List of place names in Canada of Aboriginal origin
Encyclopedia
This list of place names in Canada of Aboriginal origin contains Canadian
places whose names originate from the words of the First Nations
, Métis
, or Inuit
, collectively referred to as Aboriginal peoples in Canada
. When possible the original word or phrase used by Aboriginals is included, along with its generally believed meaning. Names listed are only those used in English
or French
, as many places have alternate names in the local native languages, e.g. Alkali Lake, British Columbia
is Esket in the Shuswap language
, Lytton, British Columbia
is Camchin in the Thompson language
(often used in English however, as Kumsheen).
The name Canada comes from the word meaning "village" or "settlement" in the Saint-Lawrence Iroquoian
language spoken by the inhabitants of Stadacona
and the neighbouring region near present-day Quebec City
in the 16th century. Another contemporary meaning was "land." Jacques Cartier was first to use the word "Canada" to refer not only to the village of Stadacona
, but also to the neighbouring region and to the Saint-Lawrence River.
In other Iroquoian languages, the words for "town" or "village" are similar: the Mohawk
use kaná:ta’, the Seneca
iennekanandaa, and the Onondaga
use ganataje.
Provinces and territories whose official names are aboriginal in origin are Yukon
, Saskatchewan
, Manitoba
, Ontario
, Quebec
and Nunavut
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
places whose names originate from the words of the First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
, Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
, or Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
, collectively referred to as Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
. When possible the original word or phrase used by Aboriginals is included, along with its generally believed meaning. Names listed are only those used in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
or French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, as many places have alternate names in the local native languages, e.g. Alkali Lake, British Columbia
Alkali Lake, British Columbia
Alkali Lake is an unincorporated community in the Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located 40 kilometres south of the city of Williams Lake en route to Dog Creek and the Gang Ranch...
is Esket in the Shuswap language
Shuswap language
The Shuswap language, known to its speakers as Secwepemctsín , is the traditional language of the Shuswap people of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains...
, Lytton, British Columbia
Lytton, British Columbia
Lytton in British Columbia, Canada, sits at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River on the east side of the Fraser. The location has been inhabited by the Nlaka'pamux people for over 10,000 years, and is one of the earliest locations settled by non-natives in the Southern Interior of...
is Camchin in the Thompson language
Thompson language
The Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin or the Nlaka'pamux language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also in the North Cascades region of Whatcom and Chelan counties of...
(often used in English however, as Kumsheen).
The name Canada comes from the word meaning "village" or "settlement" in the Saint-Lawrence Iroquoian
Laurentian language
Laurentian, or St. Lawrence Iroquoian, was an Iroquoian language spoken until the late 16th century along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River in present-day Quebec and Ontario, Canada. It is believed to have disappeared with the extinction of the St...
language spoken by the inhabitants of Stadacona
Stadacona
Stadacona was a 16th century St. Lawrence Iroquoian village near present-day Quebec City.French explorer and navigator Jacques Cartier, travelling and charting the Saint Lawrence River, reached it on 7 September 1535. He returned to Stadacona to spend the winter there with his group of 110 men...
and the neighbouring region near present-day Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
in the 16th century. Another contemporary meaning was "land." Jacques Cartier was first to use the word "Canada" to refer not only to the village of Stadacona
Stadacona
Stadacona was a 16th century St. Lawrence Iroquoian village near present-day Quebec City.French explorer and navigator Jacques Cartier, travelling and charting the Saint Lawrence River, reached it on 7 September 1535. He returned to Stadacona to spend the winter there with his group of 110 men...
, but also to the neighbouring region and to the Saint-Lawrence River.
In other Iroquoian languages, the words for "town" or "village" are similar: the Mohawk
Mohawk language
Mohawk is an Iroquoian language spoken by around 2,000 people of the Mohawk nation in the United States and Canada . Mohawk has the largest number of speakers of the Northern Iroquoian languages; today it is the only one with greater than a thousand remaining...
use kaná:ta’, the Seneca
Seneca language
Seneca is the language of the Seneca people, one of the Six Nations of the Iroquois League. About 10,000 Seneca live in the United States and Canada, primarily on reservations in western New York, with others living in Oklahoma and near Brantford, Ontario.-Phonology:Seneca words are written with...
iennekanandaa, and the Onondaga
Onondaga language
Onondaga Nation Language is the language of the Onondaga First Nation, one of the original five constituent tribes of the League of the Iroquois ....
use ganataje.
Provinces and territories whose official names are aboriginal in origin are Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
.
Provinces and territories
- ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
: Either derived from the CreeCreeThe Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
word manito-wapâw meaning "the strait of the spirit or manitobau" or the AssiniboineAssiniboine languageThe Assiniboine language is a Nakotan Siouan language of the Northern Plains, spoken by around 200 Assiniboine people, most of them elderly. The name Asiniibwaan is an Ojibwe term meaning "Stone Siouans"...
words mini and tobow meaning "Lake of the Prairie", referring to Lake ManitobaLake ManitobaLake Manitoba is Canada's thirteenth largest lake and the world's 33rd largest freshwater lake. It is in central North America, in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is named after the lake...
. - NunavutNunavutNunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
: "Our land" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
. - OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
: Derived from the HuronWyandot languageWyandot is the Iroquoian language traditionally spoken by the people known variously as Wyandot, Wyandotte, Wendat, or Huron. It was last spoken primarily in Oklahoma and Quebec...
word onitariio meaning "beautiful lake", or kanadario meaning "sparkling" or "beautiful" water. - QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
: from the MíkmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
word kepék, meaning "strait" or "narrows". - SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
: Derived from the CreeCreeThe Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
name for the Saskatchewan RiverSaskatchewan RiverThe Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada, approximately long, flowing roughly eastward across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to empty into Lake Winnipeg...
, kisiskāciwani-sīpiy, meaning "swift flowing river". - YukonYukonYukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
: from an Athabaskan languageAthabaskan languagesAthabaskan or Athabascan is a large group of indigenous peoples of North America, located in two main Southern and Northern groups in western North America, and of their language family...
, e.g. KoyukonKoyukon languageKoyukon is an Athabaskan language spoken along the Koyukuk and middle Yukon River in western interior Alaska. It has about 300 speakers - generally older adults bilingual in English - from an ethnic population of 2,300....
yookkene or Lower TananaLower Tanana languageLower Tanana is an endangered Athabaskan language spoken in Interior Alaska in the lower Tanana River villages of Minto and Nenana. Of about 380 Tanana people in the two villages, about 30 still speak the language...
yookuna.
Alberta
- AmiskAmisk, AlbertaAmisk is a village in east central Alberta, Canada.The name comes from amisk , the Cree word for "beaver".The site was surveyed by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1906. That same year settlers from the United States, Scandinavia and Great Britain arrived. The first general store was built in 1907,...
: "BeaverBeaverThe beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
" in Cree. - Athabasca RiverAthabasca RiverThe Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...
, Lake AthabascaLake AthabascaLake Athabasca is located in the northwest corner of Saskatchewan and the northeast corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N.-History:The name in the Dene language originally referred only to the large delta formed by the confluence the Athabasca River at the southwest corner of the lake...
, Athabasca FallsAthabasca FallsAthabasca Falls is a waterfall in Jasper National Park on the upper Athabasca River, approximately 30 kilometres south of the townsite of Jasper, Alberta, and just west of the Icefields Parkway...
, Mount AthabascaMount AthabascaMount Athabasca is located in the Columbia Icefield of Jasper National Park in Canada. The mountain was named in 1898 by J. Norman Collie, who made the first ascent on August 18 of that year...
, AthabascaAthabasca, AlbertaAthabasca is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It lies north of Edmonton on Highway 2, on the banks of the Athabasca River. It is the centre of Athabasca County. Until 1913 it was known as Athabasca Landing.- History :...
: "Where there are reeds" in CreeCree languageCree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana... - Kananaskis
- Medicine HatMedicine Hat, AlbertaMedicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....
: Translation of the BlackfootBlackfoot languageBlackfoot, also known as Siksika , Pikanii, and Blackfeet, is the Algonquian language spoken by the Blackfoot tribes of Native Americans, who currently live in the northwestern plains of North America...
word saamis, meaning "headdress of a medicine man". - Lake MinnewankaLake MinnewankaLake Minnewanka is a glacial lake located in the eastern area of Banff National Park in Canada, about five kilometres northeast of the Banff townsite...
: ""Water of the Spirits" in SiouxSioux languageSioux is a Siouan language spoken by over 33,000 Sioux in the United States and Canada, making it the fifth most spoken indigenous language in the United States or Canada, behind Navajo, Cree, Inuit and Ojibwe.-Regional variation:...
(Nakoda/Stoney language) - Nikanassin RangeNikanassin RangeThe Nikanassin Range s a group of mountain ranges in the Canadian Rockies on the eastern edge of Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is developed south-east of the Fiddle Range, and one of the front ranges. Nikanassin means "first range" in Cree....
: "First range" in CreeCree languageCree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana... - OkotoksOkotoks, AlbertaOkotoks is a town situated on the Sheep River, south of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership, a cooperative of communities within the Calgary Region. Okotoks has become a popular bedroom community for the City of Calgary...
: "Big Rock" in BlackfootBlackfoot languageBlackfoot, also known as Siksika , Pikanii, and Blackfeet, is the Algonquian language spoken by the Blackfoot tribes of Native Americans, who currently live in the northwestern plains of North America... - PonokaPonoka, AlbertaPonoka is a town in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the south/central parkland region of rolling hills. Industries are agriculture , and oil and gas production...
: "Black Elk" in CreeCree languageCree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana... - Wabasca: from wapuskau, "grassy narrows" in Cree languageCree languageCree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
- WetaskiwinWetaskiwin, AlbertaWetaskiwin is a small city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskīwin-ispatinaw , meaning "the hills where peace was made"....
: "Place of peace" or "hill of peace" in CreeCree languageCree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana... - Wapiti RiverWapiti RiverWapiti River is a river in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Smoky River, located in the southern area of the Peace River Basin.Wapiti is named after the Cree word for elk .-Course:...
: from the ShawneeShawnee languageThe Shawnee language is a Central Algonquian language spoken in parts of central and northeastern Oklahoma by only around 200 Shawnee, making it an endangered language. It was originally spoken in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania...
word for "elk", waapiti (literally "white rump"). - Waputik RangeWaputik RangeThe Waputik Range lies West of the upper Bow Valley, East of Bath Creek, South of Balfour Creek in the Canadian Rockies."Waputik" means "white goat" in Stoney...
: Waputik means "white goat" in SiouxSioux languageSioux is a Siouan language spoken by over 33,000 Sioux in the United States and Canada, making it the fifth most spoken indigenous language in the United States or Canada, behind Navajo, Cree, Inuit and Ojibwe.-Regional variation:...
British Columbia
For the scores of BC placenames from the Chinook Jargon, see List of Chinook Jargon placenames.A-B
- Ahnuhati River: "where the humpback salmonPink salmonPink salmon or humpback salmon, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. It is the smallest and most abundant of the Pacific salmon.- Appearance :...
go" in Kwak'walaKwak'walaKwak'wala is the Indigenous language spoken by the Kwakwaka'wakw. It belongs to the Wakashan language family. There are about 250 Kwak'wala speakers today, which amounts to 5% of the Kwakwaka'wakw population... - Ahousat: "facing opposite the ocean" in Nuu-chah-nulthNuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth is a Wakashan language spoken in the Pacific Northwest of North America, on the west coast of Vancouver Island from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia, by the Nuu-chah-nulth people...
(Nootka). - Aiyansh and New Aiyansh: "early leaves" or "leafing early" in the Nisga'a languageNisga'a languageNisga’a is a Tsimshianic language of the Nisga'a people of northwestern British Columbia. Nisga'a people, however, do not like the term Tshimshianic as they feel that it gives precedence to Coast Tsimshian. Nisga’a is very closely related to Gitksan...
- Akamina Pass: "mountain pass" in Ktunaxa (Kootenay)
- Akie River: "cut-bank river" in Dunne-za
- Amiskwi RiverAmiskwi RiverThe Amiskwi River is an approximately 27.1 km river in British Columbia. It is a tributary of the Kicking Horse River. The name Amiskwi is a Cree word for Beavertail...
: "beaver trail" in CreeCree languageCree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana... - AnyoxAnyox, British ColumbiaAnyox was a small company-owned mining town in British Columbia, Canada. Today it is largely destroyed and abandoned. It is located about southwest of Stewart, British Columbia on the shores of Observatory Inlet...
: "place of hiding" in Nisga'aNisga'a languageNisga’a is a Tsimshianic language of the Nisga'a people of northwestern British Columbia. Nisga'a people, however, do not like the term Tshimshianic as they feel that it gives precedence to Coast Tsimshian. Nisga’a is very closely related to Gitksan... - Ashlu CreekAshlu CreekAshlu Creek is a short and swift river-like creek in British Columbia. It is a tributary of the Squamish River and enters it about 24.3 km northwest of Squamish.- Course :...
- Ashnola RiverAshnola RiverThe Ashnola River is a tributary of the Similkameen River, rising in the northeastern part of the North Cascades in Washington, United States, and flowing north into British Columbia, Canada to join the Similkameen River about halfway along that river's course between the towns of Princeton and...
: thought to mean "place of trading" in Okanagan - Asitka River, Asitka Peak, Asitka Lake
- Askom Mountain: "mountain" in St'at'imcets (the Lillooet language)
- Atchelitz: "bottom" in Halqemeylem, possibly because this locality and the creek of the same name is at the bottom of Chilliwack Mountain.
- AtlinAtlin, British ColumbiaAtlin is a community in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located on the eastern shore of Atlin Lake. In addition to continued gold-mining activity, Atlin is a tourist destination for fishing, hiking and Heliskiing. As of 2004, there are 450 permanent residents.The name comes from Áa Tlein,...
: "big lake" in Inland TlingitTlingit languageThe Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English... - Atna RangeAtna RangeThe Atna Range is a small subrange of the Skeena Mountains of the Interior Mountains, located in northern British Columbia, Canada.-References:*. Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia. Bivouac.com....
: "strangers" or "other people" in CarrierCarrier languageThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
. - Atnarko RiverAtnarko RiverThe Atnarko River is a river in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:The Atnarko River flows originates at Charlotte Lake. It flows generally west for approximately , joining the Telchako River to form the Bella Coola River. For much of its length the river flows through Tweedsmuir...
: "river of strangers" in ChilcotinChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people.... - Atsutla RangeAtsutla RangeThe Atsutla Range is a granitic mountain range on the Kawdy Plateau in northern British Columbia, Canada. The Atsutla Range lies south of the Yukon border in between Teslin Lake and the Stewart-Cassiar Highway, roughly north-northeast of Dease Lake....
- Attachie: the name of a Beaver indian whose descendants are members of the nearby Doig River First Nation
- Bella CoolaBella Coola, British ColumbiaBella Coola is a community of approximately 600 at the western extremity of the Bella Coola Valley. Bella Coola usually refers to the entire valley, encompassing the settlements of Bella Coola proper , Lower Bella Coola, Hagensborg, Saloompt, Nusatsum, Firvale and Stuie...
: Named for the usual term for the local indigenous people, who call themselves NuxalkNuxálk NationThe Nuxalk Nation , also referred to as the Bella Coola or Bellacoola, are an Indigenous First Nation in Canada, living in the area in and around Bella Coola, British Columbia...
. Bella Coola is an adaption of bəlxwəla, the Heiltsuk name for the Nuxalk; their meaning is not limited to the band at Bella Coola but to all Nuxalk. - Bella BellaBella Bella, British ColumbiaBella Bella, also known as Waglisla, is an unincorporated community and Indian Reserve community located within Bella Bella Indian Reserve No. 1 on the east coast of Campbell Island in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. Bella Bella is located north of Port Hardy, on Vancouver...
: This is an adaption of the Heiltsuk name for themselves, pəlbálá. - Botanie MountainBotanie MountainBotanie Mountain, also spelled Bootahnie Mountain, is a mountain in the Clear Range of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is located immediately north of the village of Lytton, which is situated at the confluence of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers.-Access and fire lookout:A fire...
, Botanie Creek, Botanie Valley etc., meaning "covered", "covering" or "blanketed all over" in Nlaka'pamux (Thompson)Thompson languageThe Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin or the Nlaka'pamux language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also in the North Cascades region of Whatcom and Chelan counties of...
, which is thought to be a reference to its shroud of cloud or fog in times of bad weather, or else a reference to the abundant plant cover in the area. An 1894 account of a Secwepemc (Shuswap)Shuswap languageThe Shuswap language, known to its speakers as Secwepemctsín , is the traditional language of the Shuswap people of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains...
meaning is "many root place" (the upper end of the Botanie Valley is near the limit of Secwepemc territory)
C
- Canim LakeCanim Lake (British Columbia)Canim Lake is a lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is located approximately 35 km northeast of 100 Mile House.-Provincial parks around Canim Lake:*Canim Beach Provincial Park*Roserim Creek Provincial Park*Wells Gray Provincial Park...
, Canim RiverCanim RiverThe Canim River is a river in the South Cariboo region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It begins at the outlet of Canim Lake and runs approximately 1.8km to Canim Falls, the river then continues approximately 9 kilometres via a canyon cut into a lava plateau, to Mahood Lake."Canim"...
, Canim FallsCanim FallsCanim Falls is a waterfall on the Canim River between Canim and Mahood Lakes in the Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately in height as measured in 1968 , and is cut into a lava plateau associated with the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field which...
, Canim Beach Provincial ParkCanim Beach Provincial ParkCanim Beach Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the southwest end of Canim Lake in the Interlakes District of the South Cariboo region, adjacent to the Secwepemc Indian reserve community of Canim Lake, British Columbia jut northeast of 100 Mile House."Canim"...
: "canoe" in the Chinook JargonChinook JargonChinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language... - CaribooCaribooThe Cariboo is an intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The name is a reference to the woodland caribou that were once abundant in the region...
: from Micmac xalibu via French cariboeuf or carfboeuf: "pawer" or "scratcher". A mountain subspecies of caribou were once numerous in the Cariboo. - Carmanah Creek, Carmanah Valley, Carmanah Point: "thus far upstream" in the Nitinaht dialect of Nootka (Nuu-chah-nulthNuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth is a Wakashan language spoken in the Pacific Northwest of North America, on the west coast of Vancouver Island from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia, by the Nuu-chah-nulth people...
). - CassiarCassiar, British ColumbiaCassiar is a ghost town in British Columbia, Canada. It was a small company-owned asbestos mining town located in the Cassiar Mountains of Northern British Columbia north of Dease Lake. After forty years of operation, starting in 1952, the mine was unexpectedly forced to close in 1992...
: a remote adaptation of KaskaKaskaThe Kaska or Kaska Dena are a First Nations people living mainly in northern British Columbia and the southeastern Yukon in Canada. The Kaska language originally spoken by the Kaska is an Athabaskan language....
, definition debatable, but possibly "old moccasins". - Caycuse River: from the Nitinaht dialect of NootkaNuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth is a Wakashan language spoken in the Pacific Northwest of North America, on the west coast of Vancouver Island from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia, by the Nuu-chah-nulth people...
, meaning "place where they fix up canoes". - Cayoosh CreekCayoosh CreekCayoosh Creek is a northeast-flowing tributary of the Seton River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:Cayoosh Creek flows generally northeast from sources in the eponymous Cayoosh Range north of Cayoosh Pass to join the Seton River at of Lillooet...
: Cayoosh is a LillooetLillooet, British ColumbiaLillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
-area variant of cayuse, originally from the Spanish caballo - "horse", although in Lillooet and the ChilcotinChilcotin DistrictThe Chilcotin District of British Columbia is usually known simply as "the Chilcotin", and also in speech commonly as "the Chilcotin Country" or simply Chilcotin. It is a plateau and mountain region in British Columbia on the inland lea of the Coast Mountains on the west side of the Fraser River....
this word specifies a particular breed of Indian mountain pony. There are two versions of the name's meaning. In one account, someone's pony dropped dead in or at the creek after an arduous journey over the pass at the head of its valley. In the other, the crest of standing waves in the rushing waters of the creek are said to resemble bucking horses and their manes. - Celista, British ColumbiaCelista, British ColumbiaCelista is a small community located along the north shore of Shuswap Lake in British Columbia, Canada.The local school is North Shuswap Elementary school, which has grades one to seven and has an annual enrolement of just over 100 students....
: from the SecwepemcSecwepemcThe Secwepemc , known in English as the Shuswap people, are a First Nations people residing in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Their traditional territory ranges from the eastern Chilcotin Plateau and the Cariboo Plateau southeast through the Thompson Country to Kamloops and the Shuswap...
chiefly and family name Celesta, common in the nearby community of Neskonlith near ChaseChase, British ColumbiaChase is a village located in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It has a population of roughly 2,500, and its main industries are forestry and tourism. It is located at the outlet of Little Shuswap Lake, which is the source of the South Thompson River...
. - Chaba PeakChaba PeakChaba Peak is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia. It was named in 1920 by the Interprovincial Boundary Survey. Chaba is the Stoney Indian word for beaver.-See also:*List of peaks on the British Columbia-Alberta border*Mountains of Alberta...
: from the Stoney language word for "beaver". - Chantslar Lake: from the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
word for "steelhead lake" - Cheakamus RiverCheakamus RiverThe Cheakamus River is a tributary of the Squamish River, beginning on the west slopes of Outlier Peak in Garibaldi Provincial Park upstream from Cheakamus Lake on the southeastern outskirts of the resort area of Whistler. The river flows into Cheakamus Lake before exiting it and flowing...
: from the Squamish language "ChiyakmeshChiyakmeshChiyakmesh is a village/community of the Indigenous Sḵwxwú7mesh, located near Squamish, British Columbia. The name of the Cheakamus River comes from the name of this village, which is located on Cheakamus Indian Reserve No. 11. Chiyakamesh translates into People of the Fish Weir. A chiyak is a...
", for "salmon weir place". - Cheam: Halqemeylem for "(place to) always get strawberries". The Halqemeylem term refers to an island across from the present-day reserve and village. This name is used in English for Mount Cheam (Cheam PeakCheam PeakCheam Peak, called Theeth-uhl-kay in the Halqemeylem language of the Sto:lo and usually referred to as Mount Cheam, is the farthest northerly peak of the Cheam Range, a subrange of the Skagit Range of the Canadian Cascades mountains. It dominates the eastern Fraser Valley, rising above Bridal Falls...
), the most prominent of the Four Sisters Range east of Chilliwack, which in Halqemeylem is called Thleethleq (the name of Mount BakerMount BakerMount Baker , also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is an active glaciated andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. It is the second-most active volcano in the range after Mount Saint Helens...
's wife, turned to stone). - Chechidla RangeChechidla RangeThe Chechidla Range is a mountain range in northernwestern British Columbia, Canada, located about west of Dease Lake and 125–150 km south-southeast of Atlin. It has an area of 3236 km2 and lies roughly in between the Whiting and Sutlahine Rivers on the west and northwest and the Samotua...
- Checleset Bay: from the Nootka (Nuu-chah-nulthNuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth is a Wakashan language spoken in the Pacific Northwest of North America, on the west coast of Vancouver Island from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia, by the Nuu-chah-nulth people...
) name Cheklesahht, "people of cut on the beach", the local group of Nuu-chah-nulth people, whose band government today is the Kyuquot/Cheklesahht First NationKyuquot/Cheklesahht First NationThe Kyuquot/Cheklesath First Nation is a First Nations government based at Kyuquot, located on the outer coast of Kyuquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada...
. - Chedakuz Arm (Knewstubb LakeKnewstubb LakeKnewstubb Lake is an arm or stretch of the Ootsa Lake Reservoir in the Nechako Country of the western Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It forms part of the south arm of the reservoir, which includes adjoining stretches such as Eutsuk Lake and Natalkuz Lake, which are "upstream" to the...
), Carrier language - Cheewat River: from the Nitinaht dialect of Nuu-chah-nulthNuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth is a Wakashan language spoken in the Pacific Northwest of North America, on the west coast of Vancouver Island from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia, by the Nuu-chah-nulth people...
for "having an island nearby". - Cheekye RiverCheekye RiverThe Cheekye River is a river in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It flows west into the Cheakamus River and north of Squamish.-References:...
and the locality of Cheekye near Squamish: from Nch'kay, the Squamish language name for Mount GaribaldiMount GaribaldiMount Garibaldi is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Sea to Sky Country of British Columbia, north of Vancouver, Canada. Located in the southernmost Coast Mountains, it is one of the most recognized peaks in the South Coast region, as well as British Columbia's best known volcano...
, meaning "dirty place" in reference to that mountain's ash-stained snows - ChehalisChehalis, British ColumbiaChehalis, British Columbia is a small forestry, agricultural and First Nations community in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia located on Highway 7 on the west bank of the Harrison River between the town of Mission and the resort community of Harrison Hot Springs.Chehalis is the site of...
and Chehalis RiverChehalis River (British Columbia)The Chehalis River is located in the southwest corner of British Columbia, Canada near the city of Chilliwack. It flows south-eastward out of the Douglas Ranges of the Coast Mountains, draining into the Harrison River....
: probable meanings vary from "the place one reaches after ascending the rapids" or "where the 'chest' of a canoe grounds on a sandbar'. The sandbar or rapids in question would be the old "riffles" of the Harrison River where it empties into the Fraser River out of Harrison Bay (the riffles were dredged out in gold rush times). The Chehalis people refer to themselves, however, as Sts'ailesSts'AilesThe Sts'ailes are a First Nations people in the Lower Mainland of the Canadian province of British Columbia. They are a Halqemeylem-speaking people but are distinct historically and politically from the surrounding Sto:lo peoples...
, "beating heart". - Cheja RangeCheja RangeThe Cheja Range is an icefield-bound mountain range on the inside perimeter of the Alaska Panhandle in northernwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 732 km2 and lies between the South Whiting River and the Samotua River. It is a subrange of the Boundary Ranges which in turn form...
- ChemainusChemainus, British ColumbiaChemainus is a community on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.Founded as a logging town in 1858, the town is now famous for its 39 outdoor murals. This outdoor gallery has given birth to 300 businesses, including a theatre, antiques dealers, and eateries. The tourist...
: Named after the native shaman and prophet Tsa-meeun-is, which means "Broken Chest" or "bitten breast"(Hunquminum language), a reference to the bitemarks possible during a shamanic frenzy, which the local horseshoe-shaped bay is thought to have resembled. - Cheslatta Lake: "top of small mountain" or "small rock mountain at east side" in the Carrier languageCarrier languageThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
- ChezacutChezacutChezacut is an unincorporated ranching settlement and former post office in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name means "bird without wings" in the Chilcotin language...
: "birds without feathers" in the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
. - Chic Chic Bay: Tshik-tshik, under various spellings, is the Chinook Jargon for a wagon or wheeled vehicle.
- Chikamin RangeChikamin RangeThe Chikamin Range is a subrange of the Tahtsa Ranges, located between the west end of Eutsuk Lake and Whitesail Lake in northern British Columbia, Canada.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
: Chickamin, as usually spelled, is "metal" or "ore" in the Chinook JargonChinook JargonChinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
, often meaning simply "gold" - Chilako River: "beaver hand river" in the Carrier languageCarrier languageThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
- Chilanko RiverChilanko RiverThe Chilanko River is a river in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior region of the Canadian province of British Columbia.The name of the river derives from a Chilcotin word meaning "many beaver river".-Course:...
: "many beaver river" in the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people.... - Chilcotin RiverChilcotin RiverThe Chilcotin River is a long tributary of the Fraser River in southern British Columbia, Canada. It drains the Chilcotin Plateau, which lies between the Fraser River and the Coast Mountains...
: "red ochre river people" in the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people.... - Chilkat PassChilkat PassThe Chilkat Pass is a mountain pass on the border of Alaska, United States, and the province of British Columbia, Canada, at the divide between the Klehini and Kelsall Rivers just northwest of Haines, Alaska. It is used by the Haines Highway and was the route used by the Dalton Trail during the...
: "salmon storehouse" in the Tlingit languageTlingit languageThe Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English... - Chilko RiverChilko RiverThe Chilko River is a 75 km waterway in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, connecting Chilko Lake to the Chilcotin River. Its main tributary is the Taseko River....
: "red ochre river" in the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people.... - ChilliwackChilliwack, British ColumbiaChilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. It is a predominantly agricultural community with an estimated population of 80,000 people. Chilliwack is the second largest city in the Fraser Valley Regional District after Abbotsford. The city is surrounded by mountains and...
: "Going back up" in HalqemeylemHalkomelem languageHalkomelem is a language of the First Nations peoples of southeastern Vancouver Island from the west shore of Saanich Inlet northward beyond Nanoose Bay, and of the mainland around the Fraser River Delta upriver to Harrison Lake and the lower...
. Other translations are "quieter water on the head" or "travel by way of a backwater of slough", all a reference to the broad marshlands and sloughs of the Chilliwack area, which lies between the Fraser River's many side-channels and Sumas Prairie (much of formerly Sumas LakeSumas LakeSumas Lake was a body of water between Sumas and Vedder mountains, midway between the present-day cities of Chilliwack and Abbotsford, British Columbia. Its name means "a big level opening" and is a reference to the site of the lake, which lay between Sumas Mountain and its American counterpart,...
). Older spellings are Chilliwhack, Chilliwayhook, Chil-whey-uk, Chilwayook, and Silawack. - Chinook Cove: on the North Thompson River, a reference to the Chinook salmon rather than to the language, wind or people of the same name.
- Choelquoit Lake: "fishtrap lake" in the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
- Chonat Bay: "where coho salmon are found" in Kwak'walaKwak'walaKwak'wala is the Indigenous language spoken by the Kwakwaka'wakw. It belongs to the Wakashan language family. There are about 250 Kwak'wala speakers today, which amounts to 5% of the Kwakwaka'wakw population...
- Chu Chua: the plural of the Secwepemc language word for "creek".
- Chuckwalla River: "short river" in Oowekyala. The nearby Kilbella River means "long river".
- Chukachida River
- Chutine RiverChutine RiverThe Chutine River, originally named the Clearwater River, is a major right tributary of the Stikine River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located west of the Stikine Icecap and just inside the boundary between Alaska and British Columbia. The former settlement of Chutine or...
: "half-people" in either the Tlinkit or Tahltan languageTahltan languageTahltan is a poorly documented Northern Athabaskan language historically spoken by the Tahltan people who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. Some linguists consider Tahltan to be a language with 3 divergent but mutually intelligible dialects...
s. The area's population was half-Tlingit and half-Tahltan. - Cinnemousun Narrows Provincial ParkCinnemousun Narrows Provincial ParkCinnemousun Narrows Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on Shuswap Lake at the convergence of the lake's four arms.-References:*...
: From the Secwepemc language cium-moust-un, meaning "come and go back again", sometimes translated as "the bend" (i.e. in Shuswap LakeShuswap LakeShuswap Lake is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River...
) - Clayoquot SoundClayoquot SoundClayoquot Sound is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is bordered by the Esowista Peninsula to the south, and the Hesquiaht Peninsula to the North. It is a body of water with many inlets and islands. Major inlets include Sydney Inlet,...
: an adaption of the Nuu-chah-nulth language Tla-o-qui-aht, which has a variety of translations: "other or different people", "other or strange house", "people who are different from what they used to be"; in Nitinaht the phrase translates as "people of the place where it becomes the same even when disturbed". - Clo-ooseClo-oose, British ColumbiaClo-oose is a village of the Ditidaht people in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is located just southwest of the west end of Nitinat Lake in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on the west coast of Vancouver Island, about south of Port Alberni...
: "campsite beach" in the Nitinaht dialect of Nuu-chah-nulthNuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth is a Wakashan language spoken in the Pacific Northwest of North America, on the west coast of Vancouver Island from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia, by the Nuu-chah-nulth people... - Clusko River: "mud river" in the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
- Cluxewe River: "delta or sand bar" in Kwak'walaKwak'walaKwak'wala is the Indigenous language spoken by the Kwakwaka'wakw. It belongs to the Wakashan language family. There are about 250 Kwak'wala speakers today, which amounts to 5% of the Kwakwaka'wakw population...
- Coglistiko River: "stream coming from small jack-pine windfalls" in the Carrier languageCarrier languageThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
- Colquitz River: "waterfall" in North Straits Salish
- Comiaken: "bare, devoid of vegetation" in Hunquminum
- ComoxComox, British ColumbiaComox is a town of 12,000 people located on a small peninsula in the Georgia Strait on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The warm dry summers, mild winters, fertile soil and abundant sea life attracted First Nations thousands of years ago, who called the area kw’umuxws...
: either from the Chinook JargonChinook JargonChinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
for "dog" (kamuks), or from the Kwak'walaKwak'walaKwak'wala is the Indigenous language spoken by the Kwakwaka'wakw. It belongs to the Wakashan language family. There are about 250 Kwak'wala speakers today, which amounts to 5% of the Kwakwaka'wakw population...
for "place of plenty". - Conuma Peak: "high, rocky peak" in the Nuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth languageNuu-chah-nulth is a Wakashan language spoken in the Pacific Northwest of North America, on the west coast of Vancouver Island from Barkley Sound to Quatsino Sound in British Columbia, by the Nuu-chah-nulth people...
- Coqualeetza: "place of beating of blankets (to get them clean)" in Halkomelem
- Coquihalla RiverCoquihalla RiverThe Coquihalla River is located in the Cascade Mountains near the town of Hope, British Columbia. It originates in the Coquihalla Lakes and empties into the Fraser River at Hope....
: "stingy container" (of fish), a reference to black-coloured water spirits who would steal fish right off the spear - CoquitlamCoquitlam, British ColumbiaCoquitlam is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Coquitlam is mainly a suburban city, and is one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. According to the 2007 Canadian Census, it is the 5th-largest city in British Columbia...
: "Small red salmonSalmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
" in Halqemeylem (Upriver Halkomelem). Derived from the name of the Khwayquitlam people. Another and more usual translation is "stinking of fish slime" or "stinking fish", thought to be a reference to the Khwayquitlam people's role as slaves to the Katzie and Kwantlen as fish butchers. - CowichanCowichan RiverThe Cowichan River is a moderately sized river in British Columbia, Canada. It originates in Cowichan Lake, flowing east towards its end at Cowichan Bay. Its drainage basin is in size....
: from Quwutsun, "land warmed by the sun" or "warm country" (Hunquminum) - CultusCultus Lake, British ColumbiaCultus Lake Park is a lake, associated community and provincial park in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada. It is the source of the Sweltzer River. The lake itself is warm, and the area has become a popular recreation destination with ample opportunities for fishing, water...
: "bad, of no value, worthless" in Chinook jargonChinook JargonChinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
. In First Nations legend, this popular recreational lake south of Chilliwack was said to be inhabited by evil spirits. - CumshewaCumshewa, British ColumbiaCumshewa is a former village and of the Haida people located on the north flank of Cumshewa Inlet in the Queen Charlotte Islands of the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada...
, Cumshewa InletCumshewa InletCumshewa Inlet, also recorded or referred to in exploration logs as Cumchewas Harbour and Tooscondolth Sound, is a large inlet on the east coast of Moresby Island in the Queen Charlotte Islands of the North Coast of British Columbia...
, Cunshewa Head: Cumshewa was a prominent Haida chief in the late 18th Century, noted for the killing of the crew of the US trading vessel Constitution in 1794. His name means "rich at the mouth" (of the river)" and was conferred from the language of the Heiltsuk, who were allies of the Cumshewa Haida.
D-J
- Dil-Dil PlateauDil-Dil PlateauThe Dil-Dil Plateau is a small lava plateau on the west side of the upper valley of Big Creek in the southern Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia...
, meaning unknown, probably Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people.... - Ealue Lake: "sky fish" in TahltanTahltan languageTahltan is a poorly documented Northern Athabaskan language historically spoken by the Tahltan people who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. Some linguists consider Tahltan to be a language with 3 divergent but mutually intelligible dialects...
. - Ecstall River: from the Tsimshian for "tributary" or "something from the side" (the Ecstall joins the Skeena RiverSkeena RiverThe Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
near Prince RupertPrince Rupert, British ColumbiaPrince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:... - EddontenajonEddontenajon, British ColumbiaEddontenajon is an unincorporated settlement in the Stikine Country of the northwestern British Columbia Interior in Canada. It is located along the Stewart-Cassiar Highway on the northeast side of Eddontenajon Lake and comprises a small commercial centre as well as the community It should not be...
: "child crying in the water" or "a little boy drowned" in TahltanTahltan languageTahltan is a poorly documented Northern Athabaskan language historically spoken by the Tahltan people who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. Some linguists consider Tahltan to be a language with 3 divergent but mutually intelligible dialects... - Cape Edensaw: Edenshaw, in its modern spelling, remains an important name in modern Haida society, known mostly nowadays for the dynasty of famous carvers of that name, all descendants of the early 19th Century chief of this name, one of the powerful chiefs of MassetMasset, British ColumbiaMasset , formerly Massett, is a village in Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the northern coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Columbia. It is the western terminus of the Yellowhead Highway...
- Edziza, MountMount EdzizaMount Edziza is a stratovolcano in the Stikine Country of northwestern British Columbia, Canada. The volcano and the surrounding area are protected within Mount Edziza Provincial Park. It consists of a complex of multiple peaks and ridges, with several glaciers flowing in all directions. The summit...
and Edziza, Mount volcanic complexMount Edziza volcanic complexThe Mount Edziza volcanic complex is a large and potentially active north-south trending complex volcano in Stikine Country, northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located southeast of the small community of Telegraph Creek...
: named after the Edzertza family of the TahltanTahltanTahltan refers to a Northern Athabaskan people who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut.-Social Organization:...
people, who live nearby. - Elaho RiverElaho RiverThe Elaho River is a c.70 km long river beginning in the Coast Mountains northwest of the towns of Whistler and Pemberton, British Columbia. It is a tributary of the Squamish River and is known for its whitewater rafting and kayaking as well as for the intense alpine scenery lining its...
- Endako Lake, Carrier language
- EsquimaltEsquimalt, British ColumbiaThe Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
: North Straits Salish for "the place of gradually shoaling water". Derived from their word Es-whoy-malth. - Euchuk Lake, Carrier language
- Fontas RiverFontas RiverThe Fontas River, originally Fantasque's River, after the name of a chief of the Sekani people, is a river in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, having its origin in northwestern Alberta, Canada...
: originally Fantasque's River, after the name of a chief of the SekaniSekaniSekani is the name of an Athabaskan First Nations people in the Northern Interior of British Columbia. Their territory includes the Finlay and Parsnip River drainages of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The neighbors of the Sekani are the Babine to the west, Dakelh to the south, Dunneza to the east, and...
people - Gataga RiverGataga RiverThe Gataga River is a river in the Northern Rockies of British Columbia, Canada. It is a tributary of the Kechika River, which is a tributary of the Liard.-References:...
- Gingolx, also sp. Kincolith, "Place of skulls" in the Nisga'a languageNisga'a languageNisga’a is a Tsimshianic language of the Nisga'a people of northwestern British Columbia. Nisga'a people, however, do not like the term Tshimshianic as they feel that it gives precedence to Coast Tsimshian. Nisga’a is very closely related to Gitksan...
- Gunn ValleyGunn ValleyGunn Valley is a valley in the southern Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, just west of the Taseko Lakes and, like them, running on a north-south axis and at a perpendicular angle to Yohetta Valley, which drains to it via Yohetta Creek but also conncets through...
, from the name of a member of the Xeni Gwet'inXeni Gwet'inThe Xeni Gwet'in, also known as the Stone Chilcotin, are a First Nations people whose traditional territory is located in the southern Chilcotin District of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the inland flank of the Coast Mountains west of the Fraser River...
of Nemaiah Valley who lived there, ganin. - Hotnarko River
- Hozameen RangeHozameen RangeThe Hozameen Range is a mountain range in southwestern British Columbia and northern Washington, straddling the division between the Coast and Interior regions of that province...
- Hunlen FallsHunlen FallsHunlen Falls is a waterfall in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is located in Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, west of the communities of Tatla Lake, Kleena Kleene and Nimpo Lake, and east of Bella Coola. It is the highest waterfall in Canada when measured...
, from the name of a chief whose trapline was in the area of the falls - Inklin RiverInklin RiverThe Inklin River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows northwest into the head of the Taku River, which is formed by the convergence of the Inklin with the Nakina River, which flows southwest to meet it at the uninhabited locality of Inklin, which is located at the...
- Kinuseo FallsKinuseo FallsKinuseo Falls is a waterfall on the Murray River, which flows through the northern tip of Monkman Provincial Park in the Northern Rockies of British Columbia, Canada...
, from the Cree for "fish"
K-L
- Kalamalka LakeKalamalka LakeKalamalka Lake is a large lake in the Interior Plateau of southern central British Columbia, Canada, east of Okanagan Lake and approximately south of Vernon. The lake is named for the Okanagan Kalamalka Lake (aka "Kal Lake") is a large lake in the Interior Plateau of southern central British...
- KamloopsKamloops, British ColumbiaKamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River and near Kamloops Lake. It is the largest community in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District and the location of the regional district's offices. The surrounding region is more commonly...
: anglicization of the ShuswapShuswap languageThe Shuswap language, known to its speakers as Secwepemctsín , is the traditional language of the Shuswap people of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains...
word Tk'emlups, meaning "where the rivers meet". - Kasalka RangeKasalka RangeThe Kasalka Range is a subrange of the Tahtsa Ranges, located between Tahtsa Lake and Troitsa Lake in northern British Columbia, Canada.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
, Kasalka Butte, Kasalka Creek - KelownaKelowna, British ColumbiaKelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...
: "Grizzly bearGrizzly BearThe grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
" in the OkanaganOkanaganThe Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...
language. - Kemano
- KeremeosKeremeos, British ColumbiaKeremeos is a village in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The name originated from the Similkameen dialect of the Okanagan language word "Keremeyeus" meaning "creek which cuts its way through the flats" referring to Keremeos Creek which flows down from the Upper Benchlands to the...
- Khutzeymateen River, Khutzeymateen Provincial Park, Khutzeymateen InletKhutzeymateen InletKhutzeymateen Inlet is one of the lesser principal inlets of the British Columbia Coast. It is important in being part of the first area in Canada protected to preserve grizzly bears and their habitat via the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary...
, from "K'tzim-a-deen" (Tsimshian language) - Kincolith - see Gingolx
- Kitimat- people of the snow
- Kitlope RiverKitlope RiverThe Kitlope River is a river in the Kitimat Ranges in the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, flowing north into the head of the Gardner Canal to the south of the smelter town of Kitimat. It is named for the Gitlope group of Haisla, now part of the Haisla Nation government and community at...
, var. of Gitlope, the Tsimshian language name for the Gitlope, "people of the rocks", now amalgamated with the Gitamaat band as the Haisla First Nation. - Kitselas, British ColumbiaKitselas, British ColumbiaKitselas, also Kitsalas, is an unincorporated settlement, otherwise known as Kitselas Indian Reserve No. 1 of the Kitselas subgroup of the Tsimshian people lcoated on the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Kitselas means "people of the village at the canyon" in the Tsimshian...
, Kitselas CanyonKitselas CanyonKitselas Canyon, also Kitsalas Canyon is a stretch of the Skeena River in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, between the community of Usk and the Tsimshian community of Kitselas. It was a major obstacle to steamboat travel on the Skeena River....
, "people of the village in the canyon" in the Tsimshian language - Kitsumkalum, British Columbia, Kitsumkalum River - "people of the riffles (in the shallow water" in the Tsimshian language.
- Klemtu, from the Coast Tsimshian language "Klemdoo-oolk," meaning"impassable"
- Kluskus LakesKluskus LakesThe Kluskus Lakes are a group of lakes on the northern perimeter of the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. They are located east of Tsacha Lake and south of the Euchiniko Lakes and are part of the drainage of the West Road River...
, Kluskus Hills, Kluskus - KootenayKootenaysThe Kootenay Region comprises the southeastern portion of British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Ktunaxa First Nation first encountered by explorer David Thompson.-Boundaries:The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Kootenay Land...
: derived from the proper name of the Kootenay people, Ktunaxa - Kuyakuz Mountain, Kuyakuz Lake
- Kwadacha River "white water" in SekaniSekani languageThe Sekani language is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Sekani people of north-central British Columbia, Canada.-Consonants:Sekani has 33 consonants:* *Sekani, like other Athabaskan languages, does not contrast fricatives with approximants....
(indigenous spelling Kwàdàta or Kwodàch). The river contains high amounts of rock flour, so "white" is reference to the colour of the water, not to rapids.- Kwadacha Glacier
- Kwadacha Mountain
- Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial ParkKwadacha Wilderness Provincial ParkKwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, which include to the north of the Kwadacha the Northern Rocky Mountains Provincial Park and Stone Mountain Provincial Park....
- Kwadacha, British Columbia (Fort Ware)
- Lakelse Lake, Lakelse Lake Provincial ParkLakelse Lake Provincial ParkLakelse Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada located just west of Highway 37 between Terrace and Kitimat. The name is derived from the Coast Tsimshian language word "LaxGyels"....
, Lakelse Hot SpringsLakelse Hot SpringsThe Lakese Hot Springs, also known as the Mount Layton Hot Springs, are a group of hot springs in the Kalum-Kitimat valley of northern British Columbia, Canada, located on the eastern shore of Lakelse Lake in Lakelse Lake Provincial Park south of Terrace along Highway 37...
etc. from the Coast Tsimshian "LaxGyels" - Kyuquot, British ColumbiaKyuquot, British ColumbiaKyuquot is an unincorporated settlement and First Nations Indian reserve community located on Kyuquot Sound on northwestern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Meaning people of Kayukw in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, it is partly the community of the Kyuquot and Cheklesahht peoples, whose...
, Kyuquot SoundKyuquot SoundKyuquot Sound is a complex of coastal inlets, bays and islands on northwestern Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Name:...
- from the name of the local group of Nuu-chah-nulth - LillooetLillooet, British ColumbiaLillooet is a community on the Fraser River in western Canada, about up the British Columbia Railway line from Vancouver. Situated at an intersection of deep gorges in the lee of the Coast Mountains, it has a dry climate- of precipitation is recorded annually at the town's weather station,...
: adapted from the proper name for the Lower St'at'imcSt'at'imcThe St'át'imc are an Interior Salish people located in the southern Coast Mountains and Fraser Canyon region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia.St'át'imc culture displayed many features typical of Northwest Coast peoples: the...
people, the Lil'wat of Mt. CurrieMount Currie, British ColumbiaMount Currie is a small community in British Columbia, 164 kilometres north-west of Vancouver and 40 kilometres north-west of Whistler along Highway 99....
. Lil'wat means "wild onions". The old name of Lillooet was Cayoosh Flat (1858–1860), derived from the name of one of the streams converging into the Fraser at the town (cayoosh is the local variant of Chinook Jargon for "horse" or "Indian pony").
M-N
- Malahat
- MalakwaMalakwa, British ColumbiaMalakwa is a settlement in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, in the Eagle River valley, along the Trans-Canada Highway between Sicamous and Revelstoke. It had a population of 649 people in 2001....
: from Chinook JargonChinook JargonChinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
malakwa for "mosquito(s)" (from fr. le maringouin). - Mamquam RiverMamquam RiverThe Mamquam River is a c.35 km tributary of the Squamish River.- Course :The Mamquam River originates at Mamquam Pass and starts off by flowing northwest for about 7.5 km. Shortly below its source, the river picks up the waters of the stream draining November Lake...
- MarktosisMarktosis, British ColumbiaMarktosis, also spelled Maaqtusiis in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, is one of the principal settlements of the Ahousaht First Nation, located off the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, just southeast of the Hesquiat Peninsula on Flores Island...
- MassetMasset, British ColumbiaMasset , formerly Massett, is a village in Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the northern coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Columbia. It is the western terminus of the Yellowhead Highway...
- a Haida adaptation of a Spanish captain's name, possibly Masseta or Massetta - Matsqui: ″stretch of higher ground″
- Mehatl Creek
- Mesilinka River
- MetchosinMetchosin, British ColumbiaThe District of Metchosin is a small, coastal community in the metro Greater Victoria region of British Columbia. It is part of the Western Communities and one of the 13 regional municipalities. Many Metchosinites are small farmers . Most are retired or work outside the community...
: English translation of Smets-Schosen, meaning "place of stinking fish" - Metsantan PassMetsantan PassMetsantan Pass, 1270 m , is a mountain pass in the Metsantan Range of the Omineca Mountains in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
, Metsantan RangeMetsantan RangeThe Metsantan Range are a mountain range between the upper Stikine and the Finlay River drainages in northern British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 1116 km2 and is a subrange of the Omineca Mountains which in turn form part of the Interior Mountains....
- "People of the Caribou Hide" in KaskaKaska languageKaska is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Kaska people in the southeastern Yukon territory and northern British Columbia in Canada.-References:***...
. Also the name of the former settlement of Metsantan, aka Caribou Hide, and of Metsantan Creek and Metsantan Lake - Misinchinka RiverMisinchinka RiverThe Misinchinka River is a river in the north-central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, rising in the northern Hart Ranges to flow northwest to join the Parsnip River just before that river's estuary into the Parsnip Reach of Lake Williston, part of the Peace-Mackenzie Rivers drainage....
- Muskwa RiverMuskwa RiverThe Muskwa River flows 257 km through northern British Columbia, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Fort Nelson River - part of the Mackenzie River system. The river rises at Fern Lake in the Bedaux Pass in the Northern Rocky Mountains. From there, it flows generally east, then north,...
, "bear" in the Cree languageCree languageCree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
. - Naglico Lake, Naglico Hills
- Nadina RiverNadina RiverThe Nadina River is a river in Range 4 Coast Land District, British Columbia, Canada, at 53° 58' 59" N - 126° 31' 0" W. It feeds into François Lake at its west end. François Lake is about south of Burns Lake on Highway 35.-Name origin:...
, Nadina Mountain - the name of the river is derived from that of Nadina Mountain, which is near its source, the name of which means "standing up alone" in the Carrier languageCarrier languageThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
. The river's actual name in Carrier, not adopted by the goegraphical names board, is "Nadinako". - Nahatlatch RiverNahatlatch RiverThe Nahatlatch River is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:The Nahatlatch River originates in the Coast Mountains and flows generally east to join the Fraser River north of Boston Bar....
, Nahatlatch Needle - Nakina RiverNakina RiverThe Nakina River is a river located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, rising southeast of Atlin Lake and flowing generally Southeast to its confluence with the Inklin River at the locality of Inklin, where the two rivers combine to form the commencement of the Taku River.A major tributary...
- NakuspNakusp, British ColumbiaThe Village of Nakusp is a small community located on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake, a portion of the Columbia River, in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia...
- from the SinixtSinixtThe Sinixt are a First Nations People...
or Okanagan language word "Neqo'sp" meaning "closed-in" or "safe" - NamuNamu, British ColumbiaNamu is a small fishing port, former cannery town and First Nations community on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is located about southwest of Bella Coola or SSE of Bella Bella, on the mainland shore of the Inside Passage ferry route directly opposite Hunter Island, and just south of...
- NanaimoNanaimo, British ColumbiaNanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
: Named after the Snuneymuxw people. - Nanoose Bay
- Natalkuz Lake
- NazkoNazko, British ColumbiaNazko is a small First Nations community located 100 km west of Quesnel on the Nazko River in central British Columbia, Canada. Nazko means, "river flowing from the south".Nazko is the gateway to the Nuxalk Carrier Grease-Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail...
- "river flowing from the south" in CarrierCarrier languageThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,... - Nechako RiverNechako RiverThe Nechako River arises on the Nechako Plateau east of the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and flows north toward Fort Fraser, then east to Prince George where it enters the Fraser River...
: An anglicization of netʃa koh, its name in the indigenous Carrier languageCarrier languageThe Carrier language is a Northern Athabaskan language. It is named after the Dakelh people, a First Nations people of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, for whom Carrier is the usual English name. People who are referred to as Carrier speak two related languages. One,...
which means "big river". - Nemaiah Valley, from Nemiah, name of the founding chief who moved there from HancevilleHanceville, British ColumbiaHanceville is about 90 km west of Williams Lake in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is the main community the Stone First Nation. It is located southeast of Alexis Creek, on the north side of the Chilcotin River....
- Nicolum RiverNicolum RiverThe Nicolum River, formerly Nicolum Creek, is a tributary of the Coquihalla River, rising in the Cascade Mountains and flowing northwest to join that stream near the town of Hope, British Columbia, Canada...
- Nicoamen RiverNicoamen RiverThe Nicoamen River is a tributary of the Thompson River in the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located 15 km upstream from its confluence with the Thompson at Lytton....
, Nicoamen PlateauNicoamen PlateauThe Nicoamen Plateau is a small sub-plateau of the Thompson Plateau in the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located between the Nicoamen River and the lower valley of the Nicola River .-References:... - Nicolum RiverNicolum RiverThe Nicolum River, formerly Nicolum Creek, is a tributary of the Coquihalla River, rising in the Cascade Mountains and flowing northwest to join that stream near the town of Hope, British Columbia, Canada...
, Nicolum River Provincial ParkNicolum River Provincial ParkNicolum River Provincial Park, formerly Nicolum Provincial Park, is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the confluence of the Nicolum and Coquihalla Rivers near the town of Hope.-References:... - Nicomekl RiverNicomekl RiverThe Nicomekl River springs from the ground in Langley, British Columbia and travels west through the city to Surrey's Crescent Beach, where it empties into Mud Bay, the northernmost section of the Boundary Bay of the Georgia Strait. It has a total length of 34 km, with a drainage area of...
- Halq'emeylem for "the route to go" or "the pathway". - Nicomen IslandNicomen IslandNicomen Island is an island in the Fraser River east of Mission and between Deroche and Dewdney . Located on the river's north side, and separated from the foot of the Douglas Ranges by Nicomen Slough, the island is near-totally given over to agriculture and constitutes a rural community in its...
- Nimpkish River, from the name of the 'Namgis'NamgisThe Namgis are an Indigenous nation, a part of the Kwakwaka'wakw, in central British Columbia, on northern Vancouver Island. Their main village is now Yalis, on Cormorant Island adjacent to Alert Bay. The Indian Act First Nations government of this nation is the Namgis First Nation.- External links...
, the Kwakwaka'wakwKwakwaka'wakwThe Kwakwaka'wakw are an Indigenous group of First Nations peoples, numbering about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the adjoining mainland and islands.Kwakwaka'wakw translates as "Those who speak Kwak'wala", describing the collective nations within the area that...
people whose territory this river is in. - Nimpo LakeNimpo LakeNimpo Lake is a freshwater lake in the Chilcotin District of British Columbia, Canada. It is located 185 miles west of Williams Lake on the Chilcotin Highway and is approx. 100 miles east of Bella Coola...
- Nitinat LakeNitinat LakeNitinat Lake is a large lake and inlet on the southwestern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The lake is about northwest by road from Victoria, BC's capital on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, and about southeast by road from the town of Lake Cowichan...
: from the usual English spelling of the name of the Ditidaht people - Noaxe Lake, Noaxe Creek
O-Q
- OkanaganOkanaganThe Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...
: - Omineca RiverOmineca RiverOmineca River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows into the Williston Lake, and is part of the Peace River basin. It was originally a tributary of the Finlay River before the creation of Lake Williston.-References:...
, Omineca MountainsOmineca MountainsThe Omineca Mountains, also known as "the Ominecas", are a group of remote mountain ranges in north-central British Columbia, Canada. They are bounded by the Finlay River on the north, the Rocky Mountain Trench on the east, the Nation River on the south, and the upper reaches of the Omineca River...
, Omineca CountryOmineca CountryThe Omineca Country, also called the Omineca District or the Omineca, is a historical geographic region of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, roughly defined by the basin of the Omineca River but including areas to the south which allowed access to the region during the Omineca Gold Rush of... - Ominicetla River
- Ootsa Lake
- Opitsaht
- Osilinka River
- OsoyoosOsoyoos, British ColumbiaOsoyoos is a town in the southern part of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia near the border with Washington state. The town is also adjacent to the Indian Reserve of the Osoyoos Indian Band. The origin of the name Osoyoos was the word suius meaning "narrowing of the waters" in the local...
: From suius in the Okanagan language, meaning "Narrowing of the waters"; the O- prefix was added by English speakers to harmonize with Okanagan and other O-placenames in the area such as Omak, Oroville and Oliver. - Ospika RiverOspika RiverThe Ospika River is a river in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, rising in the Northern Rocky Mountains to the north of Lake Williston and flowing south to join that lake in the lower end of its Finlay Reach. Before the creation of that lake by the building of WAC Bennett Dam, it...
- Pasayten RiverPasayten RiverThe Pasayten River is a tributary of the Similkameen River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington.The Pasayten River is part of the Columbia River drainage basin, being a tributary of the Similkameen River, which flows into the Okanagan River, which flows...
- Penetanguishene, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- Penticton: "Place to stay forever" in Okanagan
- PopkumPopkum, British ColumbiaPopkum is a rural farming and tourism based community east of Chilliwack, British Columbia. The community is named after the Indian Reserve of the Popkum First Nation, which is located on the Fraser River nearby...
: "puffball mushrooms" in Halqemeylem - Qualicum BeachQualicum Beach, British ColumbiaQualicum Beach is a town in the Regional District of Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2006 census, the town had 8,502 people.On the Strait of Georgia on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island in the shadow of Mount Arrowsmith, the community has been a popular tourist destination,...
, Qualicum RiverQualicum RiverThe Qualicum River is a river on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, flowing northeast into the Strait of Georgia just south of Qualicum Bay, near the town of Qualicum. The river's name comes from that of the Qualicum people....
: "Where the dog salmon run" in ComoxComox languageComox, also known as K'omoks, is a Coast Salish language historically spoken in the northern Georgia Strait region, spanning the east coast of Vancouver Island and the northern Sunshine Coast and adjoining inlets and islands... - Quanchus RangeQuanchus RangeThe Quanchus Range is a subrange of the Nechako Plateau in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located on the north end of Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area. It is almost completely an island after the creation of the Nechako Reservoir. Its two main summits are Michel Peak ...
- Quatsino SoundQuatsino SoundQuatsino Sound is a complex of coastal inlets, bays and islands on northwestern Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the northernmost of the five sounds that pierce the west coast of Vancouver Island, the others being Kyuquot Sound, Nootka Sound, Clayoquot Sound, and...
, Quatsino Provincial ParkQuatsino Provincial Park-Conservation:This undeveloped park protects some of the largest old-growth trees, some small lakes, Koprino Harbour, which is a sheltered inlet, and the Koprino River estuary, which is noted for its critical fish-rearing and waterfowl habitat. The also park protects nesting and feeding habitat...
, Quatsino, British ColumbiaQuatsino, British ColumbiaQuatsino is a small hamlet of 91 people located on Quatsino Sound in Northern Vancouver Island, Canada only accessible by boat or float plane. Its nearest neighbour is Coal Harbour, to the east, about 20 minutes away by boat, and Port Alice, to the south, about 40 minutes away by boat...
, from Gwat'sinux, the name of the local group of Kwakwaka'wakwKwakwaka'wakwThe Kwakwaka'wakw are an Indigenous group of First Nations peoples, numbering about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the adjoining mainland and islands.Kwakwaka'wakw translates as "Those who speak Kwak'wala", describing the collective nations within the area that...
people. - QuilchenaQuilchena, British ColumbiaQuilchena is an unincorporated community located on the south shore of Nicola Lake near the city of Merritt, British Columbia, Canada in that province's Nicola Country region. On the former main route between Merritt and Kamloops, it is now largely bypassed since the construction of the Coquihalla...
:
S
- SaanichSaanich, British ColumbiaThe District of Saanich is a municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is located north of the provincial capital, Victoria. It has a population of 108,265 people, making it the most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, and the seventh most populous in the province...
: from WSANEC, the name of one of the local Straits Salish peoples and their language. - SecheltSechelt, British ColumbiaThe District Municipality of Sechelt is on the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately 50 km northwest of Vancouver, Sechelt is accessible to the mainland of British Columbia via a 40 minute ferry trip between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale, and a 25 minute drive from Langdale...
: the town is named after the ShishalhShishalhThe Shishalh people, at the time of the first European contact had a population near 26,000. Shishalh women were famous for their beautiful cedar woven baskets, using materials gathered from the roots of the cedar tree, cannery grass and birch bark for the design.The Sechelt First Nations...
people who live in the area - ShalalthShalalth, British ColumbiaShalalth, pop. c. 400, is one of the main communities of the Seton Lake Band of the St'at'imc Nation and location of the two main powerhouses of the Bridge River Power Project....
: From Ts'alalh, "the lake" in the St'at'imcets language of the LillooetSt'at'imcThe St'át'imc are an Interior Salish people located in the southern Coast Mountains and Fraser Canyon region of the Interior of the Canadian province of British Columbia.St'át'imc culture displayed many features typical of Northwest Coast peoples: the...
people - Shulaps RangeShulaps RangeThe Shulaps Range is a subrange of the Chilcotin Ranges subset of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in southwest-central British Columbia. The range is 55 km NW–SE and 15 km SW–NE and 2,970 km² in area....
, Shulaps Peak: "ram of the mountain sheep" in the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
. - SicamousSicamous, British ColumbiaSicamous, British Columbia is a town in British Columbia located adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway at the Highway 97A junction of Mara Lake and the Shuswap Lake system. It is known as a popular all season tourist destination attracting visitors from throughout Canada and around the world...
- "river circling mountains" in the Shuswap languageShuswap languageThe Shuswap language, known to its speakers as Secwepemctsín , is the traditional language of the Shuswap people of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains...
. - Sikanni Chief RiverSikanni Chief RiverThe Sikanni Chief River is a river in the Northern Rocky Mountains region of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It joins the Fontas River to form the Fort Nelson River southeast of the town of Fort Nelson. Its headwaters are near Mount McCusker, northeast of the head of the Finlay...
- SiskaSiska, British ColumbiaSiska, also known historically as Cisco, is a locality in the Fraser Canyon of British Columbia, Canada 9.4 kilometres south of the town of Lytton. It is at Siska that the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railways switch from one side of the river to the other, due to the impossibility of...
- from sisqa, Thompson languageThompson languageThe Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin or the Nlaka'pamux language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and also in the North Cascades region of Whatcom and Chelan counties of...
(Nlaka'pamux) for "uncle" - Skaha LakeSkaha LakeSkaha Lake, historically known as Dog Lake and originally Lac Du Chien, is a freshwater lake located along the course of the Okanagan River in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. It has a surface area of approximately 20 km², with a maximum depth of 55 metres...
: from the Okanagan language word for "dog" (sqexe). Skaha Lake in frontier times was often called Dog Lake, although that is the Shuswap languageShuswap languageThe Shuswap language, known to its speakers as Secwepemctsín , is the traditional language of the Shuswap people of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains...
meaning of skaha; in the Okanagan language it means "horse" or "pony". - Skaist Mountain, Skaist River
- Skeena RiverSkeena RiverThe Skeena River is the second longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada . The Skeena is an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan - whose names mean "inside the Skeena River" and "people of the Skeena River" respectively, and also during the...
- Skihist MountainSkihist MountainSkihist Mountain is the highest mountain in the Cantilever Range and in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the southern boundary of Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Heritage Park, about west of Lytton....
and Skihist Provincial ParkSkihist Provincial ParkSkihist Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the Thompson River and adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway between the towns of Lytton and Spences Bridge... - Skidegate
- SkookumchuckSkookumchuckSkookumchuck is a word in the Chinook Jargon that is in common use in British Columbia English and occurs in Pacific Northwest English. Skookum means "strong" or "powerful", and "chuck" means water, so skookumchuck means "rapids" or "whitewater"...
: "strong (skookum) ocean/water (chuck); that is: "strong tide, strong ocean current, rapids" in Chinook JargonChinook JargonChinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
(three different locations - Sechelt Inlet, Lillooet River, Columbia River/East Kootenay, though also has a general meaning of a tidal rapids, usually at the mouth of an inlet). - SimilkameenSimilkameen RiverThe Similkameen River runs through southern British Columbia, eventually discharging into the Okanogan River near Oroville, Washington in the United States. The river is approximately long, and its drainage basin is in area...
: From "Similkameugh" or "Samilkameigh" or "Samilkumeigh", one of the twelve tribes of the Okanagan peopleOkanagan peopleThe Okanagan people, also spelled Okanogan, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the U.S.-Canada boundary in Washington state and British Columbia...
. The "-meen" ending was "forced by the whites" on this name to harmonize with the name of the river's tributary, the TulameenTulameen RiverThe Tulameen River is a tributary of the Similkameen River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Tulameen River is part of the Columbia River drainage basin, being a tributary of the Similkameen River, which flows into the Okanagan River, which flows into the Columbia River.-Course:The...
. - Sloko River
- Somass RiverSomass RiverSomass River is a river on Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is in size.The river's name comes from a Nuu-chah-nulth word meaning "washing".-Course:...
- SookeSooke, British ColumbiaSooke is a district municipality situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada. About a 45 minute drive from the city of Victoria , Sooke is considered the westernmost of the Greater Victoria region's "Western Communities." It is situated to the north and west of the Sooke...
: named after the T'Souke people who live in the area - SpallumcheenSpallumcheen, British ColumbiaSpallumcheen is a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Located in the Okanagan region between Vernon and Enderby, the township had a population of 4,960 in the Canada 2006 Census...
- Spatsizi RiverSpatsizi RiverThe Spatsizi River is a tributary of the Stikine River, rising near Mount Gunanoot in the southeastern Spatsizi Plateau."Spatsizi" is a phrase from the Sekani language meaning "red goat", a reference to the habit of mountain goats in the region of rolling in the red dust of a particular mountain,...
and associated placenames - Spillimacheen RiverSpillimacheen RiverThe Spillimacheen River is a tributary of the Columbia River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:The Spillimacheen River originates just east of Glacier National Park...
, SpillimacheenSpillimacheen, British ColumbiaSpillimacheen is an unincorporated settlement in the Columbia Valley of British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Spillimacheen and Columbia Rivers, upstream from and southeast of the town of Golden.-References:... - SpuzzumSpuzzum, British ColumbiaSpuzzum is an unincorporated settlement in British Columbia, Canada. Because it is on the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately 50 km north of the community of Hope, it is often referred to as being "beyond Hope"...
, from the local variant of the Chinook Jargon spatsum, a reed used in basketry - SquamishSquamish, British ColumbiaSquamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
and Squamish RiverSquamish RiverThe Squamish River is a short but very large river in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Its drainage basin is in size. The total length of the Squamish River is approximately .-Course:...
: The river and the town are named after the Skwxwu7mesh people who live in the area - Stein RiverStein RiverThe Stein River is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.The name is derived from the Nlaka'pamux word Stagyn, meaning "hidden place", referring to the fact that the size and extent of the Stein River valley is not very noticeable from the river's confluence...
: Adjacent to Lytton BC, "Stein" is an adaptation of the Nlaka'pamux (Thompson) staygn - "hidden place". - Stellako River, Stellako
- Stikine RiverStikine RiverThe Stikine River is a river, historically also the Stickeen River, approximately 610 km long, in northwestern British Columbia in Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States...
and associated placenames. From Shta-KEEN, "great river" in the Tlingit languageTlingit languageThe Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English... - Sumallo RiverSumallo RiverThe Sumallo River is located in southern British Columbia, in the Cascade Mountains to the east of Hope. It begins on the east slopes of Mount Payne, south of the village of Sunshine Valley. It flows north until it reaches Sunshine Valley where it turns southeast and proceeds into Manning Park...
- Sumas LakeSumas LakeSumas Lake was a body of water between Sumas and Vedder mountains, midway between the present-day cities of Chilliwack and Abbotsford, British Columbia. Its name means "a big level opening" and is a reference to the site of the lake, which lay between Sumas Mountain and its American counterpart,...
, Sumas RiverSumas RiverThe Sumas River is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington.-Course:The Sumas River originates in Whatcom County, Washington just north of the Nooksack River and west of Sumas Mountain...
, Sumas MountainSumas Mountain (British Columbia)Sumas Mountain, aka referred to as Canadian Sumas to distinguish it from an identically-named mountain just south in Washington state, is a relatively large mountain rising from the floodplain of the Fraser River in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada...
, and the old District of SumasSumas, British ColumbiaSumas was a district municipality in the Fraser Valley region of British Columbia, Canada, located between the then-Village of Abbotsford and Chilliwack . It was amalgamated with the Village of Abbotsford in 1972 into the City of Abbotsford....
(now part of Abbotsford): from a Halqemeylem language word for ""a big level opening"
T
- Taghum, British ColumbiaTaghum, British ColumbiaTaghum, originally Williams Siding, is an unincorporated community and railway point on the north side of the west arm of Kootenay Lake in the West Kootenay region of the southeastern Interior of British Columbia, Canada....
, taghum is the Chinook Jargon word for "six" (Taghum is six miles from NelsonNelson, British ColumbiaNelson is a city located in the Selkirk Mountains on the extreme West Arm of Kootenay Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Known as "The Queen City", and acknowledged for its impressive collection of restored heritage buildings from its glory days in a regional silver rush,...
) - Tagish LakeTagish LakeTagish Lake is a lake in the Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia, Canada. The lake is more than long and about 2 km wide.It has two arms, the Taku Arm in the east which is very long and mostly in British Columbia and Windy Arm in the west, mostly in the Yukon. The Klondike Highway runs...
, Tagish HighlandTagish HighlandThe Tagish Highland is an upland area on the inland side of the northernmost Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains, spanning far northwestern British Columbia from Atlin Lake to the area of the pass at Champagne, Yukon between the Alsek and Yukon Rivers...
- "fish trap" or "it (spring ice) is breaking up" in the Tagish languageTagish languageTagish is an endangered Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Tagish people in the Yukon Territory in Canada. It is almost extinct as there are only two fluent speakers left.Tagish is closely related to Kaska and Tahltan... - TahltanTahltan, British ColumbiaTahltan, or Goon-da-chagga or Goon-tdar-shaga is an unincorporated locality and Indian Reserve community of the Tahltan people located west of Telegraph Creek in northern British Columbia, Canada, near the confluence of the Stikine and Tahltan Rivers. The local First Nations government is the...
, Tahltan RiverTahltan RiverThe Tahltan River is a river in northern British Columbia, Canada. It flows southwest into the Stikine River. The First Nations community of Tahltan is located at the confluence....
, Little Tahltan River, Tahltan HighlandTahltan HighlandThe Tahltan Highland is an upland area of plateau and relatively lower mountain ranges in British Columbia, Canada, lying east of the Boundary Ranges and south of the Inklin River...
, a Tlingit languageTlingit languageThe Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English...
word for "something heavy in the water" (i.e. salmon), originally applied to the settlement, extended from there to become the name of the Tahltan people - TahsisTahsis, British ColumbiaTahsis is a village on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, about 300 km northwest of the provincial capital Victoria at . It has 300 residents and used to be dependent on forestry, although now the economy is moving towards outdoor recreation and tourism.The village is...
- Tahtsa Lake, Tahtsa Peak, Tahtsa RangesTahtsa RangesThe Tahtsa Ranges are a mountain range in northern British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 7526 km2 and is a subrange of the Hazelton Mountains which in turn form part of the Interior Mountains...
- Talchako River, Talchako Pass
- Takla LakeTakla LakeTakla Lake is the fifth largest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is a deep fjord-like lake with the Swannell Ranges to the east, the Driftwood River flowing into it from the north, and the Middle River draining it. It is the terminus of the early Stuart-Takla sockeye salmon run, and...
, Takla LandingTakla LandingTakla Landing, also known as McLaing Landing is an unincorporated locality and former steamboat landing on the east side of Takla Lake in the Omineca Country of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada... - Taku RiverTaku RiverThe Taku River is a river running from British Columbia, Canada, to the northwestern coast of North America, at Juneau, Alaska. Its mouth coincides with the Alaska-British Columbia border...
, Taku PlateauTaku PlateauThe Taku Plateau is a sub-plateau of the Stikine Plateau in the far northwestern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It lies to the south of the Teslin Plateau, part of the Yukon Plateau and to the southeast of the Yukon Plateau's other major sub-area within British Columbia, the Tagish Highland...
and the Taku Arm of Tagish LakeTagish LakeTagish Lake is a lake in the Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia, Canada. The lake is more than long and about 2 km wide.It has two arms, the Taku Arm in the east which is very long and mostly in British Columbia and Windy Arm in the west, mostly in the Yukon. The Klondike Highway runs...
from the name of the Taku peopleTaku peopleThe Taku are an Alaskan Native people, a ḵwáan or geographic subdivision of the Tlingit, known in their own language as the Tʼaaḵu Ḵwáan or "Geese Flood Upriver Tribe"... - Talchako River
- Tanzilla River, Tanzilla PlateauTanzilla PlateauThe Tanzilla Plateau is a plateau in the Stikine Country of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is a sub-plateau of the Stikine Plateau and is located east of the Tuya River, north of the Stikine River and surrounding Dease Lake; its eastern extremity verges on the Stikine Ranges...
- Taseko MountainTaseko MountainTaseko Mountain, also known as Mount Taseko 3063 m , prominence: 1277 m, is one of the principal summits of the Chilcotin Ranges, part of the Pacific Ranges subdivision of the Coast Mountains of southern British Columbia...
, Taseko RiverTaseko RiverThe Taseko River , or Desiqox in the original Chilcotin, is a tributary of British Columbia's Chilko River, a tributary of the Chilcotin River which joins the Fraser near the city of Williams Lake....
, Taseko LakesTaseko LakesThe Taseko Lakes are a pair of lakes, Upper Taseko Lake and Lower Taseko Lake, which are expansions of the upper Taseko River in the southern Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada...
- from the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
"Desiqox", which means "Mosquito River". - Tatla LakeTatla LakeTatla Lake is a freshwater lake in the West Chilcotin area of British Columbia, Canada, situated just east of the community of Tatla Lake, British Columbia. This long, narrow lake, known for good Kokanee fishing, is part of the Fraser River drainage basin....
- Tatlatui Provincial ParkTatlatui Provincial ParkTatlatui Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located at the southern end of the Spatsizi Plateau and around the headwaters of the Firesteel River, part of the Finlay-Peace River basin and therefore in the Arctic drainage...
, Tatlatui LakeTatlatui LakeTatlatui Lake is a lake in the Tatlatui Range of the Omineca Mountains of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is the source of the Firesteel River, the uppermost left tributary of the Finlay River, which begins just southeast at Thutade Lake, which is considered the ultimate...
, Tatlatui Peak - Tatlayoko LakeTatlayoko LakeTatlayoko Lake is a lake on the Homathko River in the western Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located on a north-south axis just upstream of the entrance of the series of canyons of the Homathko, including the Great Canyon of the Homathko, on its route to the...
- Tchaikazan RiverTchaikazan RiverThe Tchaikazan River is an important tributary of the Taseko River in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, flowing into it from the southwest at the narrows of the Taseko Lakes from its source on the north flank Mount Monmouth...
, from the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
name for a peak visible from its valley, Ts^icheza'on. - Teslin LakeTeslin LakeTeslin Lake is a large lake spanning the border between British Columbia and Yukon in Canada. It is one of a group of large lakes in the region of far northwestern BC, east of the upper Alaska Panhandle, which are the southern extremity of the basin of the Yukon River, and which are known in the...
and Teslin, British Columbia, from the name of the local group of Inland Tlinkit - Tochquonyalla RangeTochquonyalla RangeThe Tochquonyalla Range is a subrange of the Tahtsa Ranges, located east of the Gamby River and west of Lindquist Lake in northern British Columbia, Canada.-References:* in the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia...
- Toodoggone RiverToodoggone RiverThe Toodoggone River is a tributary of the Finlay River in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, flowing east into the upper reaches of the Finlay just south of the Fishing Lakes...
, originally "Thudegade" and from the Kaska languageKaska languageKaska is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken by the Kaska people in the southeastern Yukon territory and northern British Columbia in Canada.-References:***...
Tuhfa Ughane meaning "Two Brothers River or "eagles nest" - Ts'il?os Provincial ParkTs'il?os Provincial ParkTs'il?os Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Ts'il?os is the official BC Parks designation for this provincial park, though sometimes it is written as "Ts'il-os", "Ts'yl-os", or "Tsylos"...
, also Ts'il?os, Ts'ylos, Ts'yl-os, Tsoloss, the Chilcotin language name for Mount TatlowMount TatlowMount Tatlow is one of the principal summits of the Chilcotin Ranges subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of southern British Columbia... - TulameenTulameen, British ColumbiaTulameen, originally known as Otter Flat, is a small community in British Columbia, Canada, about 26 kilometres northwest of the town of Princeton on the Crowsnest Highway , and about 185 kilometres east-northeast from the city of Vancouver, British Columbia...
: Nlaka'pamuxNlaka'pamuxThe Nlaka'pamux , commonly called "the Thompson", and also Thompson River Salish, Thompson Salish, Thompson River Indians or Thompson River people) are an indigenous First Nations/Native American people of the Interior Salish language group in southern British Columbia...
(Thompson) language for "red earth", a reference to the ochre found here. - Tuya RiverTuya RiverThe Tuya River is a major tributary of the Stikine River in far northwestern British Columbia, Canada. Rising at Tuya Lake, which is on the south side of Tuya Mountains Provincial Park, it flows south to meet the Stikine River where that river bisects the Tahltan Highland. Its main tributary is...
, Tuya LakeTuya LakeTuya Lake, located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, presumably derives its name from the presence of nearby steep-sided, flat-topped volcanoes, known as tuyas...
, Tuya RangeTuya RangeThe Tuya Range is a range of tuyas, located in the Stikine Ranges of the Cassiar Mountains in the far northr of the Canadian province of British Columbia, near its border with the Yukon Territory and to the southwest of Watson Lake, Yukon, which is the nearest major settlement.-Boundaries and...
, Little Tuya RiverLittle Tuya RiverThe Little Tuya River is a river in far northwestern British Columbia, Canada, flowing southeast from the Nahlin Plateau to meet its parent, the Tuya River a few kilometres upstream from the latter's confluence with the Stikine River. It is the Tuya's only significant tributary.... - Tsawwassen: "Looking toward the sea" in North Straits Salish
- Tyoax PassTyoax PassTyoax Pass is a mountain pass in the Chilcotin Ranges of the Pacific Ranges, the southernmost main subdivision of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada...
, at the head of Tyaughton Creek (see next) - Tyaughton LakeTyaughton LakeTyaughton Lake, also known as Tyoax Lake or Tyax Lake, is a lake in the Bridge River Country of the West-Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located to the north of Carpenter Lake, a reservoir along the Bridge River formed by Terzaghi Dam of the Bridge River Power Project...
, Tyaughton CreekTyaughton CreekTyaughton Creek, formerly gazetted as the Tyaughton River, also historically known as Tyoax Creek, is a 50 kilometre tributary of British Columbia's Bridge River, flowing generally southeast to enter the main flow of that river about mid-way along the length of Carpenter Lake, a reservoir formed by...
(also Tyoax, Tyax), from the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people....
for "jumping fish" - Tyhee Lake Provincial ParkTyhee Lake Provincial ParkTyhee Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located near the town of Smithers in the Bulkley Valley.-External links:* *...
: Tyhee is a variant of the usual Chinook JargonChinook JargonChinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
tyee - "chief, big, great, important, boss"
U-Z
- Ucluelet: "people of the safe harbour" in the language of the Nuu-chah-nulth.
- Unuk RiverUnuk RiverThe Unuk River is a river in the U.S. state of Alaska and the Canadian province of British Columbia. It flows from the Coast Mountains southwest to Behm Canal, northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska....
- Wannock RiverWannock RiverThe Wannock River is a short river in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, draining Owikeno Lake and entering Rivers Inlet at the head of that inlet, adjacent to the town of the same name, which is the main modern settlement of the Wuikinuxv people...
, "poison" in Wuikyala - Wapiti RiverWapiti RiverWapiti River is a river in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Smoky River, located in the southern area of the Peace River Basin.Wapiti is named after the Cree word for elk .-Course:...
- Whonnock, Whonnock Lake, Whonnock Creek: from honnock, "humpback salmon" in Halqemeylem, the only variety of salmon to spawn in Whonnock Creek.
- Yalakom RiverYalakom RiverThe Yalakom River is a tributary of the Bridge River, which is one of the principal tributaries of the Fraser River, entering it near the town of Lillooet, British Columbia. In frontier times it was also known as the North Fork of the Bridge River, and joins the Bridge River proper at Moha, a...
, Yalakom Mountain: "ewe of the mountain sheep" in the Chilcotin languageChilcotin languageChilcotin is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people.... - Yohetta Valley, Yohetta Creek, Yohetta Lake, from the Tsilhqot'in language yuyetabin [where bin means lake]
- Yoho National ParkYoho National ParkYoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide in southeastern British Columbia. Yoho NP is bordered by Kootenay National Park on the southern side and Banff National Park on the eastern side...
- "Yoho" means "how amazing" or "it is beautiful" - Yuquot, the Nuu-chah-nulth language name, meaning "winds come from all directions", for the village usually known in English as Friendly Cove, on Nootka SoundNootka SoundNootka Sound is a complex inlet or sound of the Pacific Ocean on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Historically also known as King George's Sound, as a strait it separates Vancouver Island and Nootka Island.-History:The inlet is part of the...
- Zagoddetchino Mountain
- Zus Mountain
- Zymoetz RiverZymoetz RiverThe Zymoetz River is a tributary of the Skeena River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.-Course:The Zymoetz River originates in the Coast Mountains and flows generally south and west to join the Skeena River just east of Terrace, British Columbia....
Manitoba
- Grand RapidsGrand Rapids, ManitobaGrand Rapids is a town in Manitoba, Canada located on the northwestern shore of Lake Winnipeg where the Saskatchewan River enters the lake. As the name implies, the river had a significant drop at this point . In modern days, a large hydro electric generating plant has been built...
: Translation of CreeCreeThe Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
word misepawistik, meaning "rushing rapids". - Wapusk National ParkWapusk National ParkWapusk National Park is Canada's 37th national park, established in 1996. The park is located in the Hudson Plains ecozone, 45 km south of Churchill in north-east Manitoba, Canada, on the shores of Hudson Bay. Access to the park is limited due to its remote location and an effort to preserve...
: from wâpask, "polar bear" in Cree languageCree languageCree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana... - Winnipeg: "muddy water" from the word win-nipi of the CreeCreeThe Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
.
New Brunswick
- ApohaquiApohaqui, New BrunswickApohaqui is a Canadian rural community in Kings County, New Brunswick.The name Apohaqui was translated from the Maliseet language, and means "The joining of two waters" or "the joining of two rivers"...
- translated from the Maliseet language, and means "The joining of two waters" or "the joining of two rivers". (Apohaqui is where the Millstream and the Kennebecasis RiverKennebecasis RiverThe Kennebecasis River is a tributary of the Saint John River in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The name Kennebecasis is thought to be derived from the Mi'kmaq "Kenepekachiachk", meaning "little long bay place." It runs for approximately 95 kilometres, draining an area in the Caledonia Highlands,...
join.) - AroostookAroostook, New BrunswickAroostook is a Canadian village in Victoria County, New Brunswick.The village is located on the west bank of the Saint John River at the mouth of the Aroostook River...
- CaraquetCaraquetCaraquet can refer to:* Caraquet, New Brunswick, a town in New Brunswick, Canada* Bas-Caraquet, New Brunswick, a village in New Brunswick, Canada* Caraquet , a riding that elects members to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick....
: Derived from the Mi'kmaq language, meaning "junction (or meeting) of two rivers". - Escuminac
- Kennebecasis RiverKennebecasis RiverThe Kennebecasis River is a tributary of the Saint John River in southern New Brunswick, Canada. The name Kennebecasis is thought to be derived from the Mi'kmaq "Kenepekachiachk", meaning "little long bay place." It runs for approximately 95 kilometres, draining an area in the Caledonia Highlands,...
- Kouchibouguac National ParkKouchibouguac National ParkKouchibouguac National Park is located on the east coast of New Brunswick, north of the town of Richibucto. The park includes barrier islands, sand dunes, lagoons, salt marshes and forests. It provides habitat for seabirds, including the endangered Piping Plover, and the second largest tern colony...
(and RiverKouchibouguac RiverThe Kouchibouguac River is a river in eastern New Brunswick which empties into the Northumberland Strait north of Richibucto, New Brunswick. It is 72 kilometres long.This river flows through Kouchibouguac National Park...
): Kouchibouguac means "river of the long tides" in Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
. - Magaguadavic Lake
- Mactaquac
- Manawagonish Island
- Meductic : derived from the Maliseet word "Medoctic", meaning "the end".
- Miramichi : the name, which may be the oldest recorded name of aboriginal origin in Canada, may come from the MontagnaisInnu-aimunInnu-aimun or Montagnais is an Algonquian language spoken by over 11,000 people, called the Innu, in Labrador and Quebec in Eastern Canada...
word for "country of the Micmac." - Nackawic
- Nashwaak RiverNashwaak RiverThe Nashwaak River located in west-central New Brunswick, Canada; is a tributary of the Saint John River. It is 113 kilometres long. The river rises from Nashwaak Lake and flows south and east through uninhabited land and rapids to the village of Stanley...
: a corruption of the Maliseet word for slow current. - Nashwaaksis
- Nauwigewauk :probably means babbling brook
- Oromocto : possibly from the Maliseet word welamooktook which means "good river"
- Penniac
- PenobsquisPenobsquis, New BrunswickPenobsquis is a Canadian village in New Brunswick.It is located east of Sussex in the Kennebecasis River valley. The area has many dairy farms....
- PetitcodiacPetitcodiac, New BrunswickPetitcodiac is a Canadian village in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.It is named after the Petitcodiac River, which begins in the village at the junction of the North and Anagance rivers...
- term is derived from a Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
word meaning "bends like a bow" (contradicts the popular belief that the name derived from the French term "petit coude", meaning "little elbow")http://www.servinghistory.com/topics/Petitcodiac_River::sub::Etymology - Pokiok
- Quispamsis - translated from the Maliseet language and means, “little lake in the woods” (i.e., Ritchie Lake)
- Shiketehauk River
- Temisquata Lake
- Washademoak Lake
- Woolastook : Maliseet word meaning 'good and bountiful river'
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Aguathuna: possibly derives from the BeothukBeothuk languageThe Beothuk language , also called Beothukan, was spoken by the indigenous Beothuk people of Newfoundland. The Beothuk have been extinct since 1829 and there are few written accounts of their language, little is known about it. There have been claims of links with the neighbouring Algonquian...
aguathoonet or aquathoont, "grindstone", imposed perhaps in the mistaken belief that it meant "white rock" for the limestone abundant in the area http://home.cogeco.ca/~nfldroots/seart.htm - Kaipokok Bay: from InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
, meaning "frothy water"http://www.nunatsiavut.com/en/makkovik.php - Makkovik: Vik is the InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
word for "place". Makko- may have one of the following origins:
- it may be a corruption of the name Maarcoux, after Pierre MarcouxPierre MarcouxPierre Marcoux was a businessman and militia officer in Lower Canada.He was born at Quebec City in 1757, the son of Pierre Marcoux and his first wife, Geneviève Lepage. Marcoux served in the militia during the defence of the town against the Americans in 1775-6...
, a FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
trader in LabradorLabradorLabrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
in the late 18th century http://www.mun.ca/educ/native_northern/makkovik.html; or - from the InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
maggok, "two"; thus Makkovik would mean "two places". Around Makkovik are two inlets, Makkovik Bay and Makkovik harbour, and two main brooks floating into the two inlets. "Two Buchten Machovik", meaning "two bays Makkovik", is mentioned in a 1775 writing by the GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Moravian missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Johann Ludwig Beck.http://www.labradorvirtualmuseum.ca/wem/CommunityProfile.html- Natuashish: from Innu-aimunInnu-aimunInnu-aimun or Montagnais is an Algonquian language spoken by over 11,000 people, called the Innu, in Labrador and Quebec in Eastern Canada...
, meaning "a small lake". http://www.innuplaces.ca/fiche.php?id=221&lang=en - NunatsiavutNunatsiavutNunatsiavut is an autonomous area claimed by the Inuit in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The settlement area includes territory in Labrador extending to the Quebec border. In 2002, the Labrador Inuit Association submitted a proposal for limited autonomy to the government of Newfoundland and...
: from InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
, meaning "our beautiful land"http://www.nunatsiavut.com/en/nunatsiavutgov.php - Shannoc Brook: Joseph Beete Jukes, the Geological SurveyGeological surveyThe term geological survey can be used to describe both the conduct of a survey for geological purposes and an institution holding geological information....
or of Newfoundland in 1839-1840, believed that Shannoc Brook, a tributary of the Exploits RiverExploits RiverThe Exploits River is a Canadian river in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It flows through the Exploits Valley in the central part of the island of Newfoundland....
, was given the BeothukBeothuk languageThe Beothuk language , also called Beothukan, was spoken by the indigenous Beothuk people of Newfoundland. The Beothuk have been extinct since 1829 and there are few written accounts of their language, little is known about it. There have been claims of links with the neighbouring Algonquian...
name for the Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
http://home.cogeco.ca/~nfldroots/seart.htm. - SheshatshiuSheshatshiu, Newfoundland and LabradorSheshatshiu is an Innu Federal Reserve in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located approximately 20 kilometres north of Goose Bay. Sheshatshiu is an Innu Federal Reserve in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located approximately 20 kilometres north of Goose...
: from Innu-aimunInnu-aimunInnu-aimun or Montagnais is an Algonquian language spoken by over 11,000 people, called the Innu, in Labrador and Quebec in Eastern Canada...
, meaning "a narrow place in the river".http://collections.ic.gc.ca/Labrador/sheshatshit2.html - Torngat MountainsTorngat MountainsThe Torngat Mountains are a mountain range on the Labrador Peninsula at the northern tip of Newfoundland and Labrador and eastern Quebec. They are part of the Arctic Cordillera. This is the peninsula that separates Ungava Bay from the Atlantic Ocean....
: from the InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
name for the region, turngait, meaning "spirits"; Inuit legends hold that here the spirit and physical worlds overlap.http://www.nunavik-tourism.com/adventuretorgnat.html - WabanaWabana, Newfoundland and LabradorWabana is a Canadian town and the largest and only incorporated community on Bell Island in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.-Geography:The town is situated on the northeast end of the island and was incorporated in 1950...
— from the Abanaki wabunaki, "east land" from wabun "dawn"; so named in 1895 by Colonel Thomas CantleyThomas CantleyThomas Cantley was a Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and became a steel manufacturer and participated in numerous corporate directorships....
, president of the Nova Scotia Steel Companyhttp://bellisland.net/council/town_history.htm - WabushWabush, Newfoundland and LabradorWabush is a small town in the western tip of Labrador, known for transportation and iron ore operations for over three decades ....
— from Innu-aimunInnu-aimunInnu-aimun or Montagnais is an Algonquian language spoken by over 11,000 people, called the Innu, in Labrador and Quebec in Eastern Canada...
uapush, "arctic hare"http://www.labradorwest.com/wabush_crest.htm
- Natuashish: from Innu-aimun
Nova Scotia
- AntigonishAntigonish, Nova ScotiaAntigonish is a Canadian town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous highland games in North America.-History:...
: Derived from the Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
word nalegitkoonechk, meaning "where branches are torn off". - BaddeckBaddeck, Nova ScotiaBaddeck is a Canadian village in Victoria County, Nova Scotia.It is the county's shire town and is situated on the northern shore of Bras d'Or Lake on Cape Breton Island...
- ChebuctoChebucto PeninsulaThe Chebucto Peninsula is a Canadian peninsula located in central Nova Scotia entirely within the Halifax Regional Municipality on the Atlantic coast....
(the original name of HalifaxCity of HalifaxHalifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
and the Halifax HarbourHalifax HarbourHalifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
): Derived from the Mi'kmaq word "Jipugtug", meaning "the biggest harbour". - CobequidCobequid BayCobequid Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and the easternmost part of the Minas Basin, located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The bay was carved by rivers flowing into the eastern end of the Bay of Fundy....
: Derived from the Mi'kmaq word "Wakobetgitk", meaning "end of the rushing or flowing water". - Ecum SecumEcum Secum, Nova ScotiaEcum Secum is a rural community on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. It straddles the boundary between Guysborough County and Halifax Regional Municipality....
: Derived from the Mi'kmaq language, meaning "a red house". - Eskasoni: Derived from the Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
word We'kwistoqnik, meaning "Where the fir trees are plentiful". - Kejimkujik National ParkKejimkujik National ParkKejimkujik National Park is part of the Canadian National Parks system, located in the province of Nova Scotia...
: "Kejimkujik" has been translated as meaning "attempting to escape" or "swollen waters", but the park's official translation means "tired muscles". - MalagashMalagash, Nova ScotiaMalagash is a community located in on the Malagash Peninsula in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada.Malagash is best known as the location of Canada's first rock salt mine, which operated from 1918 through 1959 under the Malagash Salt Company Ltd.. Despite there being a large amount of unmined...
- MerigomishMerigomish, Nova ScotiaMerigomish is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Pictou County .-References:*...
- MushaboomMushaboom, Nova ScotiaMushaboom is a Canadian rural community located in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality along that province's Eastern Shore.The community is named after Mushaboom Harbour, which is immediately east of Taylor Head Provincial Park, and southwest of Sheet Harbour. The song "Mushaboom" by Nova...
- Musquodoboit HarbourMusquodoboit HarbourMusquodoboit Harbour is a natural harbour in Canada on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia.Located east of Petpeswick Inlet and west of Jeddore Harbour, Musquodoboit Harbour is a 10 km long estuary measuring about 2 km wide at its southern end and narrowing to less than 100 m wide at the...
: foaming to the sea. The name is an anglicized version of the Mi’kmaq word Moosekudoboogwek. - PictouPictou, Nova ScotiaPictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....
: Derived from the Mi'kmaq word "Piktook", meaning "an explosion of gas". - PugwashPugwash, Nova Scotia-Notable residents:Notable current and former residents of Pugwash include:*Charles Aubrey Eaton , clergyman and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the from 1925–1933, and the from 1933-1953....
: Derived from the Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
word "pagwe’ak", meaning "deep water". - ShubenacadieShubenacadie, Nova ScotiaShubenacadie is a community located in Hants County, in central Nova Scotia, Canada. As of 2006, the population was 2,074.In the Micmac language, Shubenacadie means "abounding in ground nuts" or "place where the red potato Shubenacadie (['ʃuːbə'nækədiː]) is a community located in Hants County, in...
:Derived from the Mi'kmaq word Shubenacadie (or Segubunakade) means "abounding in ground nuts" or "place where the red potato grows. - StewiackeStewiacke, Nova Scotia-External links:* *...
: Derived from the Mi'kmaq language, meaning "flowing out in small streams" and "whimpering or whining as it goes". - TatamagoucheTatamagouche, Nova ScotiaTatamagouche is a Canadian village in Colchester County, Nova Scotia.Tatamagouche is situated on the Northumberland Strait 50 kilometers north of Truro and 50 kilometres west of Pictou. The village is located along the south side of Tatamagouche Bay at the mouths of the French and Waugh Rivers...
: Derived from the Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
word takumegooch, meaning "meeting of the waters". - TracadieTracadie, Nova ScotiaTracadie is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Antigonish County. Tracadie has close links with nearby Upper Big Tracadie. Tracadie was settled by Black loyalists in the early 18th century.-References:**...
- WagmatcookWagmatcook, Nova ScotiaWagmatcook is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Victoria County on Cape Breton Island.-References:*...
- WhycocomaghWhycocomagh, Nova ScotiaWhycocomagh is a small Canadian rural community in the province of Nova Scotia. The population in 2001 was 854 residents. It is located on the eastern edge of Inverness County in the central part of Cape Breton Island. The community sits on the northwestern shore of St. Patrick's Channel, an arm...
:Derived from a Mi'kmaq word which means "Head of the Waters".
Northwest Territories
- Aulavik National ParkAulavik National ParkAulavik National Park is a national park located on Banks Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is known for its access to the Thomsen River, one of the most northerly navigable rivers in North America. The park is a fly-in park, and protects approximately of Arctic Lowlands at the...
, Aulavik means "place where people travel" in InuvialuktunInuvialuktunInuvialuktun, or Western Canadian Inuit language, Western Canadian Inuktitut, Western Canadian Inuktun comprises three Inuit dialects spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by those Canadian Inuit who call themselves Inuvialuk .Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuit of the Mackenzie River delta... - Naats'ihch'oh National Park ReserveNaats'ihch'oh National Park ReserveNaats'ihch'oh National Park Reserve is a future national park in Canada, located in the South Nahanni River watershed in the Northwest Territories. The name means "stands like a porcupine" in the Dene language. It covers an area of approximately...
, Naats'ihch'oh means "stands like a porcupine" in the Dene Suline languageDene Suline languageDene Suline or Chipewyan is the language spoken by the Chipewyan people of central Canada. It is a part of the Athabaskan family... - Nahanni National Park ReserveNahanni National Park ReserveNahanni National Park Reserve in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada, approximately west of Yellowknife, protects a portion of the Mackenzie Mountains Natural Region. The centrepiece of the park is the South Nahanni River. Four noteworthy canyons reaching in depth, called...
and South Nahanni RiverSouth Nahanni RiverThe South Nahanni River is a major tributary of the Liard River, located roughly 500 kilometres west of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the centerpiece of Nahanni National Park Reserve...
, from NahaniNahaniNahani is an Athapaskan word used to designate native groups located in British Columbia, Northwest Territories and the Yukon Territories between the upper Liard River and the 64th parallel north latitude. While these native groups do not necessarily have anything in common, the Canadian...
meaning "People over there far away" in the DeneDeneThe Dene are an aboriginal group of First Nations who live in the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dené speak Northern Athabaskan languages. Dene is the common Athabaskan word for "people" . The term "Dene" has two usages...
language - Pingo National LandmarkPingo National LandmarkPingo National Landmark is a natural area protecting eight pingos near Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. It is in a coastal region of the Arctic Ocean which contains approximately 1,350 Arctic ice dome hills—approximately one quarter of the world's pingos.The Landmark comprises an area...
, from PingoPingoA pingo, also called a hydrolaccolith, is a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and subarctic that can reach up to in height and up to in diameter. The term originated as the Inuvialuktun word for a small hill. A pingo is a periglacial landform, which is defined as a nonglacial...
an Inuvialuktun word for "small hill" - Slave RiverSlave RiverThe Slave River is a Canadian river that flows from Lake Athabasca in northeastern Alberta and empties into Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories....
, thought to come from the AthabaskanAthabaskan languagesAthabaskan or Athabascan is a large group of indigenous peoples of North America, located in two main Southern and Northern groups in western North America, and of their language family...
Deh Gah Got'ine, the name for the Slavey group of the Dene First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The... - Thaydene Nene National ParkThaydene Nene National ParkThaydene Nene National Park is a proposed national park located on the northern edge of the boreal forest in the Northwest Territories, Canada...
, Thaydene Nene meaning "land of our ancestors" in the Dene language - Tuktut Nogait National ParkTuktut Nogait National ParkTuktut Nogait National Park is a national park located in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Meaning "young caribou" in Inuvialuktun, the park contains many herds of caribou. However, it is also the home to other wildlife species, such as Musk Ox, Grizzly Bears, Arctic char, and the Grey Wolf...
, Tuktut Nurrait means "young caribous" in Inuvialuktun
Nunavut
- Auyuittuq National ParkAuyuittuq National ParkAuyuittuq National Park is a national park located on Baffin Island's Cumberland Peninsula, Qikiqtaaluk Region in Nunavut, the largest political subdivision of Canada. It features the many terrains of Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, glaciers, and ice fields...
- Auyuittuq means "the land that never melts". - IqaluitIqaluit, NunavutIqaluit is the territorial capital and the largest community of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Iqaluit is located on the south coast of Baffin Island at the head of Frobisher Bay. As of the 2006 census the population was 6,184, an increase of 18.1 percent from the 2001 census; it has the...
: "many fish" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
. - PangnirtungPangnirtung, NunavutPangnirtung is an Inuit hamlet, Qikiqtaaluk Region, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, located on Baffin Island. As of the 2006 census the population was 1,325, an increase of 3.8% from the 2001 census...
is derived from Pangniqtuuq: "the place of many bull caribou" - Quttinirpaaq National ParkQuttinirpaaq National Park-See also:*List of National Parks of Canada*List of protected areas of Nunavut*Arctic Cordillera-External links:**...
- Qutsiniqpaaq/Quttiniqpaaq means "top of the world" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
and Quttiniqpaaq in InuinnaqtunInuinnaqtunInuinnaqtun , is an indigenous Inuit language of Canada and a dialect of Inuvialuktun. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars, such as Richard Condon, believe that Inuinnaqtun is more appropriately classified as a dialect of Inuktitut...
. - Sirmilik National ParkSirmilik National ParkSirmilik National Park is a protected area located in Qikiqtaaluk, Nunavut, Canada. It was established in 2001. Situated within the Arctic Cordillera, it is composed of three areas: most of Bylot Island with the exception for a few areas that are Inuit-owned lands, Oliver Sound, and Baffin...
- Sirmilik means "the place of glaciers" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
and Hirmilik in InuinnaqtunInuinnaqtunInuinnaqtun , is an indigenous Inuit language of Canada and a dialect of Inuvialuktun. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars, such as Richard Condon, believe that Inuinnaqtun is more appropriately classified as a dialect of Inuktitut...
. - Ukkusiksalik National ParkUkkusiksalik National ParkUkkusiksalik National Park is a national park in Nunavut, Canada.Ukkusiksalik National Park is a tundra and coastal mudflat region extending south of the Arctic Circle and the hamlet of Repulse Bay, from Hudson Bay's Roes Welcome Sound towards the western Barrenlands and the source of Brown River....
- Ukkusiksalik means "place of have cooking pots" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
and Utkuhikhalik in Inuinnaqtun/Natsilik/Kivalliq.
Ontario
- Algonquin Provincial ParkAlgonquin Provincial ParkAlgonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. Additions since its creation have increased...
: Named after the Algonquin (AnishinaabeAnishinaabeAnishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
g) people of Ontario. - Attawapiskat
- BrantfordBrantford, OntarioBrantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
: Named after Joseph BrantJoseph BrantThayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
, a MohawkMohawk nationMohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
leader. - EtobicokeEtobicoke, OntarioEtobicoke is a dissolved municipality located within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the western section of the current city, it had an official population of 338,117 as measured by the 2001 Census and 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of...
: "The place where the alders grow" from the word wadoopikaang in the Ojibwe languageOjibwe languageOjibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
. - GananoqueGananoque, OntarioGananoque is a town in Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario, Canada. The town had a population of 5,287 year-round residents in the Canada 2006 Census, as well as summer residents sometimes referred to as "Islanders" because of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River, Gananoque's most...
: "water running over rocks." - KanataKanata, OntarioSituated in the Ottawa Valley, Kanata is located about west-southwest of Downtown Ottawa along Highway 417 at a latitude of 45°18' North and a longitude of 75°55' West, with an area of . Its northern end is just to the west of the Ottawa River....
- Kapuskasing
- Manitoulin IslandManitoulin IslandManitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. In addition to the historic Anishinaabe and European settlement of the island, archeological discoveries at Sheguiandah have demonstrated Paleo-Indian and...
: Manitoulin is the English version of the word Mnidoo which means "spirit" in the Nishnaabe (Ojibway) language. Mnidoo Mnis is the original name. Mnis meaning "island". - ManitouwadgeManitouwadge, OntarioManitouwadge is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Thunder Bay District, at the north end of Highway 614, east of Thunder Bay and west of Sault Ste. Marie.-History:...
- MattawaMattawa, OntarioMattawa is a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in Nipissing District. Mattawa means "Meeting of the Waters" in Ojibwa...
- M'Chigeeng
- Michipicoten
- Mississauga: Named after the native tribe of the Mississauga
- Mississippi RiverMississippi River (Ontario)The Mississippi River is a tributary of the Ottawa River in eastern Ontario in Canada. It is in length from its source in Upper Mazinaw Lake, has a drainage area of , and has a mean discharge of...
(between Ottawa and Mattawa) - Niagara
- NipigonNipigon, OntarioNipigon is a township in Thunder Bay District, Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located along the west side of the Nipigon River and south of the small Lake Helen running between Lake Nipigon and Lake Superior...
- NipissingNipissing, OntarioNipissing is a township in central Ontario, Canada, on Lake Nipissing in Parry Sound District. Nipissing was surveyed between 1874 and 1881, and was incorporated in 1888. Among the first settlers in the area were the Chapman and Beatty families. Nipissing village annexed Gurd Township in 1970...
: from the Anishinaabe language term nibiishing, "at (some) water". - OhswekenOhsweken, OntarioOhsweken, , is a village on the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Indian reserve near Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Approximately 300 of the 2,700 homes on the reserve are in Ohsweken, and it is the site of the reserve governmental and administrative offices...
- OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- OshawaOshawaOshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
: from the Ojibwe term aazhaway, meaning "crossing to the other side of a river or lake" or just "(a)cross". - OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
: "To buy" from the word adaawe in the Anishinaabe language; adapted as the name of the Odawa peopleOdawa peopleThe Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
. - Penetanguishene
- PetawawaPetawawa, OntarioPetawawa is a town located in eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 14,651 . Petawawa is the most populous municipality in Renfrew County.-Geography:...
From Algonquin meaning "where one hears the noise of the water" - Pukaskwa National ParkPukaskwa National ParkPukaskwa National Park is a national park located south of the town of Marathon, Ontario in the Thunder Bay District of northern Ontario, Canada. Established in 1978, Pukaskwa is known for its vistas of Lake Superior and boreal forests...
- TemagamiTemagami, OntarioTemagami, formerly spelt as Timagami, is a region and a municipality in northeastern Ontario, Canada, in the District of Nipissing with Lake Temagami at its heart....
: from the Anishinaabe word dimiigami, "deep water(s)". - Timiskaming: from the Algonquin language Temikami or Temikaming, meaning "deep waters".
- TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: from an Iroquoian language, but of uncertain derivation. Another story says it is derived from the Mohawk word "tkaronto" meaning "trees standing in the water". - Tyendinaga
- Wahnapitae: from the Anishinaabe waanabide, "be shaped like a hollow tooth".
- WawaWawa, OntarioWawa is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the Algoma District. Formerly known as the township of Michipicoten, the township was officially renamed for its largest and best-known community in 2009....
- Wikwemikong: from the Anishinaabe wiikwemikong, "Bay of Beavers" from Nishnaabe word "Amik" meaning beaver.
Quebec
- Abitibi
- AguanishAguanish, QuebecAguanish is a municipality and village in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec in Canada.In addition to Aguanish itself, the municipality also includes the community of L'Île-Michon, to the east along Route 138...
- Ahuntsic district of MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
- Akpatok Island Akpaqtuq means "come down or lowers itself" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
- AmquiAmqui, QuebecAmqui is a town in eastern Quebec at the base of the Gaspé peninsula. Located on the Matapédia River, it is the seat of La Matapédia Regional County Municipality. Amqui was the first town in Quebec to ban single-use plastic bags, effective the spring of 2008...
- Arthabaska (and CountyArthabaska County, QuebecArthabaska County is an historical county in central Quebec, Canada. Its county seat was Arthabaska and the main city was Victoriaville. It was bounded on the northeast by Mégantic County on the southeast Wolfe County, on the southwest by Drummond County and Richmond County and on the northwest by...
) - Réservoir Cabonga
- Réservoir CaniapiscauCaniapiscau ReservoirThe Caniapiscau Reservoir is a reservoir on the upper Caniapiscau River in the Côte-Nord administrative region of the Canadian province of Quebec...
, and (RiverCaniapiscau RiverThe Caniapiscau River is a tributary of the Koksoak River in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. In Cree the name of the river means rocky point.Starting from Lac Sevestre on the Canadian Shield, the Caniapiscau River flows northward through a wide, timbered glacial valley until it makes a sharp turn at its...
, Hunting camp, Regional county municipalityCaniapiscau Regional County Municipality, QuebecCaniapiscau is a regional county municipality in northeastern Quebec, Canada. The regional county municipality seat is Fermont. It is located in the northwest corner of the Côte-Nord region of Quebec. It has a land area of and a 2006 census population of 3,948 inhabitants, two-thirds of whom lived...
) - CausapscalCausapscal, QuebecCausapscal is a city in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in La Matapédia Regional County Municipality. The city's name derives from the Mi'kmaq word Goesôpsiag, meaning "rocky point"....
- Chibougamau or Chibouagmou:
- ChicoutimiChicoutimi, QuebecChicoutimi is one of the three boroughs of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, and was a separate city in its own right until 2002. Chicoutimi had a population of 59,764 in the Canada 2001 Census, the last census in which Chicoutimi was counted as a separate city....
: "End of the deep water" in MontagnaisInnu-aimunInnu-aimun or Montagnais is an Algonquian language spoken by over 11,000 people, called the Innu, in Labrador and Quebec in Eastern Canada...
. - CoaticookCoaticook, QuebecCoaticook is a town in southeastern Quebec, Canada on the Coaticook River; it is the seat of the Coaticook Regional County Municipality. Its southern border is also the border with the United States-Communities:...
: Derived from the Abenaki language, meaning "river near the pines". - DonnaconaDonnacona, QuebecDonnacona is an industrial town located about west of Quebec City in Portneuf County, Quebec, Canada.Some people believe the city was named after Donnacona, a 16th century Wendat chief who was taken to France...
: Named after Chief DonnaconaDonnaconaChief Donnacona was the chief of Stadacona located at the present site of Quebec City, Canada. French Explorer Jacques Cartier, concluding his second voyage to what is now Canada, returned to France with Donnacona. Donnacona was treated well in France but died there...
, 16th century IroquoianSt. Lawrence IroquoiansThe St. Lawrence Iroquoians were a prehistoric First Nations/Native American indigenous people who lived from the 14th century until about 1580 CE along the shores of the St. Lawrence River in present-day Quebec and Ontario, Canada, and New York State, United States. They spoke Laurentian...
Chief of StadaconaStadaconaStadacona was a 16th century St. Lawrence Iroquoian village near present-day Quebec City.French explorer and navigator Jacques Cartier, travelling and charting the Saint Lawrence River, reached it on 7 September 1535. He returned to Stadacona to spend the winter there with his group of 110 men...
. - Lac Etchemin (and town)
- GaspéGaspé, QuebecGaspé is a city at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of eastern Quebec, Canada. As of the 2006 census, the city had a total population of 14,819....
(also County, PeninsulaGaspé PeninsulaThe Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
, and Cape): "land's end" in Mi'kmaqMi'kmaq languageThe Mi'kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 9,100 Mi'kmaq in Canada and the United States out of a total ethnic Mi'kmaq population of roughly 20,000. The word Mi'kmaq is a plural word meaning 'my friends' ; the adjectival form is Míkmaw...
. - InukjuakInukjuak, QuebecInukjuak , alternatively spelled Inoucdjouac, former name and current postal name Port Harrison, is an Inuit settlement located on Hudson Bay at the mouth of the Innuksuak River in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec, Canada. Its population is 1,294...
Inugjuaq or Inujjuaq means "The Giant/Big Man" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada... - Kahnawake
- Kamouraska County: Derived from the Abenaki language, meaning "birch bark here".
- KangiqsualujjuaqKangiqsualujjuaq, QuebecKangiqsualujjuaq is an Inuit village with a population of approximately 620, located on the east coast of Ungava Bay at the mouth of the George River, in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada....
Kangiqsualujjuaq means "the very large bay" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada... - KanesatakeKanesatake, QuebecKanehsatake is a Mohawk settlement on the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains at the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada, near Montreal. The Doncaster 17 Indian Reserve also belongs to the Mohawk of Kanesatake. The population of the community is 1700.The community was formally founded...
- Lac Kénogami: Kenogami means "long water" in MontagnaisInnu-aimunInnu-aimun or Montagnais is an Algonquian language spoken by over 11,000 people, called the Innu, in Labrador and Quebec in Eastern Canada...
. - Rivière KoksoakKoksoak RiverThe Koksoak River is a river in northern Quebec, Canada, the largest river in the Nunavik region. The Inuit village and region's administrative center Kuujjuaq lies on the shores of the Koksoak, about south from its mouth.The name Koksoak is believed to originate from Moravian missionaries who...
Quqsuaq means "Yellowish" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada... - KuujjuaqKuujjuaq, QuebecKuujjuaq is the largest Inuit village in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada with a population of 2,132 as of the 2006 census. This is up roughly 10% from 1,932 as of the 2001 Census. It is the administrative capital of Nunavik and lies on the western shore of the Koksoak River.Kuujjuaq previously was known...
Kuujjuaq means "the great river" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada... - Lac Manitou: Derived from the AlgonquianAlgonquian languagesThe Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
name Gitchi Manitou, which in their culture describes their Creator (the Great Spirit). - ManiwakiManiwaki, QuebecManiwaki is a town north of Gatineau and located north-west of Montreal, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The town is situated on the Gatineau River, at the crossroads of Route 105 and Route 107, not far south of Route 117...
- MaskinongéMaskinongé, QuebecMaskinongé is a municipality in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada.- References :...
(and County) - Matane
- Matane County
- Matapédia County
- Réservoir and Rivière Matawin
- MagogMagog, QuebecMagog is a city in southeastern Quebec, Canada, about east of Montreal at the confluence of Lake Memphremagog--after which the city was named—with the Rivière aux Cerises and the Magog River...
: Derived from "Memphremagog", see Lake Memphremagog below. - Manicouagan: "where there is bark"
- MascoucheMascouche, QuebecMascouche is a suburban city north of Montreal in southern Quebec, Canada. The city is located on the Mascouche River and has a population of 33,764, ranking 30th among Quebec municipalities.The current mayor is Richard Marcotte.- Infrastructure :...
- Mégantic County (also Lake): Abenaki for "lake trout place".
- Lac Memphremagog: Meaning "beautiful waters" or "vast expanse of water" in Abenaki.
- Missisquoi CountyMissisquoi County, QuebecMissisquoi County is a historical county in Quebec. In the early 1980s Quebec abolished its counties. Much of Missisquoi County became the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality except the southwestern part was transferred to Le Haut-Richelieu Regional County Municipality.The name of the...
: Missisquoi is an Abenaki tribal name. - Nastapoka Islands
- OkaOka, Quebec-References:...
- PohenegamookPohenegamook, QuebecPohénégamook, Quebec is a Canadian town on the International Boundary in Quebec's Témiscouata Regional County Municipality.The town shares the border with Estcourt Station, Maine, the northernmost point in New England....
- Pontiac County: Name of the famous 18th-century Ottawa Chief PontiacChief PontiacPontiac or Obwandiyag , was an Ottawa leader who became famous for his role in Pontiac's Rebellion , an American Indian struggle against the British military occupation of the Great Lakes region following the British victory in the French and Indian War. Historians disagree about Pontiac's...
. - Quebec City (and CountyQuebec County, QuebecQuebec County is an historic county in the province of Quebec, Canada. The county included the Quebec City metropolitan area and extended northwestward...
): The "narrowing of the river" refers to the point where the St. Lawrence River passes Quebec City. - RimouskiRimouski, QuebecRimouski is a Canadian city in the central part of Bas-Saint-Laurent region in eastern Quebec. It is located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River at the mouth of the Rimouski River, north-east of Quebec City....
(and County) - SaguenaySaguenay, QuebecSaguenay is a city in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about north of Quebec City....
- SalluitSalluit, QuebecSalluit is the second northernmost Inuit community in Quebec, Canada, located on Sugluk Inlet close to the Hudson Strait. Its population was 1241 in 2006 , and growing rapidly...
Salluit means "the thin ones" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada... - SayabecSayabec, QuebecSayabec is a small Quebec municipality located in the La Matapédia Regional County Municipality in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region in the southeastern part of the province. Founded in 1894, the population according to the municipality's website was 1,877 in 2006...
- ShawiniganShawinigan, QuebecShawinigan is a city located on the Saint-Maurice River in the Mauricie area in Quebec, Canada. It has a population of approximately 51,904 people ....
: "Portage at the crest" in AlgonquianAlgonquian languagesThe Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
. - Squatec
- TadoussacTadoussac, QuebecTadoussac is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay rivers. It was France's first trading post on the mainland of New France and an important trading post in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in...
- Temiscamingue County
- Témiscouata County: Abenaki for "bottomless" or "extremely deep all around".
- Torngat Mountains Tuurngat means "Spirits or sometimes Evils" in InuktitutInuktitutInuktitut or Eastern Canadian Inuktitut, Eastern Canadian Inuit language is the name of some of the Inuit languages spoken in Canada...
- YamachicheYamachiche, QuebecYamachiche is a municipality in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada.-Etymology:The name Yamachiche was first used to identify the Little Yamachiche River which runs through the town. It came from the Native American words iyamitaw and achichki...
- Yamaska County
Saskatchewan
- AssiniboiaAssiniboiaAssiniboia refers to a number of different locations and administrative jurisdictions in Canada. The name is taken from the Assiniboine First Nation.- District of Assiniboia:...
- Kenosee lakeKenosee LakeKenosee Lake is a lake in south east Saskatchewan, Canada. The lake lies in Moose Mountain Provincial Park. The lake is a resort for many people from south east Saskatchewan including Regina. The Village of Kenosee Lake consists mainly of cabins and businesses...
- Kinistino
- Nipawin
- PiapotPiapotPiapot, a Chief of First Nations people in southern Saskatchewan in the late 19th century. His name “Payepot” means Hole-in-the-Sioux. He became a well known leader, diplomat, warrior, horse thief, and spiritualist.-Childhood:...
- Saskatoon: Derived from the CreeCreeThe Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
word misāskwatōmin, meaning Saskatoon berrySaskatoon berryAmelanchier alnifolia, the saskatoon, saskatoon berry, serviceberry, sarvisberry or juneberry is a shrub with edible berry-like fruit, native to North America from Alaska across most of western Canada and in the western and north central United States. Historically it was also called "pigeon berry"...
- a fruit native to the area. - Wakaw
- Waskesui
- Wawota
Yukon
- Aishihik LakeAishihik Lake-References:*...
and Aishihik RiverAishihik RiverThe Aishihik River, also known as Canyon Creek, is a river in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Originating in Aishihik Lake, it flows south into the Dezadeash River, part of the Alsek River watershed....
: meaning "tail hanging down" in Southern TutchoneSouthern TutchoneThe Southern Tutchone are a First Nations people living mainly in the southern Yukon in Canada. The Southern Tutchone language, originally spoken by the Southern Tutchone people is a variety of the Tutchone language, part of the Athabaskan language family, although it may be argued that Northern... - Ivvavik National ParkIvvavik National ParkIvvavik National Park is a national park located in the Yukon, Canada. Meaning "nursery" or "birthplace" in Inuvialuktun, this was the first national park to be established as a result of a land claim agreement with its natives.-See also:...
: Ivavik means "birthplace" or "nursery" in InuvialuktunInuvialuktunInuvialuktun, or Western Canadian Inuit language, Western Canadian Inuktitut, Western Canadian Inuktun comprises three Inuit dialects spoken in the northern Northwest Territories by those Canadian Inuit who call themselves Inuvialuk .Inuvialuktun is spoken by the Inuit of the Mackenzie River delta... - KlondikeKlondike, YukonThe Klondike is a region of the Yukon in northwest Canada, east of the Alaska border. It lies around the Klondike River, a small river that enters the Yukon from the east at Dawson....
and Klondike RiverKlondike RiverThe Klondike River is a tributary of the Yukon River in Canada that gave its name to the Klondike Gold Rush. The Klondike River has its source in the Ogilvie Mountains and flows into the Yukon River at Dawson City....
: Derived from the Hän languageHän languageThe Hän language is a Native American endangered language spoken in only two places: Eagle, Alaska and Dawson City, Yukon. There are only a few fluent speakers left , all of them elderly....
word for hammer stones used to fix salmon nets (Tr'ondëk). - Kluane LakeKluane LakeKluane Lake is located in the southwest area of the Yukon. At approximately , and long, it is the largest lake contained entirely within the territorial border....
and Kluane National Park and ReserveKluane National Park and ReserveKluane National Park and Reserve are two units of Canada's national park system, located in the extreme southwestern corner of Yukon Territory. Kluane National Park Reserve was established in 1972, covering 22,016 square kilometres....
: from Łù'àn meaning big fish in Southern TutchoneSouthern TutchoneThe Southern Tutchone are a First Nations people living mainly in the southern Yukon in Canada. The Southern Tutchone language, originally spoken by the Southern Tutchone people is a variety of the Tutchone language, part of the Athabaskan language family, although it may be argued that Northern... - Tagish LakeTagish LakeTagish Lake is a lake in the Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia, Canada. The lake is more than long and about 2 km wide.It has two arms, the Taku Arm in the east which is very long and mostly in British Columbia and Windy Arm in the west, mostly in the Yukon. The Klondike Highway runs...
and Tagish, YukonTagish, YukonTagish is an unincorporated community in the Yukon, Canada. It is 30 km east of Carcross, Yukon on the Tagish Road at the northern end of Tagish Lake. The greater Tagish area also includes the Tagish Estates, Tagish Beach and Taku subdivisions, the latter two developed for cottages but now serving...
: from the name of the language and people (TagishTagishThe Tagish or Tagish Khwáan are a group of Athabaskan First Nation people that lived around Tagish Lake and Marsh Lake, in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Tagish people intermarried heavily with Tlingit people from the coast and the Tagish language is almost extinct...
Kwan) - Teslin LakeTeslin LakeTeslin Lake is a large lake spanning the border between British Columbia and Yukon in Canada. It is one of a group of large lakes in the region of far northwestern BC, east of the upper Alaska Panhandle, which are the southern extremity of the basin of the Yukon River, and which are known in the...
, Teslin RiverTeslin RiverThe Teslin River is a river in southern Yukon Territory and northwestern British Columbia, Canada, that flows 393 miles from its source south of Teslin Lake to its confluence with the Yukon River....
and Teslin, YukonTeslin, YukonThe community of Teslin includes the Village of Teslin and an adjacent Indian Reserve in the Yukon, Canada. Teslin is situated at historical Mile 804 on the Alaska Highway along Teslin Lake. The Hudson's Bay Company established a small trading post at Teslin in 1903...
: from the Tlingit Deisleen, long narrow water - Vuntut National ParkVuntut National ParkVuntut National Park is a national park located in the northern Yukon, Canada. It was established in 1995. Due to land claims negotiations, this national park is still very undeveloped. It currently has no roads or developed trails....
See also
- List of English words from indigenous languages of the Americas
- List of placenames of indigenous origin in the Americas
- List of place names in New England of aboriginal origin
- List of Indian reserves in Canada
- List of Indian reserves in Canada by population
- List of First Nations governments
- List of First Nations peoples
- Classification of indigenous peoples of the AmericasClassification of indigenous peoples of the AmericasClassification of indigenous peoples of the Americas is based upon cultural regions, geography, and linguistics. Anthropologists have named various cultural regions, with fluid boundaries, that are generally agreed upon with some variation...
- List of Chinook Jargon placenames
Further reading
- Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
- Central Quebec School Board
- Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
- Geographical Names of Canada
Resources
- http://www.canadiana.org/ECO/mtq?doc=35622The composition of Indian geographical names, illustrated from the Algonkin languages, Trumbull, J. HammondJames Hammond TrumbullJames Hammond Trumbull was an American scholar and philologist.He was born in Stonington, Connecticut. He studied at Tracy's Academy in Norwich and at Yale University from 1838, but ill-health prevented his graduation, he was enrolled in 1850 and received an honorary LLD in 1871...
(James Hammond), 1821-1897. [Hartford, Conn.? : s.n., 187-?]