Although La Jolla is pronounced “la HOYa,” like a Spanish speaker, the word “jolla” doesn’t actually exist in Spanish. This makes the origin of the neighborhood’s name a mystery, although there are a few different theories.
The first people to live in the area now called La Jolla were a native tribe called the Kumeyaay. They called it Mat Kulaaxuuy, which translates to “land of holes.” It’s not entirely clear to historians what holes the Kumeyaay were referring to, although it may have been a reference to the sea caves that dot the coast. They also used the word “woholle,” which means “hole in the mountain,” and some historians believe “La Jolla” was a Spanish effort to transcribe “woholle.” “La hoya” is also Spanish for “the hole,” so it may have been a more direct translation that was spelled irregularly on early documents.
Another theory is based on the Spanish word “joya,” which translates to “jewel.” In Spanish, “la joya” is pronounced very similarly to “la jolla,” so this could also just be a case of irregular spelling from the earliest settlers. There are also a handful of documents dating back to the 1870s that have the area marked as “La Joya,” lending credence to this theory, although they could simply be misspellings or misunderstandings of the neighborhood’s proper name.
The residents of La Jolla have embraced this potential origin and “The Jewel” has become a popular nickname for the area. We have to admit, “The Jewel” is probably a better and more appropriate nickname than “The Hole,” so we certainly won’t blame them for preferring it.
To make the most of your trip to the Jewel (or the Hole), make sure to check out our La Jolla Cove Self-Guided Driving Tour, or you can sign up for Action+ and gain access to over 100 tours for a single yearly price.
