can I change the displayed map name (ie; 'catopo11" to "California Topo")?
if yes, how?
You cannot (easily). It is encoded into the map files.
Oz, I think it can be easily done with Javawa GMTK - a very handy utility for many map-related things: http://www.javawa.nl/gmtk_en.html
QuoteChange map name and ID
After selecting a map and clicking this option you can enter a new ID and the names you want to see in MapSource/BaseCamp and the device.
JaVaWa GMTK will check for possible conflicts with other installed maps.