Prior to the sixties very few folks called them Santa Ana Winds. Only some folks who were ill informed or ignorant of the correct pronunciation. This is similar to the way some folks will pronounce "Westminster Abby". They will innocently add a syllable and call it "Westminister Abby". Westminster is also a city here in Orange County and even some of its own residents call it erroneously.... Westminister (four syllables. This is what happened to the "Santana Winds". Since there was already a city in Orange County called Santa Ana it was natural for some folks....in their laziness to learn and haphazard in their pronunciation....to say "Santa Ana". It sounds similar.
The main problem with calling them after the city (or the river) of Santa Ana is that the Santana Winds are prevalent all the way up and down the coast of the Californias.....including Baja! You will experience this weather phenomena all the way from San Francisco in the north to Ensenada in the south.
Randolph Hearst once wrote about standing on his eastern balcony at San Simeon and feeling the warm Santana on his face. This mansion is closer to San Francisco than it is to Santa Ana.
The Spanish, "Vientos de Sanatanas" ('winds of Satan', Sanatanas being a rarer form of Satanás), the devil winds. I believe this is where the original name comes from. I remember all the older folks, when I was young, calling them "Santana". I remember very few people calling them Santa Ana, but when they did....usually they were new comers to the area and were quite often corrected by native Californians or folks who had lived here for a long time.
As I said in my first post....the name, Santa Ana, really did not catch on until Dr. George came to town and folks heard him nightly during the season calling them "The Santee Annies". He was quite respected, an educated man, but home spun in his philosophy, speech and mannerisms. Naturally many people began calling them....innocently, but incorrectly, The Santa Ana Winds.
Very interesting, thanks!
I like Santa Ana Winds better than Santana Winds. California is already Northern Mexico as it is so no need for a mexican name.