From previous residents to the natural wonders of the region, inspiration abounds for expecting parents in search of a clever moniker

First names are a fascinating way to explore a region and its evolution over the years, and the Lake Tahoe area is no exception. Names popularly used around Tahoe from its earliest documented history to the present day reveal a treasure trove of information about its residents. 

Looking at name trends can also pinpoint cultural values and stylistic preferences in each era. If you’re expecting a child of your own and pondering names, there’s a great deal of inspiration to be gleaned from Tahoe history and its natural wonders.

Names of Old

Tahoe’s first residents were the members of the Washoe Tribe, who arrived in the region about 6,000 years ago. Notable figures in the Washoe’s origin stories are a female creator named Nentushu, an eagle named Ong and coyote known as Gewe. Some Washoe-language names mentioned in the book The Small Shall Be Strong by Matthew Makley include Epesuwa and Mélo, while two prominent Washoe weavers bore the names Sarah Jim Mayo and Dat-So-La-Lee, whose stunning basketry can still be viewed today in various museums, including the Nevada Museum of Art and Nevada State Museum. 

Although John C. Fremont and his cartographer, Charles Preuss, were the first recorded white men to lay eyes on Lake Tahoe, in 1844, it’s hard to deny that the most famous early arrivals to the area were members of the Donner Party in 1846. 

Names within the Donner Party reflect many of the trends of the era among European-Americans, including the use of biblical and virtue names. For instance, Donner Party members included John, Patrick, Margaret, Sarah, Virginia and William.

According to U.S. census data, common names from the 1840s through 1870s included Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Martha, Emily and Margaret for women and John, William, James, George, Charles and Frank for men. Some of the less common names among the Donner Party, however, reflected other aspects of American society at the time: Augustus, Karl, Antonio, Elitha, Lovina, Tamsen, Jean Baptiste, Landrum and Philippine were all outside the norm. A few of these names are indicative of native language or country of origin, such as Jean Baptiste, a French name, and Augustus and Karl, both of whom immigrated from Germany.  

At the Al Tahoe Pioneer Cemetery in South Lake Tahoe—the only historic cemetery in the Basin—some of the names dating to the 1860s can be traced to the Bible, while others reflect another common trend at the time: names inspired by history and literature, such as Cyrus, Homer and Saphrania. 

Immigrants from China began arriving in the United States in the 1840s, and many of them ended up in California, taking jobs building railways, mining for gold and starting small businesses. A number of these immigrants made their way to the Tahoe area. Among them were Lum Ah Chew, a railroad cook and waiter during construction of the transcontinental railroad over Donner Summit, Mock Chuck, a railroad foreman, and Fong Lee, a prominent merchant in Truckee.   

Though there wasn’t an established Jewish community in Tahoe until later in the twentieth century, early Jewish residents carried names that reflected their heritage. Isaias Hellman is one such person, a German banker who immigrated to California and built Pine Lodge on Tahoe’s West Shore, now known as the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion.

California in the 1960s shared many of the top names as the rest of the country, yet a few names on the statistical charts illustrate the diversity that extended to the Tahoe area. Carlos, Manuel, Juan, Ricardo, Teresa, Luis, Francisco and Miguel were all among the nation’s top 100 names thanks to California’s large Hispanic population. 

Tahoe-area history also yields some names that never cracked the top 1,000 in the United States or commonly appeared on census records. These include Lora (Knight), Hamlet (Davis), Orsame (Dickey), Tasker (Oddie) and Sophary (Euer).  

In the vein of unusual names, the Tahoe region also has its share of memorable nicknames—perhaps most famously Tahoe Tessie, but also Tarantula Bill, Poker Pete Alvertson and Carrie “Spring Chicken” Pryor. And one simply can’t forget the legendary break-in master bear, Hank the Tank.

Isabella May Dunn-Webb Hupfel, also known as “Queenie,” was the founder of the historic Tahoe City Golf Course, photo courtesy TCPUD

Tahoe Inspiration

One way to subtly incorporate Tahoe in a name is through prominent historical figures of the area.

Prospective parents of a daughter might like Isabella or May, for Isabella May Dunn-Webb Hupfel, founder of the Tahoe City Golf Course and the first female golf instructor and golf architect in the country. Penelope is another athletic nod, for Penelope “Penny” Pitou, who became the first U.S. skier to win an Olympic downhill medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics. And, for a son, a Tahoe family might consider Lennart after Lennart Palme, the architect hired by Lora Knight to design Vikingsholm. 

Nature and wildlife associated with Tahoe also are excellent starting points for naming children. Choices for girls could include Madia for spring madia, or Esme (a nickname for Esmeralda in Spanish) in reference to Emerald Bay. For those expecting a boy, Carson can pay homage to the nearby river, pass and city named after early Sierra explorer Kit Carson.

Tree lovers? Aspen, Alder, Juniper, Cedar, Willow, Douglas and Forrest are all fitting names for a mountain kid. Birders may prefer Peregrine or Kestrel, while fans of bears might consider Arthur, Torben, Bernadette or Artis. And, of course, Sierra is a great name here in Tahoe. 

The naming options are as vast and varied as the region itself.

Naomi Kaye Honova is a  freelance writer born and raised in Northern California but living for the past decade-plus in Germany, where she resides with her husband and three sons.