heen."
Margaret Koch. Newspaper writer who wrote many articles and books on local history in the second half of the 1900s. Pronounced "coke."
Leibbrandt. John Leibbrandt opened the Dolphin Baths on the beach in Santa Cruz in 1868. Leibrandt Avenue (spelled with one "b") commemorates the family name. According to descendants, the accent is on the first syllable with a long "i" sound.
Leon Rowland. Newspaper writer who wrote articles and books on Santa Cruz history in the early to middle 1900s. He pronounced it like "ow," but his children used the long "o" sound, as in to row a boat.
Opal. A railroad stop just west of Capitola in the early 1900s. Locals called it "oh-PAL." Nobody seems to know why.
Rodeo Gulch. This drainage cuts through the Live Oak area and empties into Corcoran Lagoon. Longtime Live Oak residents pronounce it the Spanish way: row-DAY-oh.
Saba. A popular Capitola restaurant and nightclub of the 1950s. Pronounced SAY-bah. Owner Brad Macdonald uses this pronunciation in an audio recording, and this was the pronunciation given in the newspaper at the time it opened.
Soquel. A town and creek. This one frequently baffles visitors. It is "so-KELL."
Tyrrell Park. A city park in Seabright, named for an early resident. Often mispronounced today as "tie-RELL," old time Seabright residents said "TEAR-ell," as in tear drop.
Vue de L'Eau. A streetcar terminus on West Cliff Drive at the end of Woodrow Avenue in the early 1900s. It is French for "view of the water." In French it would be (roughly) pronounced voo-di-low (with a short "i" sound). Locals, however, called it view-de-loo.