The Sepúlveda family is a prominent

Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

family of

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

.University of California Press - Three Generations of the Sepulveda Family in Southern California
/ref> Members of the family held extensive rancho grants and numerous important positions, including Alcalde de Los Ángeles (

Mayor of Los Angeles The mayor of Los Angeles is the head of the executive branch of the government of Los Angeles and the chief executive of Los Angeles. The office is officially Non-partisan democracy, nonpartisan, a change made in the 1909 charter; previously, ...

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...

men, and

Los Angeles County Supervisor The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States. History On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Sessions as their first ...

Notable members

Francisco Xavier Sepúlveda

Francisco Xavier Sepúlveda, born in 1747, is the founder of the family. He married María Candelaria de Redondo in 1762; they had six children. He came to California in 1781, as part a military regiment under the leadership of the José de Züñiga.California Military Museum - Soldiers & Settlers of the Expedition of 1781
/ref> He served as a military escort for settlers arriving to the

Pueblo de Los Ángeles El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula, shortened to the Pueblo de los Ángeles, was the Spanish colonial pueblos and villas in North America, Spanish civilian ''pueblo'' settled in 1781, which became the ...

as part of the efforts led by

Fernando Rivera y Moncada Fernando Javier Rivera y Moncada (c. 1725 – July 18, 1781) was a soldier of the Spanish Empire who served in The Californias (''Las Californias''), the far northwest frontier of New Spain. He participated in several early overland exploration ...

, former Governor of the Californias. Subsequently, he settled in

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, serving at the

Presidio of San Diego El Presidio Real de San Diego (Royal Presidio of San Diego) is a historic fort in San Diego, California. It was established on May 14, 1769, by Gaspar de Portolá, leader of the first European land exploration of Alta California—at that time a ...

from 1781 to 1786. After retiring from military service, he settled in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. He died in 1788 and is buried at

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel Mission San Gabriel Arcángel () is a Californian mission and historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. It was founded by the Spanish Empire on the Nativity of Mary September 8, 1771, as the fourth of what would become twenty-one Spanish mi ...

Juan José Sepúlveda

Juan José Sepúlveda was born in 1764, as the eldest son of Francisco Xavier Sepúlveda and María Candelaria de Redondo. He married Tomasa Gutiérrez at

Mission San Juan Capistrano Mission San Juan Capistrano () is a Spanish missions in California, Spanish mission in San Juan Capistrano, California, San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California, Orange County, California. Founded November 1, 1776 in colonial ''The Califo ...

in 1786, with whom he had three children. Following Gutiérrez's death, Sepúlveda remarried to Mariana Díaz Lorenzana in 1804 at

Mission San Diego de Alcalá Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá (, lit. The Mission of Saint Didacus of Acalá) was the second Franciscan founded mission in the Californias (after San Fernando de Velicata), a province of New Spain. Located in present-day San Diego, C ...

. He served as a soldier at the

from the mid-1790s until 1802, when he was transferred to

. He retired and died in 1808, in San Gabriel and was buried at the mission.

Francisco Sepúlveda II

Francisco Sepúlveda II Francisco is the Spanish and Portuguese form of the masculine given name ''Franciscus''. Meaning of the name Francisco In Spanish, people with the name Francisco are sometimes nicknamed "Paco". San Francisco de Asís was known as ''Pater Commu ...

was born in 1775, as the youngest son of Francisco Xavier Sepúlveda and María Candelaria de Redondo. He married María Teodora Ramona Serrano in 1802 at

. In 1831, he participated in the uprising against

Manuel Victoria Manuel Victoria (died 1833) was governor of the Mexican-ruled territory of Alta California from January 1831 to December 6, 1831. He died in exile. He was appointed governor on March 8, 1830 by Lucas Alamán. Exile The revolt, called Battle of ...

, then Governor of Alta California, and was subsequently imprisoned. Francisco served as commissioner of

between 1836 and 1837. Governor

Juan Bautista Alvarado Juan Bautista Valentín Alvarado y Vallejo (February 14, 1809 – July 13, 1882) usually known as Juan Bautista Alvarado, was a Californio politician that served as governor of Alta California from 1837 to 1842. Prior to his term as governor, Al ...

granted him

Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica Rancho or Ranchos may refer to: Settlements and communities *Rancho, Aruba, former fishing village and neighbourhood of Oranjestad *Ranchos of California, 19th century land grants in Alta California ** List of California Ranchos * Ranchos, Buenos ...

in 1839.

José Dolores Sepúlveda

José Dolores Sepúlveda José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , ...

was born in 1793, to Juan José Sepúlveda and Tomasa Gutiérrez. Beginning in 1810, he began his life as a ranchero, having been granted permission to herd livestock on

Rancho San Pedro Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants and the first to win a patent from the United States. The Spanish Crown granted the of land to soldier Juan José Domínguez in 1784, with his descendants validating their legal clai ...

. José Dolores Sepúlveda married María Ignacia Marcia Ávila in 1813 at

. Beginning in 1810, he began to herd his livestock on

; this formed the basis for the Sepúlveda family's claim to the rancho. In 1824, he travelled to

Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. The city was fou ...

to plead his case before Governor

Luis Antonio Argüello Luis Antonio Argüello (; June 21, 1784 – March 27, 1830) was the first Californio (native-born) List of pre-statehood governors of California, governor of Alta California, and the first to take office under Mexico, Mexican rule. He was the only ...

. On his voyage back to Los Angeles, he was killed at

Mission La Purísima Concepción Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality *Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * O ...

, during the Chumash Revolt of 1824. In 1834, ten years after his death, Governor

José Figueroa José María Figueroa (1792 – 29 September 1835) was a Californio politician and military leader. He was a General and the Mexican Governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835. His ''Manifesto'' (1835) was the first book published in Calif ...

made a ruling in the land claim for Rancho San Pedro, awarding José Dolores's sons, Juan Capistrano and José Loreto, the

Rancho de los Palos Verdes ''Rancho de los Palos Verdes'' was a Mexican land grant in present-day Los Angeles County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda. The name means "Ranch of the Green Trees". The grant encomp ...

. The José Dolores Sepúlveda Adobe in Torrance is a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meetin ...

.No. 383 Home of José Dolores Sepúlveda
/ref>

Juan María Sepúlveda

Juan María Sepúlveda was born in 1824 in

, to

and María Teodora Ramona Serrano. He served as the 2nd

Los Angeles County Assessor The Los Angeles County Assessor is the assessor and officer of the government of Los Angeles County responsible for discovering all taxable property in Los Angeles County, except for state-assessed property, to inventory and list all the taxable ...

, from 1857 to 1858. He was elected as a member of the

Los Angeles Common Council The Los Angeles Common Council was the predecessor of the Los Angeles, California, City Council. It was formed in 1850 under state law, when the city had only 1,610 residents, and it existed until 1889, when the city had about 50,400 residents an ...

, serving from 1853 to 1854. He was married to María de Jesus Alvarado, a member of the Pico family. He died in 1868 in Los Angeles.

Juan Capistrano Sepúlveda

Juan Capistrano Sepúlveda Juan Capistrano Sepulveda (1814–1898) was an early California politician and pioneer in Los Angeles. He was a member of the prominent Sepúlveda family of California. Juan Capistrano Sepulveda was a son of Juan Jose Sepulveda, Jose Dolores Se ...

was born in 1814 in San Gabriel, to

and María Ignacia Marcia Ávila. He served as a member of the

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member Board of Supervisors, governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States. History On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Se ...

in 1854 for the 3rd district. He served as Vice-Alcalde of Los Angeles (vice-mayor) in 1845. He was granted

, in conjunction with his brother José Loreto, by Governor

Pío Pico Don (honorific), Don Pío de Jesús Pico IV (May 5, 1801 – September 11, 1894) was a California politician, ranchero, and entrepreneur, famous for serving as the List of governors of California before 1850, last governor of Alta California und ...

in 1846.

José Loreto Sepúlveda

José Loreto Sepúlveda José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced very differently in each of the two languages: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced ...

was born in 1815 in Los Angeles, to

and María Ignacia Marcia Ávila. He was granted

, in conjunction with his brother Juan Capistrano, by Governor

in 1846. He served one term as Alcalde of Los Angeles (mayor), in 1837, and four terms as Vice-Alcalde of Los Angeles (vice-mayor), in 1839 to 1840, 1842, 1846, and 1848.Los Angeles Almanac - Los Angeles Mayors Past and Present
/ref>

Ygnacio Sepúlveda

Ygnacio Sepúlveda Ygnacio Sepulveda-Ávila (1842–1916) was a Californio judge and attorney, who served as part of the first Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Family and education Ygnacio Sepúlveda, a member of the prominent Sepúlveda family of California, ...

was born in 1842 in Los Angeles, to José Andrés Sepúlveda and María Francisca Paula Ávila y Ruíz.Judge Sepúlveda
/ref> In 1863, he was admitted to the

California State Bar The State Bar of California is an administrative division of the Supreme Court of California which licenses attorneys and regulates the practice of law in California. It is responsible for managing the admission of lawyers to the practice of law ...

.The Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly; Vol. 37, No. 3 (September, 1955), pp. 284-288; University of California Press
/ref> He was elected as a member of the

, serving from 1863 to 1865. He was subsequently elected as a Los Angeles County Judge in 1869 and then as a District Judge in 1874. He served on the first board of directors of the

Los Angeles Public Library The Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, California, operating separate from the Los Angeles County Public Library system. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million resid ...

in 1872. He became a judge of the

Los Angeles County Superior Court The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the California Superior Courts of California, Superior Court located in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States. The Sup ...

in 1879, serving until 1884. In 1895,

President Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Dem ...

appointed him as Chargé d'Affaires of the United States to Mexico, which he served as until 1897. He died in 1916 and is buried at

Mission Santa Barbara Mission Santa Barbara () is a Spanish missions in California, Spanish mission in Santa Barbara, California, United States. Often referred to as the 'Queen of the Missions', it was founded by Padre Fermín Lasuén for the Franciscan order on Decem ...

Other members

* José Enrique Anselmo Sepúlveda, grantee of

Rancho San Pascual Rancho San Pascual, also known as Rancho el Rincón de San Pascual, was a Mexican land grant in present-day Los Angeles County, California, given to Juan Marine in 1834 by Mexican Governor José Figueroa. The former Rancho San Pascual land inclu ...

* Diego Sepúlveda, grantee of

Rancho San Bernardino Rancho San Bernardino was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Bernardino County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José del Carmen Lugo, José María Lugo, Vicente Lugo, and Diego Sepulveda. The grant included a l ...

and builder of the

Diego Sepúlveda Adobe The Diego Sepúlveda Adobe, sometimes called the Costa Mesa Estancia or the Santa Ana Estancia, is an adobe structure in Costa Mesa, Orange County, California. It is the second-oldest building still standing in the county. History The adobe w ...

* José Andrés Sepúlveda, owner of Rancho San Joaquín &

Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana was a Spanish land concession in present-day Orange County, California, given by Spanish Alta California governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga in 1810 to Jose Antonio Yorba and his nephew Pablo Peralta. The grant ex ...

and famed

vaquero The ''vaquero'' (; , ) is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula and extensively developed in what what is today Mexico (then New Spain) and Spanish Florida from a method brought to the Americ ...

* Fernando Domingo Sepúlveda, grantee of

Rancho San Rafael Rancho San Rafael was a Spanish land grant in the San Rafael Hills, bordering the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco in present-day Los Angeles County, southern California, given in 1784 to Jose Maria Verdugo. Geography The rancho include ...

and namesake of

Sepulveda, California North Hills, known previously as Sepulveda, is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. North Hills was originally part of an agricultural community known as Mission Acres. After World War II, the newly dev ...

* Vicenta Sepúlveda, owner of Rancho La Sierra and

Rancho Valle de San José Rancho or Ranchos may refer to: Settlements and communities *Rancho, Aruba, former fishing village and neighbourhood of Oranjestad *Ranchos of California, 19th century land grants in Alta California ** List of California Ranchos * Ranchos, Buenos ...

* José Santos Sepúlveda, donating collector to the

Autry Museum of the American West The Autry Museum of the American West (Autry National Center) is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and pub ...

* Rudecinda Sepúlveda de Dodson, pioneer of

San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; ) is a neighborhood located within the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los ...

and a founder of the San Pedro Woman's Club

Legacy

The family is the namesake of

Sepulveda Boulevard Sepulveda Boulevard is a major street and transportation corridor in the City of Los Angeles and several other cities in western Los Angeles County, California. The street parallels Interstate 405 for much of its route. Portions of Sepulveda ...

, a vital thoroughfare in

and the longest street in

Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles and sometimes abbreviated as LA County, is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individua ...

. Sepulveda station in

Van Nuys Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. History In 1 ...

and Expo/Sepulveda station in

West Los Angeles West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped ...

both bear the name of the family.

Sepulveda Pass Sepulveda Pass (elevation ) is a low mountain pass through the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles. It is named after the Sepúlveda family of California, a prominent Californio family that owned the land where the pass lies. It connects ...

, which passes through the

Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area encompasses this mountain range. Because of its p ...

, connects Los Angeles and the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...

, alongside

Sepulveda Dam The Sepulveda Dam is a dry dam constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to withhold winter flood waters along the Los Angeles River. Completed in 1941, at a cost of $6,650,561 (), it is located south of center in the San Fernando Valley, a ...

, are both named for the family. Sepulveda, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in the

, is now commonly known as the North Hills, is named for the family. Several former estates and homes of the family are now historic landmarks, including: * Sepulveda House in

El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument, also known as Los Angeles Plaza Historic District and formerly known as El Pueblo de Los Ángeles State Historic Park, is a historic district taking in the oldest section of Los Angeles, known for m ...

is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

Costa Mesa, California Costa Mesa (; Spanish language, Spanish for "coastal tableland") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including ...

is a

* José Dolores Sepúlveda Adobe in Torrance, California is a California Historical Landmark * Yucaipa Sepúlveda Adobe in

Yucaipa, California Yucaipa ( Serrano: ''Yukaipa't'') is a city located east of San Bernardino, in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 54,542 at the 2020 census, up from 51,367 at the 2010 census. Yucaipa has the distinction of ...

is a California Historical Landmark * Site of Home of Diego Sepúlveda in

is a California Historical Landmark * Sepúlveda Adobe in

Malibu Creek State Park Malibu Creek State Park is a state park of California, United States, preserving the Malibu Creek canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. The park was established in 1974. Opened to the public in 1976, the park is also a component of Santa Mo ...

* Site of Home of Diego Sepúlveda in

San Pedro, Los Angeles San Pedro ( ; ) is a neighborhood located within the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay and Los Angeles Harbor Region, Harbor region of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los ...

California State Parks, Site of Home of Diego Sepúlveda
/ref> Numerous schools are named after the family, including: * Sepulveda Elementary School in Santa Ana * Sepulveda Elementary School in Torrance * Francisco Sepulveda Middle School in Los Angeles * Rudecinda Sepulveda Dodson Middle School in

Palos Verdes The Palos Verdes Peninsula () is a peninsular subregion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, located within southwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is often called simply "Palos Verdes", and is made up of a group of cities in the Palos ...