by Dr. William Sen
“What does San Diego mean in German?” may sound like an unusual question, but it is asked surprisingly often in the United States. German speakers are sometimes confused by it because San Diego is not a German name at all. It is Spanish and refers to Saint Diego of Alcalá, also known as Saint Didacus.
The word “San” means “Saint” in Spanish. A literal German rendering would therefore be “Sankt Diego.” In historical or religious contexts, the saint may also be referred to as “Sankt Didakus.” However, German speakers do not translate the names of American cities in everyday conversation. San Diego is simply called San Diego in German.
So why do so many people ask Germans about the supposed German meaning of San Diego?
The question comes from the 2004 comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” In one scene, Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell, attempts to impress Veronica Corningstone, played by Christina Applegate, with his highly questionable knowledge of local history.
He confidently claims that San Diego was discovered by Germans in 1904 and that its name refers to a particularly private part of a whale’s anatomy. Veronica immediately points out that none of this information is even remotely correct.
The scene became one of the movie’s most memorable jokes. As a result, Americans sometimes ask German speakers what San Diego means in German — usually as a reference to the film. As Germans, we may not understand the joke immediately, since movie references and this particular kind of humor are not always our strong suit. That confusion may cause some laughter among our American counterparts, but it usually becomes a great and humorous conversation starter.
The real answer is far less dramatic: San Diego is a Spanish name honoring a Catholic saint, and in German, the city is still simply called San Diego.