borrego

Borrego is a toponym of Spanish origin meaning lamb or young sheep. It is used in place names across the Americas, especially in the southwestern United States and parts of Latin America, often reflecting historical grazing and ranching.

In California, Borrego Springs is the best known use of the name. Borrego Springs is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in northern San Diego County. It lies within the Anza-Borrego Desert region and serves as a gateway to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The town is a destination for visitors seeking desert scenery, outdoor recreation, and dark-sky stargazing.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California, straddles parts of San Diego and Imperial counties in the Colorado Desert. The park protects rugged canyons, palm groves, badlands, and desert wildlife, with the name honoring both Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Borrego desert region.

Historically, the area was inhabited by the Kumeyaay people prior to Spanish exploration and later developed around ranching and tourism. The use of Borrego in place names reflects the region’s associations with sheep or grazing lands in local memory and mapped geography.