It is not a geological feature recognized in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).

The Lake Cunningham–Eastridge Mall area was one of Santa Clara Valley's three permanent wetland complexes called "lagunas".

Laguna Socayre covered a much larger area than Lake Cunningham Park does now.

[1] Due to intense urbanization in the surrounding hill areas, the storm water that historically exited the canyons and percolated through the gravel below ground was channeled into pipes below the streets to Thompson Creek and Lake Cunningham.

[2] The lake and park are named after James Farnham Cunningham who owned the land before the city acquired it for flood control.