Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023
Is the origin of the word ‘Nevada’ Spanish?
“Nevada” is a Spanish word literally translated as “snowy.” The name was given to the region by the Spanish in reference to the snow-capped Sierra Nevada range.
The Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European to explore modern-day California, beheld the Santa Cruz Mountains covered with snow in 1542 and named them Sierras Nevadas. “Sierra” is the Spanish word for mountain. Later explorers used the name for other mountains inland until it became fixed to its current range.
Native American tribes such as the Paiute, Washoe and Shoshone lived on the land for thousands of years before European contact.
Mexico ceded Nevada and other Southwestern lands to the U.S. in 1848 under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War.
The U.S. kept the name, officially establishing Nevada as the 36th state in the nation in 1864.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- DeepL Translator Nevada
- State of Nevada History of Nevada
- San Diego History Center Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
- Yosemite Exploration of the Sierra Nevada
- National Archives Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
See all fact briefs
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
Learn MoreLatest Fact Briefs
Does preschool increase the likelihood that a child will attend college?
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025
Was a large percentage of votes received after Election Day in Nevada in 2024?
Monday, Feb. 3, 2025
Did Nevada lag most of the nation in job growth in 2024?
Monday, Jan. 27, 2025