I propose to offer you a few thoughts upon the question of a name.

I think the best way to form an English name is to find a word signifying something characteristic of the place to be named, or the name of a person, event or quality which would be satisfactorily associated with it, and if the word or name is not sufficiently agreeable in itself, complete it with some of the old English terminations of names of localities such as:

Of persons I have heard you mention but two, (not connected with the faculty), as having had any association with your enterprise, Dr. Bushnell and Mr Billings. Either would make a good name for a locality by itself, Bushnell has a particularly Saxon local association and I should like it best alone. For a combination, Bushnell-wood, Billingsley, Billings-brook, are easily turned.

Lincolnwood or Lincolnwold, sounds well.

I don’t think water should be the characteristic quality, since your water becomes quite insignificant, if it does not wholly disappear in the more important points of the ground in Summer. If the locality is named from the “Creek” therefore, it should be by some word which implies merely a small water course—or which is at least unspecific in regard to water. You have what might properly be called a grove, perhaps a wood, and you will have thickets, coppices. Two kinds of trees are prominent, the Oak, (or Ilex) and the Laurel. The Saxon for the evergreen oak is Holm or Holme, which is a capital word by itself. Oak you can’t well use [408]except in some novel combination from your vicinity to Oakland and its triteness, but Holme, The Holmes, is not trite in America. Ilexis hardly English, and combines with nothing English. Hurst (a thick grove) is of the same character, (The Hurst, Hurstley, Hatchhurst). Of Laurel; Laurella, Laurellee, Laurelee, Laurelea, Laurel wood, Laurel hill, the latter trite and not of cheerful associations, the others rather weak and un-English.

Your sheltered condition from wind gives another suggestion, Leewood, Leeroads, Leepaths, Leesides, Leecombe, Leeley, Hurstlee, Shelterwood; Shelterdene, Shelter, Harborwood, Havendene, Havenwood, Blythehaven, Havenhurst.

The gap in the mountain behind you gives another, but neither gap nor any of its synonyms, gate, notch, port, ravine, defile, &c. suggest anything very pleasing to me that is not trite. Glen is the best to build on perhaps but your gap is hardly a glen.

In fact all English words having any local applications and which are simple and natural and particularly agreeable are likely to have been appropriated too frequently to be quite satisfactory for your purpose. It seems to me just and proper to fall back on Spanish at this time in California; it has already given us so many euphonious and to English ears entirely original, proper names. I give you the following assortment, a little study would find more: Villa, I may remark, is Spanish as well as Italian for a country seat, but it is applied as a generic designation of a certain class of towns, generally honored with a residence of some royal or notable person. You will find a large list of them—many in Mexico—in “Webster’s Unabridged.” It is more appropriate for application to your combination of village, villas, and villa or pleasure ground roads, than “park” or the unfortunate French “ville.” If you could hit upon some very short Spanish adjective which would be descriptive at all, it would probably make a good proper name coupled with villa.

Villarosa	of roses or red, or sunny.
Villabrecha	of the springs or flowing water or beach
Villaverde	green
Villabrena	of the thickets or brambles.
Villavega	of the mead or meadow. (appropriate enough as your public ground will take that character.)
Villa-vecino	of the neighbors, neighboring,
Villa-del-vecino	neighborhood.
Villa ramosa	branchy, woody, forest like.
Villa-hermosa	beautiful
Villa-feliche	happy
Villa-rocalla	of the pebbles or water washed.
Villa-portilla	of the gap or opening, notch
[409]
Villa abrigano	of the Shelter
Villalaurino  (Vilaurino)	of the Laurel
Villa pagado	peaceful, calm,
Villapaca	of observation, outlook.
Villapampanosa	of thick foliage.
Villabaranca	of the ravine.
Villa-abra	of the dale or dells or gap
Villafronde	Leafy.
Villaverdura	of verdure.
Villa-verano	summer

Verano is a good name by itself, being significant so near the climate of San Francisco where there is no Summer. The following aremostly repetitions of those above standing singly, and may be used I suppose with or without the article.

[410]

Of these the following would I think be readily adopted by English tongues and be pleasant to English ears:

I believe your property was formerly included in the ranch of Peralta or owned by St Peralta. If this name has not been appropriated to designate any other locality, it would be natural and proper to take it, and it is not bad.

If I have misunderstood or taken unjustifiable liberties with any of the Spanish words, Mr. Billings can set you right.

Please let me know when you have hit upon anything that suits you, as I may want a name for use.