“The long neck of land enclosing North San Diego Bay on the West side is known as Point Loma. The origin of the name comes from a legend of a flaxen haired little Russian girl, the sole survivor of a shipwreck, who was found wandering on shore. The local residents took her in and named her Loma and she grew up to become the cynosure of many ardent male eyes. A rejected suitor slew the girl and fled to the point where he met his rival on a narrow trail above the sea. A knife fight ensued and the men fell to their death on the rocks below. Legend has it that Point Loma was named after this girl. Actually the word “Loma” in Portuguese means light.”

I had never heard this story previously but VIP Mary R. pointed us to this page on the Coast Guard web site, which talks about the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and how Point Loma was named.

Do you believe this legend? Have you heard other legends on how Point Loma got its name?

https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Land/Lighthouses-Light-Stations/Article/1975950/point-loma-lighthouse/

Since its Open Tower Day on Sunday, we also thought this was a good time for anyone who wants to dive into the details of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse.

An Overview of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse