wˈʌn hɪstˈoːɹiən nˈoʊts ðˈæt "ðə vˈɛɹi ˈoʊld ˈɪndiən nˈeɪm kˌaɪɐmˈɑːkə hɐz pɚsˈɪstᵻd θɹuː spˈænɪʃ, mˈɛksɪkən ænd ɐmˈɛɹɪkən tˈaɪmz", ænd hˈæz, æt vˈɛɹiəs tˈaɪmz, bˌɪn "ɐplˈaɪd tə mˈaʊntɪnz, lˈeɪks, vˈælɪz ænd ɹˈæntʃᵻz."
One historian notes that "The very old Indian name 'Cuyamaca' has persisted through Spanish, Mexican and American times", and has, at various times, been "applied to mountains, lakes, valleys and ranches."