El Cajon is a city in San Diego County, California. Nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains, the city has acquired the nickname of "The Big Box". Its name originated similarly, from the Spanish phrase "el cajón", which means "the big box" or "the drawer."

El Cajon, the Spanish words for "the big box", was first recorded on September 10, 1821, as an alternative name for sitio rancho Santa Mónica, describing the "boxed in" nature of the valley in which it sat. The name appeared on maps in 1873 and 1875 as shortened to just "Cajon" until the modern town developed where the post office was named "Elcajon." In 1905, the name was once again expanded to "El Cajon" when California banker and historian, Zoeth Skinner Eldredge, insisted that the words be separated.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Cajon,_California