How did California get its name?

The origin of California's name is not definitively known, but it is widely believed to come from a 16th-century Spanish novel, Las sergas de Esplandián. This novel described a mythical island paradise named California, rich in gold and precious stones. Early Spanish explorers may have applied this name to the region, possibly in the hope of finding such riches. The name was first applied to the peninsula of Baja California and later to the territory that is now the U.S. state.123