10 Nicknames for Los Angeles (And Where they Come From!)

The City of Angels may be the most popular nickname for the second largest city in the U.S. and the capital of the movie and music industries.

Yet, you’d be surprised that L.A. has so many more nicknames than you might’ve thought.Here’s your shot at learning as many as you can by taking a look at the following list of Los Angeles nicknames. We’ll also discuss the secret behind those names, so stick around for some fun facts!

Los Angeles Nicknames

Nicknames for Los Angeles include:

• The City of Angels
• La La Land
• The Big Orange
• El Pueblo

1. City of Angels

The mostly used nickname for Los Angeles is “City of Angels,” and there’s a good reason behind that.

See, “Los Angeles,” which is in Spanish, literally translates to “the Angels.” Therefore, it only makes sense that a lot of people call it the “City of Angels.” It’s as simple as that!

But where did this enormous city get its association with angels in the first place?

Well, it all happened during the Spanish colonization of California. The Spanish named the city “El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Ángeles,” which means “The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels.”

In the centuries that followed, people shortened the name to just “Los Angeles.”

Read Also: 17 Nicknames For Chicago

2. La La Land

La La Land, which is a slang term that emerged in the 1960s, is often used to refer to the city of Los Angeles. It’s pretty obvious why that’s the case, especially if you look at the definition of this term.

Simply, being in La La Land means living in a dreamlike state, detached and out of touch with reality.

A lot of aspiring artists go to L.A. with big ambitions and dreams in mind. They’re often dazzled by the city’s riches and opportunities for fame without knowing that they might face struggles along their journey.

Plus, not many people understand how, in order to enjoy the glamorous life of Los Angeles, they must have a lot of money.

As a result of these encounters, La La Land became an unofficial name for Los Angeles!

Read Also: 10 San Francisco Nicknames

3. Where the Stars Live

This one is pretty easy to explain. Since Los Angeles is home to many movie, music, and sports celebrities, it’s fair to simply call the city: The Place Where the Stars Live.

Name any movie star that you know and do quick research on their private residents. Most of the time, it’ll be somewhere in Los Angeles.

Some celebrities even have more than one house in the city!

4. The Big Orange

Just like how New York City is “The Big Apple,” L.A. has been nicknamed “The Big Orange.” Again, there’s a straightforward reason behind this.

See, Los Angeles produces large amounts of orange each season, and that’s because of its perfect weather. It’s always warm and sunny in L.A., the ideal conditions where orange trees can thrive and produce juicy fruits!

Read Also: 8 Nicknames for Seattle

5. Hollywood

Many people simply go ahead and call L.A. Hollywood despite it only being a neighborhood in the sprawling city.

Of course, this is because Hollywood is where all movie-related activities take place, with all the major film studios positioned there. From Paramount to Warner Bros, Hollywood has all it takes to grab everyone’s attention in Los Angeles!

So, since it’s one of the most important features that define the city, Hollywood became synonymous with Los Angeles.

6. El Pueblo

“El Pueblo” translates to “The Town,” which is another shortened derivative of the original name for Los Angeles that the Spanish came by.

7. Lotusland

While this moniker may not be familiar to you, we believe it’s been more commonly used around the 1920s.

Basically, “Lotusland” comes from Greek mythology as it references a land where people ate the lotus flower. Soon enough, they forgot where they originated from, their next destination, and everything else and just kept living in this new city.

When you compare this description to the unnaturally bright promises of fame and wealth in L.A., you’ll quickly understand the significance of the nickname!

8. City of Flowers and Sunshine

Here’s an adorable nickname for Los Angeles that a lot of people like to use to describe the natural beauty of the city.

The secret behind this name is that it’s always sunny and warm in L.A. The city can go years without coming face to face with snow or gloomy weather!

The nickname also reflects the extensive range of outdoor recreational activities that often take place in Los Angeles. Again, this is due to its cozy weather.

9. The Entertainment Capital of the World

This nickname is another result of Los Angeles’s skin-tight association with the entertainment business.

Due to the wealth of movie studios, record labels, concerts, and other events that exist in this city, it’s only fair to be named the entertainment capital of the world.

10. Southland

“Southland” is a name that several radio stations and TV shows use to refer to Los Angeles as well as Orange Counties. Yet, many people use the term to talk about L.A. alone.

The inspiration for the name is pretty obvious since Los Angeles is located in the south of California. To solidify its significance, just keep in mind that a lot of L.A.-based establishments have this name, for example:

• Southland (a band)
• Southland (a TV series set in Los Angeles)

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve read our ten-item list of Los Angeles nicknames and why it has those nicknames, you should have a wide range of monikers to refer to the city.

Some names come more easily to the mind than others, like City of Angels, La La Land, Where the Stars Live, Hollywood, and the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Others are a bit more strange to our ears, but once you learn the reason for them, you’ll get everything. These include Southland, Lotusland, and The Big Orange.

You’ve also got Cty of Flowers and Sunshine, which pays homage to the lovely weather in Los Angeles perfectly!