12/02/2025
Los Angeles, California, is “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula”
The original, complete name of Los Angeles, California, in Spanish, and its translation is often cited as:
• Spanish Name (Most Complete Version): El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula
• English Translation: The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula
👑 Naming Context
The name is rooted in the Catholic traditions of the Spanish Franciscan friars who were part of the 1769 expedition that first explored the area.
• “Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles” (“Our Lady the Queen of the Angels”) is a title of the Virgin Mary.
• “Porciúncula” refers to the Portiuncula, a small chapel near Assisi, Italy, that was significant to Saint Francis of Assisi and is considered the birthplace of the Franciscan order. The name of the nearby river, the Río Porciúncula (now the Los Angeles River), was named by Father Juan Crespí on the feast day of Our Lady of the Angels of the Porciúncula (August 2nd).
• "El Pueblo" simply means "The Town" or "The Village."
While the longer name is the most complete version reflecting the river's name, some historical documents from the time of the town's founding in 1781 cite slightly shorter variations, such as:
• El Pueblo de la Reina de los Ángeles (The Town of the Queen of the Angels).
• El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles (The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels).
However, the longer name including "de Porciúncula" is the most widely recognized and accepted "full" name.
