This list of place names in Canada of Indigenous origin contains Canadian places whose names originate from the words of the

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

, Métis, or

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

, collectively referred to as

Indigenous Peoples Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

. When possible the original word or phrase used by Indigenous Peoples 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 The Shuswap language (; shs, Secwepemctsín ) is the traditional language of the Shuswap people ( shs, Secwépemc ) of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern Interior of British Columbia b ...

;

Lytton, British Columbia Lytton is a village of about 250 residents in southern British Columbia, Canada, on the east side of the Fraser River and primarily the south side of the Thompson River, where it flows southwesterly into the Fraser. The community includes t ...

is ''

Camchin Camchin, also spelled Kumsheen, is an anglicization of the ancient name for the locality and aboriginal village once located on the site of today's village of Lytton, British Columbia, Canada, whose name in Nlaka'pamuctsin is ''ƛ'q'əmcín''. It a ...

'' in the

Thompson language The Thompson language, properly known as Nlaka'pamuctsin, also known as the Nlaka'pamux ('Nthlakampx') language, is an Interior Salishan language spoken in the Fraser Canyon, Thompson Canyon, Nicola Country of the Canadian province of British C ...

(often used in English however, as Kumsheen).

Canada

The name ''Canada'' comes from the word meaning "village" or "settlement" in the Saint-Lawrence Iroquoian language spoken by the inhabitants of

Stadacona Stadacona was a 16th-century St. Lawrence Iroquoian village not far from where Quebec City was founded in 1608. History French explorer and navigator Jacques Cartier, while travelling and charting the Saint Lawrence River, reached the village o ...

and the neighbouring region near present-day

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

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

, 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 may refer to: Related to Native Americans * Mohawk people, an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language, the language spoken by the Mohawk people * Mohawk hairstyle, from a hairstyle once thought to have been ...

use ''kaná:ta, the

Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

''iennekanandaa'', and the Onondaga use ''ganataje''.

Provinces and territories

Provinces and territories whose official names are aboriginal in origin are

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

, Saskatchewan,

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

, Ontario,

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

and Nunavut. *

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Winn ...

: Either derived from the Cree word ''manito-wapâw'' meaning "the strait of the spirit or manitobau" or the

Assiniboine The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakod ...

words ''mini'' and ''tobow'' meaning "Lake of the Prairie", referring to Lake Manitoba. * Nunavut: "Our land" in Inuktitut. *

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

: Derived from the Huron word ''onitariio'' meaning "beautiful lake", or ''kanadario'' meaning "sparkling" or "beautiful" water. *

: from the

Míkmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the north ...

word ''kepék'', meaning "strait" or "narrows". *

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...

: Derived from the Cree name for the

Saskatchewan River The Saskatchewan River (Cree: ''kisiskāciwani-sīpiy'', "swift flowing river") is a major river in Canada. It stretches about from where it is formed by the joining together of the North Saskatchewan and South Saskatchewan Rivers to Lake Winn ...

, ''kisiskāciwani-sīpiy'', meaning "swift flowing river". *

: from an Athabaskan language, e.g. Koyukon ''yookkene'' or Lower Tanana ''yookuna''.

By province and territory

Alberta

* Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation no. 437 (formerly "Indian Reserve") named after the Alexis family, prominent in the band * Amisk: " Beaver" in Cree. *

Athabasca Athabasca (also Athabaska) is an anglicized version of the Cree name for Lake Athabasca in Canada, āthap-āsk-ā-w (pronounced ), meaning "grass or reeds here and there". Most places named Athabasca are found in Alberta, Canada. Athabasca may a ...

: "Where there are reeds" in Cree **

Athabasca River The Athabasca River (French: ''Rivière Athabasca'') is a river in Alberta, Canada, which originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than before emptying into Lake Athabasca. Much of the land along its banks is ...

Athabasca Falls Athabasca Falls is a waterfall in Jasper National Park on the upper Athabasca River, approximately south of the townsite of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, and just west of the Icefields Parkway. Geography and geology Athabasca Falls is a Class 5 wat ...

Lake Athabasca Lake Athabasca (; French: ''lac Athabasca''; from Woods Cree: , "herethere are plants one after another") is located in the north-west corner of Saskatchewan and the north-east corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N in Canada. The lake ...

** Mount Athabasca, * Battle River translation of Cree place name. There were many fights in its area between Cree, Blackfoot and Nakoda.Fromhold, 2001 Indian Place Names of the West * Bear Hills Lake translation of Cree place name. * Bear Hill translation of Cree place name. * Beaver Hills (includes today's Elk Island Park) translation of Cree, Blackfoot and Nakoda place names for the feature. Cree name for area was amiskwaciy, Cree name for Edmonton House was amiskwaciwâskahikan (Beaver Mountain House, * Blood Reserve 148 (formerly Indian reserve) Kinai First Nation, name roughly translated as Blood in the past *

Bow River The Bow River is a river in Alberta, Canada. It begins within the Canadian Rocky Mountains and winds through the Alberta foothills onto the prairies, where it meets the Oldman River, the two then forming the South Saskatchewan River. These w ...

English translation of Blackfoot name for the river – Makhabn, "river where bow reeds grow" (Blackfoot), reeds there were good for making bows with which to shoot arrows. * Bow Valley Natural Area (see Bow River) * Calgary roads (trails) named after Indigenous Nations and an element of Metis lifestyle—Stoney, Blackfoot, Metis, Shaganappi, Sarcee, and Peigan Trails are all named in honour of the first people on this continent, although the latter two have since changed their names. The Peigan are now known as the Piikani Nation and the Sarcee are now the Tsuut’ina Nation, but both street names remain.https://calgaryguardian.com/whats-in-a-name-part-i/ (online) * Chipewyan: "duck lake" (includes

Fort Chipewyan Fort Chipewyan , commonly referred to as Fort Chip, is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada, within the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo. It is located on the western tip of Lake Athabasca, adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park, app ...

) * Cooking Lake is a translation of its Cree place name , indicating a cooking place. *

Crowfoot Crowfoot (1830 – 25 April 1890) or Isapo-Muxika ( bla, Issapóómahksika, italics=yes; syllabics: ) was a chief of the Siksika First Nation. His parents, (Packs a Knife) and (Attacked Towards Home), were Kainai. He was five years old when ...

Crossing—named after Crowfoot (Blackfoot name Sahpo Muxika) (born c. 1836; died April 24, 1890), chief of the

Siksika The Siksika Nation ( bla, Siksiká) is a First Nations in Canada, First Nation in southern Alberta, Canada. The name ''Siksiká'' comes from the Blackfoot language, Blackfoot words ''sik'' (black) and ''iká'' (foot), with a connector ''s'' bet ...

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

and signatory of Treaty. He was instrumental during the Treaty 7 negotiations and acted as a representative of his people. * Edmonton wards (municipal election districts) all bear names of Indigenous origin **Nakoda Isga **O-day’min, an Anishinaabe term meaning ‘Heart-berry’ which is meant to invoke the image of “the heart through which the North Saskatchewan River runs.”) **Anirniq Pronunciation: **tastawiyiniwak () Pronunciation: **Dene Pronunciation: **Métis Pronunciation: **sipiwiyiniwak Pronunciation: **papastew Pronunciation: **pihêsiwin Pronunciation: **Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi Pronunciation: **Karhiio Pronunciation: **Sspomitapi Pronunciation: * Ermineskin Reserve 138 (formerly Indian reserve) owned by Ermineskin Cree Nation, one of the Four Nations of Maskwacis * Goosequill Lake translation of Cree word for the lake. * Grand Forks: translation of Blackfoot name for the place * Grand Prairie: translation of Cree name "Big Prairie" * Ipiatik Lake. * James Mowatt Trail. James Mowatt (Metis, born in St. Andrews, Manitoba) carried message from Edmonton to Calgary during 1885 Rebellion, asking for military assistance for Edmonton, which was thought to be under threat of Native uprising. He made the trip in only 36 hours, a record at that time. He later was a gold-rusher and then moved back to Manitoba. * Kakisa River.Aubrey, p.172 * Kakwa River. * Kananaskis * KapasiwinAubrey, p.173 *

Kapawe'no First Nation The Kapawe'no First Nation ( cr, ᑲᐹᐏᐣ, kapâwin) is a band government in Alberta, Canada. It is headquartered at Grouard, Alberta, which is near High Prairie. Indian Reserves Six Indian reserves are governed by the band: * Kapawe'no Fi ...

*Kaskitayo Edmonton community. Originally spelled “Kaskiteeo,” this name is derived from the Cree word, noted by J. B. Tyrrell in the 1870s as kas-ki-tee-oo-asiki, meaning “blackmud creek.” S (Neighbourhood names in the Kaskitayo area honour Aboriginal leaders Bearspaw, Big Bear, Ermineskin, Kainai) *Kikino Trail, Edmonton. The name of this trail, a major walkway in the Thorncliff neighbourhood, reflects the theme of most of Edmonton’s walkways, which are named for prominent Aboriginal people or have a relationship with Aboriginal heritage. Kikino is said to be the Cree word for “our home.” Kikino Trail is one of a number of trail names approved between 1969 and 1971. This name has been in use since 1895. While its origin is not recorded, the name is taken from the Cree word , which means “a long lake.” * Kimiwan: Cree word for rainy * Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park (Wood Buffalo Park). Kitaskino Nuwenëné is both Cree and Dene meaning “our land.” * Lake Minnewanka: "Water of the Spirits" in Sioux (Nakoda/Stoney language) * Lily Lake—name is translation of Indigenous place name.Harrison, Place Names of Alberta, volume 3 * Makaoo. Cree name of early leader of the band, the Onion Lake Cree Nation in Alberta and Saskatchewan,. * Ma-Me-O Beach: from cr, script=Latn, omîmîw, lit=pigeon. * Manawan Lake: Cree for "egg-gathering place". * Marie Lake: poor translation of the Cree word for the place , pronounced merai, which translates as a fish. * Maskêkosihk Trail (formerly 23 Avenue between 215 Street and

Anthony Henday Drive Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) is a freeway that encircles Edmonton, Alberta. It is a heavily travelled commuter and truck bypass route with the southwest quadrant serving as a portion of the CANAMEX Corridor that links C ...

) Road of the "people of the land of medicine" in Cree * Maskepetoon Park (Red Deer) after Chief

Maskepetoon Maskepetoon (c. 1807 – 1869) was a renowned Cree leader and warrior. He was a highly respected peace-maker, due to his negotiation of truces between the Cree and other First Nations. Grant MacEwan described him as the "Gandhi of the Plains." Ea ...

(1807-1869). Said to be the "Gandhi of the Plains", he made temporary peace between the Cree and the Siksika before being killed by an enemy. * Maskwa Creek near Wetaskiwin (Cree for 'black bear') * Maskwacis (formerly known as Hobbema) collection of several First Nations name translates as 'bear hills'. * Matchayaw Lake Cree for bad spirit. Palliser translated the name as Little Manitoo in 1865. *

Medicine Hat Medicine Hat is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River. It is approximately east of Lethbridge and southeast of Calgary. This city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff to the northwest are with ...

: Translation of the Blackfoot word , meaning "headdress of a medicine man". * Meeting Creek. English translation of the Cree name , which references the frequent meeting between the Cree and Blackfoot there. * Metiskow Cree for 'many trees'. * Mewassin Cree for 'good, beautiful'. * Minaik: Cree (also Nakoda) "Minahik" for evergreen (pine or tamarack) * Michichi: Cree for 'hand' (nearby Hand Hills has same source). *Ministik (in the Beaver Hills UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) a former school district (Ministik School District #1796). Ministik Lake is nearby. Ministik means island in Nehiyawewin (Cree). * Mitsue Creek. * Mokowan Ridge. * Moose Lake. Known to early French-Canadian fur traders as lac d'Orignal, meaning Moose Lake. This may have been a direct translation of the local Cree name of the same meaning, Mōswa sākahikan. * Namaka (hamlet) Blackfoot name "near the water", referring to nearby Bow River or Eagle Lake. * Neutral Hills Name commemorates the place where the Cree and Blackfoot made peace and chose to share the area's bison, ending decades-long fighting there.Michaelides, Bathroom Book of Alberta History, p. 144 * Nikanassin Range: "First range" in Cree *

Notikewin Notikewin is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within the County of Northern Lights. It is located along the Mackenzie Highway (Highway 35), approximately north of the Town of Manning. The name derives from ''nôtinikewin'', the Cree wor ...

(hamlet) and Notikewin River. The name derives from nôtinikewin, the Cree word for "battle". *

Okotoks Okotoks (, originally ) is a town in the Calgary Region of Alberta, Canada. It is on the Sheep River, approximately south of Calgary. Okotoks has emerged as a bedroom community of Calgary. According to the 2016 Census, the town has a population ...

: " Big Rock" in Blackfoot *

Oldman River The Oldman River is a river in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows roughly west to east from the Rocky Mountains, through the communities of Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, and on to Grassy Lake, where it joins the Bow River to form the South Saskatchew ...

. The Piikani Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy named the river after their traditional sacred ground at its headwaters, said to the "Old Man's Playing Ground," sacred ground of Napi, the Old Man, the Great Creator. * Otoskwan school district and railway siding on outskirts of Edmonton, now within Edmonton. Named after Cree name for nearby water-course Blackmud Creek. Otoskwan translates as big tributary. (William Peter Baergen, Pioneering with A Piece of Chalk) * Papaschase Industrial Park (Edmonton) named after Chief Papaschase (Papastayo) (ca. 1838-1918) or his band. (South Edmonton Saga) * Peace River translation of

Dane-zaa language Dane-zaa, known in the language as ( syll: ), formally known as Beaver, is an Athabascan language of western Canada. It means "people-regular language." About one-tenth of the Dane-zaa people speak the language. Beaver is closely related to th ...

river name , which is derived from peace made in late 1700s between two groups along its shores. * Peigan - former school district (#3430). * Pekisko from Blackfoot place name pik-isko translates as "rough ridge" or "rolling hills". * Piikani 147 Indian Reserve (on which Brocket is located) owned by Piikani Nation (formerly the Peigan Nation). * Pipestone River translation of Cree and possibly Nakoda place name, derived from it being source of stone to make pipes. * Ponoka: attempt to use its Blackfoot name ponokáwa "Elk" (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 16; https://www.albertaparks.ca/parks/south/writing-on-stone-pp/education-interpretation/blackfoot-glossary/) * Poundmaker Trail: named after Cree chief Poundmaker * Prairie Creek: translation of Cree and Nakoda place name. * Pretty Hill: translation of Cree place name. * Princess Lake: translation of Cree place name. * Rabbit Hill (Edmonton): translation of Cree place name. * Red River: colour of water in river (red from its high iron content). * Redearth Creek: soil on its shores used by Natives as body paint. * Redearth Pass: soil in pass used by First Nations as body paint. * Redwater (river and town): translation of Cree name "red water". * Redwillow Creek: form of translation of Cree place name literally "red feathers/bristles small river". * Sakaw (neighbourhood in southside Edmonton) *

, North and South Saskatchewan River. Derived from the Cree name for the Saskatchewan River, , meaning "swift flowing river" * Saskatoon Mountain Natural Area * Seven Persons translation of Blackfoot name kitsikitapi-itsinitupi "seven persons were killed" (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 17) (see Hugh A. Dempsey, "A Blackfoot Winter Count" for full story.) * Shaganappi Trail (Calgary). Shaganappi are rawhide strips. Used to repair a myriad of objects, it was the duct tape of its time. * Skoki Mountain and Skoki valley. Stoney Nakoda word for swamp. There are several in the area. * Skyrattler (neighbourhood in southside Edmonton) *

Slave Lake Slave Lake is a town in northern Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No. 124. It is approximately northwest of Edmonton. It is located on the southeast shore of Lesser Slave Lake at the junction o ...

: "Slave" was a mis-translation of the Cree word for foreigner to describe the Athabaskan people living there. (see Slave River, NWT, below) *

Smoky Lake Smoky Lake is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located northeast of Edmonton at the junction of Highway 28 and Highway 855. It lies between the North Saskatchewan River, Smoky Creek and White Earth Creek, in a mainly agricultural area. ...

: This town's name comes from the Cree name for the almost-now-disappeared lake nearby. Wood Cree named it Smoking Lake for either the large number of campfires around it often, or smouldering coal-fires in the ground, or the unusually large quantities of mist that came off it at sunset. (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 17) * Sounding Lake, in the Neutral Hills. Name is based on Native legend wherein a Great Eagle, Mikisew, emerges from the waters and takes off across the hills, its great wings making a noise like thunder. * Spirit River translation of Cree name for nearby water-course chipi-sipi "spirit river" (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 17) * Stony Plain translation of Cree name asinipwat-muskatayo "Stony (Native) plain" (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 18) * Sucker Creek translation of Cree name nimipi-sipisis "sucker (fish) creek" (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 18) * Tawatinaw (hamlet) near Highway 2 about 100 kms north of Edmonton * Tecumseh, Mount a mountain in the Crowsnest Pass area * Tipaskan (neighbourhood in southside Edmonton) * Twin Butte may be derived from Blackfoot name natsikapway-tomo "double hill" (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 18) * Two Hills (town about 120 kilometres east of Edmonton) may be derived from Cree name misoyik-kispakinasik "two hills" (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 18) * Valley of Ten Peaks includes these four peaks named after the numerals of the Stoney language: ** Mount Tonsa (no. 4) ** Mount Tuzo (no. 7) ** Neptuak Mountain (no. 9) **

Wenkchemna Peak Wenkchemna Peak is located on the border of Alberta and British Columbia. It was named in 1894 by Samuel E. S. Allen. Wenkchemna is the 10th peak in The Valley of the Ten Peaks, as they are normally numbered (left to right as seen from Moraine ...

(no. 10). *

Vermilion River (Alberta) The Vermilion River is a tributary of the North Saskatchewan River in east-central Alberta, Canada. Its lower course flows through the County of Vermilion River, which is named after this river. It has been said that this river got its name from th ...

translation of Cree name for the water-course, weeyaman-sipi "red paint river" (Hugh A. Dempsey, Indian Names for Alberta Communities, p. 18) *

Vermilion, Alberta Vermilion is a town in central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the County of Vermilion River. It is at the intersection of Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) and Highway 41 ( Buffalo Trail), approximately west of Lloydminster and east of E ...

see Vermilion River, which is nearby. * Wabamun: (lake and town west of Edmonton) is a Cree word for "mirror" or "looking glass" ** Wabamun 133A ** Wabamun 133B **

Wabamun Lake Wabamun Lake (sometimes spelled Wabumun) is one of the most heavily used lakes in Alberta, Canada. It lies west of Edmonton, Alberta. It is long and narrow, covers and is deep at its deepest, with somewhat clear water. Its name derives from ...

Wabamun Lake Provincial Park Wabamun Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern shore of Wabamun Lake, near the hamlet of Wabamun, bordering the Yellowhead Highway. Activities The following activities are available in ...

* Wabasca: from , "grassy narrows" in Cree language *

Wapiti River The Wapiti 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 (''waapiti''). ...

: from the Cree word for "elk", (literally "white rump"). *

Waputik Range The Waputik Range lies west of the upper Bow Valley, east of Bath Creek, and south of Balfour Creek in the Canadian Rockies. "Waputik" means "white goat" in Stoney. The range was named in 1884 by George Mercer Dawson of the Geological Survey of ...

: means "white goat" in Stoney *

Waskatenau Waskatenau ( ) is a village in central Alberta, Canada. It is surrounded by Smoky Lake County, approximately northeast of Edmonton. Waskatenau is a Cree word meaning "opening in the bank" in reference to the clef in the nearby ridge through which ...

: village and creek. pronounced with silent "k." In 1880s area was home to the Wah-Sat-Now (Cree) band, which later moved to the Saddle Lake reserve. Cree term for "opening in the banks", in reference to the cleft in the nearby ridge through which the Waskatenau Creek flows. *

Wetaskiwin Wetaskiwin ( ) is a 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 ''wītaskiwinihk'', meaning "the hills where peace was made". Wetaskiwin is ...

: "Place of peace" or "hill of peace" in Cree * Yoho Park. The Cree word "yoho" is used the same way as the English "wow."

British Columbia

For the scores of BC placenames from the Chinook Jargon, see List of Chinook Jargon place names.

A–B

* Ahnuhati River: "where the humpback salmon go" in Kwak'wala * Ahousat: "people living with their backs to the mountains" in

Nuu-chah-nulth The Nuu-chah-nulth (; Nuučaan̓uł: ), also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Nuuchahnulth or Tahkaht, are one of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in Canada. The term Nuu-chah-nulth is used to describe fifte ...

(Nootka). * Aiyansh and New Aiyansh: "early leaves" or "leafing early" in the

Nisga'a language Nisga’a (also Nass, Nisgha, Nisg̱a’a, Nishka, Niska, Nishga, Nisqa’a) is a Tsimshianic language of the Nisga'a people of northwestern British Columbia. Nisga'a people, however, dislike the term ''Tshimshianic'' as they feel that it gives p ...

* Akamina Pass: "mountain pass" in

Ktunaxa The Kutenai ( ), also known as the Ktunaxa ( ; ), Ksanka ( ), Kootenay (in Canada) and Kootenai (in the United States), are an indigenous people of Canada and the United States. Kutenai bands live in southeastern British Columbia, northern ...

(Kootenay) *

Akie River Akie may refer to: * Akie people * Akie language * Akie (given name) {{disambiguation Language and nationality disambiguation pages ...

: "cut-bank river" in Dunne-za * Amiskwi River: "beaver trail" in Cree * Anyox: "place of hiding" in

Nisga'a The Nisga’a , often formerly spelled Nishga and spelled in the Nisga'a language as (pronounced ), are an Indigenous people of Canada in British Columbia. They reside in the Nass River valley of northwestern British Columbia. The name is a ...

* Ashlu Creek * Ashnola River: thought to mean "white water" in

Okanagan The Okanagan ( ), also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as the Okanagan Country, is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. It is par ...

* Asitka River, Asitka Peak, Asitka Lake * Askom Mountain: "mountain" in

St'at'imcets Lillooet , known in the language itself as / (), is the language of the St’át’imc, a Salishan language of the Interior branch spoken in southern British Columbia, Canada, around the middle Fraser and Lillooet Rivers. The language of ...

(the Lillooet language) * Atchelitz: "bay" or "inlet" in

Halqemeylem Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...

, * Atlin: "big lake" in Inland Tlingit *

Atna Range The Atna Range is a small subrange of the Skeena Mountains of the Interior Mountains, located in northern British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic ...

: "strangers" or "other people" in Carrier. *

Atnarko River The 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 muc ...

: "river of strangers" in Chilcotin * Atsutla Range * Attachie: the name of a

Beaver indian The Dane-zaa (ᑕᓀᖚ, also spelled Dunne-za, or Tsattine) are an Athabaskan-speaking group of First Nations people. Their traditional territory is around the Peace River in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Today, about 1,600 Dane-zaa resi ...

whose descendants are members of the nearby Doig River First Nation * Bella Coola: Named for the usual term for the local indigenous people, who call themselves

Nuxalk The Nuxalk people ( Nuxalk: ''Nuxalkmc''; pronounced )'','' also referred to as the Bella Coola, Bellacoola or Bilchula, are an Indigenous First Nation of the Pacific Northwest Coast, centred in the area in and around Bella Coola, British Co ...

. ''Bella Coola'' is an adaption of , the Heiltsuk name for the Nuxalk; their meaning is not limited to the band at Bella Coola but to all Nuxalk. * Bella Bella: This is an adaption of the

Heiltsuk The Heiltsuk or Haíɫzaqv , sometimes historically referred to as ''Bella Bella'', are an Indigenous people of the Central Coast region in British Columbia, centred on the island community of Bella Bella. The government of the Heiltsuk people ...

name for themselves, . * Botanie Mountain, Botanie Creek, Botanie Valley etc., meaning "covered", "covering" or "blanketed all over" in Nlaka'pamux (Thompson), 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) meaning is "many root place" (the upper end of the Botanie Valley is near the limit of Secwepemc territory)

C

* Canim Lake, Canim River,

Canim Falls Canim Falls is a 23 metre high waterfall on the Canim River between Canim Lake and Mahood Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park in the Cariboo region of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada.Neave, Roland (2015). ''Exploring Wells Gray Park ...

, Canim Beach Provincial Park: "canoe" in the Chinook Jargon * Cariboo: from the Mi'kmaq language ''xalibu'' or ''Qalipu'' via French ''caribou'' (1610) ''cariboeuf'' or ''carfboeuf'': "pawer" or "scratcher".Online Etymology Dictionary, 'caribou'
/ref> Marc Lescarbot in his publication in Frenc
1610
used the term "caribou."

Silas Tertius Rand Silas Tertius Rand (May 18, 1810 – October 4, 1889) was a Canadian Baptist clergyman, missionary, ethnologist, linguist and translator. His work centred on the Mi'kmaq people of Maritime Canada and he was the first to record the legend of Gloos ...

included the term Kaleboo in his Mi'kmaq-Englis
dictionary
in 1888. A mountain subspecies of caribou were once numerous. * Carmanah Creek, Carmanah Valley, Carmanah Point: "thus far upstream" in the

Nitinaht Ditidaht (also Nitinaht, Nitinat, Southern Nootkan) or diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ is a South Wakashan (Nootkan) language spoken on the southern part of Vancouver Island. Nitinaht is related to the other South Wakashan languages, Makah and the neighboring ...

dialect of (

). * Cassiar: a remote adaptation of

Kaska The Kaska or Kaska Dena are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living mainly in northern British Columbia and the southeastern Yukon in Canada. The Kaska language, originally spoken by the Kaska, is an Athabas ...

, definition debatable, but possibly "old moccasins". * Caycuse River: from the

dialect of

Nuu-chah-nulth language Nuu-chah-nulth (), Nootka (), is a Wakashan language 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 peoples. Nuu-chah-nulth is a ...

, meaning "place where they fix up canoes". *

Cayoosh Creek Cayoosh Creek is a northeast-flowing tributary of the Seton River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The name Cayoosh Creek remains on the bridge-sign crossing the stream on BC Highway 99 and continues in use locally to refer to the ...

: ''Cayoosh'' is a

Lillooet Lillooet () is a district municipality in the Squamish-Lillooet region of southwestern British Columbia. The town is on the west shore of the Fraser River immediately north of the Seton River mouth. On BC Highway 99, the locality is by road abo ...

-area variant of ''cayuse'', originally from the Spanish ''caballo'' – "horse", although in Lillooet and the Chilcotin 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 Columbia Celista is a small community located along the north shore of Shuswap Lake in British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and ...

: from the Secwepemc chiefly and family name ''Celesta'', common in the nearby community of Neskonlith near

Chase Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national bank based in New York City, New York * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturing company * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in England * Chase Co ...

. *

Chaba Peak Chaba Peak is located in the Chaba Icefield south of Fortress Lake in Hamber Provincial Park on the Continental Divide marking the Alberta-British Columbia border. It was named in 1920 after the Chaba River by the Interprovincial Boundary Sur ...

: from the

Stoney language Stoney—also called Nakota, Nakoda, Isga, and formerly Alberta Assiniboine—is a member of the Dakota subgroup of the Mississippi Valley grouping of the Siouan languages. The Dakotan languages constitute a dialect continuum consisting of Santee ...

word for "beaver". * Chantslar Lake: from the

Chilcotin language ''Nenqayni Ch’ih'' (lit. "the Native way") (also Chilcotin, Tŝilhqotʹin, Tsilhqot’in, Tsilhqút’in) is a Northern Athabaskan language spoken in British Columbia by the Tsilhqot’in people. The name ''Chilcotin'' is derived from the Ch ...

word for "steelhead lake" * Cheakamus River: from the

Squamish language Squamish (; ', ''sníchim'' meaning "language") is a Coast Salish language spoken by the Squamish people of the Pacific Northwest. It is spoken in the area that is now called southwestern British Columbia, Canada, centred on their reserve comm ...

" Chiyakmesh", 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 Peak), the most prominent of the Four Sisters Range east of Chilliwack, which in Halqemeylem is called Thleethleq (the name of

Mount Baker Mount Baker (Lummi: '; nok, Kw’eq Smaenit or '), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington in the United States. Mount ...

Kulshan's wife, turned to stone). * Chechidla Range – from a phrase meaning "mountains of small rocks" in the

Tahltan language Tahltan, Tāłtān, also called Tałtan ẕāke ("Tahltan people language"), dah dẕāhge ("our language") or didene keh ("this people’s way") is a poorly documented Northern Athabaskan language historically spoken by the Tahltan people (also ...

Checleset Bay , image = Big Bunsby Marine Park,.jpg , image_size = 260px , alt = , caption = Big Bunsby Marine Provincial Park in Checleset Bay , image_bathymetry = , alt_bathymetry = , caption_ba ...

: from the

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 Nation The Kyuquot/Cheklesath First Nation or First Nations"Kyuquot/Cheklesath First Nations" which is the form used by Mowachaht/Muchalaht and Tla-o-quiaht governments- (officially Ka:'yu:'k't'h'/Che:k:tles7et'h' First Nation) is a modern treaty govern ...

. * Chedakuz Arm ( Knewstubb Lake), Carrier language * Cheewat River: from the Nitinaht dialect of

for "having an island nearby". *

Cheekye River The Cheekye River is a river in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It flows west into the Cheakamus River and north of Squamish, British Columbia, Squamish. References

Rivers of the Pacific Ranges Sea-to-Sky Corridor New Westminster La ...

and the locality of Cheekye near Squamish: from ''Nch'kay'', the

name for

Mount Garibaldi Mount Garibaldi (known as Nch'kaý to the indigenous Squamish people) is a dormant stratovolcano in the Garibaldi Ranges of the Pacific Ranges in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It has a maximum elevation of and rises above the surroun ...

, meaning "dirty place" in reference to that mountain's ash-stained snows * Chehalis and Chehalis 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'ailes The Sts'ailes (also known as Chehalis) are an indigenous people from the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Their band government is the Chehalis First Nation, formerly known as the Chehalis Indian Band. The band's name community i ...

, "beating heart". * Cheja Range – from a phrase meaning "mountains are hard" in the

Chemainus Chemainus is a community within the municipality of North Cowichan in the Chemainus Valley on the east coast of southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Founded as an unincorporated logging town in 1858, Chemainus is now famou ...

: Named after the native shaman and prophet ''Tsa-meeun-is'', which means "Broken Chest" or "bitten breast"( Hulquminum 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 language The Dakelh (ᑕᗸᒡ) or 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 has been a common English name derive ...

* Chezacut: "birds without feathers" in the

. * Chic Chic Bay: ''Tshik-tshik'', under various spellings, is the Chinook Jargon for a wagon or wheeled vehicle. *

Chikamin Range The 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 Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories ...

: ''Chickamin'', as usually spelled, is "metal" or "ore" in the Chinook Jargon, often meaning simply "gold" * Chilako River: "beaver hand river" in the

* Chilanko River: "many beaver river" in the

* Chilcotin River: "red ochre river people" in the

Chilkat Pass The 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 (S) and Kelsall Rivers just northwest of Haines, Alaska. At an elevation of 3510 ft ...

: "salmon storehouse" in the

Tlingit language The Tlingit language ( ; ''Lingít'' ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada and is a branch of the Na-Dene language family. Extensive effort is being put into revitalization programs in Southeast Alaska to re ...

Chilko River The Chilko River is a river in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada, flowing northeast from Chilko Lake to the Chilcotin River. Its main tributary is the Taseko River. The Chilko is the Chilcotin River's ma ...

: "red ochre river" in the

Chilliwack Chilliwack ( )( hur, Ts'elxwéyeqw) is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Chilliwack is surrounded by mountains and home to recreational areas such as Cultus Lake and Chilliwack Lake Provincial Parks. There are numerous outdo ...

: "Going back up" in

. 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 Lake). Older spellings are Chilliwhack, Chilliwayhook, Chil-whey-uk, Chilwayook, and Silawack. * Chinook Cove: on the

North Thompson River The North Thompson River is the northern branch of the Thompson River, the largest tributary of the Fraser River, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates at the toe of the Thompson Glacier in the Premier Range of the Cariboo ...

, a reference to the Chinook salmon rather than to the language, wind or people of the same name. * Choelquoit Lake: "fishtrap lake" in the

* Chonat Bay: "where coho salmon are found" in Kwak'wala * Chu Chua: the plural of the Secwepemc language word for "creek". *

Chuckwalla River The Chuckwalla River is a river in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, flowing into Kilbella Bay, which is a sidewater of Rivers Inlet. The river's headwaters are at . The Kilbella River also flows into Kilbella Bay Kilbella Bay ...

: "short river" in Oowekyala. The nearby Kilbella River means "long river". * Chukachida River * Chutine River: "half-people" in either the Tlinkit or

s. The area's population was half-Tlingit and half-Tahltan. * Cinnemousun Narrows Provincial Park: From the Secwepemc language ''cium-moust-un'', meaning "come and go back again", sometimes translated as "the bend" (i.e. in

Shuswap Lake Shuswap Lake (pronounced /ˈʃuːʃwɑːp/) is a lake located in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little Shuswap River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, ...

) *

Clayoquot Sound , image = Clayoquot Sound - Near Tofino - Vancouver Island BC - Canada - 08.jpg , image_size = 260px , alt = , caption = , image_bathymetry = Vancouver clayoquot sound de.png , alt_bathyme ...

: 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-oose: "campsite beach" in the Nitinaht dialect of

* Clusko River: "mud river" in the

* Cluxewe Mountain, Cluxewe River: "delta or sand bar" in Kwak'wala * Coglistiko River: "stream coming from small jack-pine windfalls" in the

* Colquitz River: "waterfall" in

North Straits Salish North Straits Salish is a Salish language which includes the dialects of *Lummi (also known as W̱lemi,Ćosen, Xwlemiʼchosen, xʷləmiʔčósən) ''(†)'' * Saanich (also known as Senćoten, sənčáθən, sénəčqən) *Samish (also known as ...

* Comiaken: "bare, devoid of vegetation" in

Hulquminum Halkomelem (; in the Upriver dialect, in the Island dialect, and in the Downriver dialect) is a language of various First Nations peoples of the British Columbia Coast. It is spoken in what is now British Columbia, ranging from southeastern ...

Comaplix, British Columbia Comaplix was a former mining town on the Incomappleux River in the Upper Arrow Lake area of the West Kootenay region of British Columbia. The name of the town and an adjacent mountain and creek derived from the river. Cleared in 1896, the town was ...

is a former mining town which was named after the

Incomappleux River The Incomappleux River is in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. Entering the Beaton Arm of Upper Arrow Lake, the river is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The upper reaches of the Incomappleux valley are home ...

from the Lakes or

Colville-Okanagan Okanagan, or Colville-Okanagan, or Nsyilxcən (n̓səl̓xcin̓, n̓syilxčn̓), is a Salish language which arose among the indigenous peoples of the southern Interior Plateau region based primarily in the Okanagan River Basin and the Columbia R ...

word nk'mapeleqs, meaning "point at end (of lake)". * Comox: either from the Chinook Jargon for "dog" (''kamuks''), or from the Kwak'wala for "place of plenty". * Conuma Peak: "high, rocky peak" in the

* Coqualeetza: "place of beating of blankets (to get them clean)" in

* Coquihalla River, Coquihalla Mountain: "stingy container" (of fish) in

, a reference to black-coloured water spirits who would steal fish right off the spear *

Coquitlam Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the sixth-largest city in the province, with a population of 148,625 in 2021, and one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. ...

: "small red

salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...

" in

(Upriver Halkomelem). Derived from the name of the '' Kwikwetlem'' people. Another and more usual translation is "stinking of fish slime" or "stinking fish", thought to be a reference to the Kwikwetlem people's role as slaves to the Katzie and Kwantlen as fish butchers. * Cowichan: from ''Quwutsun'', "land warmed by the sun" or "warm country" (

) *

Cultus Cultus may refer to: *Cult (religious practice) * ''Cultus'' (stonefly), a genus of stoneflies * Cultus Bay, a bay in Washington * Cultus Lake (disambiguation) *Cultus River, a river in Oregon *Suzuki Cultus The Suzuki Cultus is a supermini car ...

: "bad, of no value, worthless" in Chinook jargon. In First Nations legend, this popular recreational lake south of Chilliwack was said to be inhabited by evil spirits. *

Cumshewa Cumshewa, also Go'mshewah, Cummashawa, Cummashawaas, Cumchewas, Gumshewa was an important hereditary leader of the Haida people of Haida Gwaii on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. His name is believed to be of either Kwak'wala or Heilt ...

Cumshewa Inlet Cumshewa 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 Haida Gwaii islands of the North Coast of British Columbia. The inlet was t ...

, 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

, who were allies of the Cumshewa Haida.

D–J

* Dil-Dil Plateau, meaning unknown, probably

*Ealue Lake: "sky fish" in

Tahltan The Tahltan or Nahani are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group who live in northern British Columbia around Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. The Tahltan constitute the fourth division of the ''Nahane' ...

. * Ecstall River: from the

Tsimshian The Tsimshian (; tsi, Ts’msyan or Tsm'syen) are an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Their communities are mostly in coastal British Columbia in Terrace and Prince Rupert, and Metlakatla, Alaska on Annette Island, the only r ...

for "tributary" or "something from the side" (the Ecstall joins the

Skeena River The Skeena River is the second-longest river entirely within British Columbia, Canada (after the Fraser River). Since ancient times, the Skeena has been an important transportation artery, particularly for the Tsimshian and the Gitxsan—whose n ...

near Prince Rupert) * Eddontenajon: "child crying in the water" or "a little boy drowned" in

*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

Masset Masset , formerly ''Massett'', is a village in Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Masset Sound on the northern coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Col ...

* Edziza, Mount and Edziza, Mount volcanic complex: named after the Edzertza family of the

people, who live nearby. *

Elaho River The 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 wel ...

* Endako Lake, Carrier language *

Esquimalt The 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 Esquim ...

for "the place of gradually shoaling water". Derived from their word ''Es-whoy-malth''. * Euchuk Lake, Carrier language * Fontas River: originally Fantasque's River, after the name of a chief of the

Sekani Sekani or Tse’khene are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group in the Northern Interior of British Columbia. Their territory includes the Finlay and Parsnip River drainages of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The ne ...

people * Gataga River, Gataga Lakes, Gataga Mountain, Gataga River, Gataga Ranges, derived from the Sekani name for the river Tadadzè' (Guzagi K'úgé) * Gingolx, also sp. Kincolith, "Place of skulls" in the

* Gunn Valley, from the name of a member of the Xeni Gwet'in of

Nemaiah Valley Nemaiah Valley, also spelled Nemiah Valley and Nemaia Valley, is an unincorporated locality and First Nations reserve and ranching community between Chilko Lake and the Taseko Lakes in the Chilcotin District of the Central Interior of British Col ...

who lived there, ''ganin''. *

Hotnarko River The Hotnarko River is a river in the Bella Coola Valley subregion of the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a tributary of the Atnarko River flowing southwest to meet that river a few miles upstream from the locality of Atna ...

* Hozameen Range *

Hunlen Falls Hunlen Falls is a waterfall located at the mouth of Turner Lake in the Pacific Ranges of British Columbia, Canada. With an estimated height of , it is tied with Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park for having the fourth tallest single drop of an ...

, from the name of a chief whose trapline was in the area of the falls *

is from the Lakes or

word nk'mapeleqs, meaning "point at end (of lake)". The name of the former town of Comaplix and adjacent mountain and creek are derived from the name of the river. *

Inklin River The Inklin River (Lingít: ''Héen Tlein'') is a tributary of the Taku River in the northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada. It originates at the confluence of its two main tributaries, the Nahlin River and the Sheslay River an ...

* Kinuseo Falls, from the Cree for "fish"

K–L

* Kalamalka Lake * Kamloops: anglicization of the Shuswap word ''Tk'emlups'', meaning "where the rivers meet". *

Kasalka Range The Kasalka Range is a subrange of the Tahtsa Ranges, located between Tahtsa Lake and Troitsa Lake in northern British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atl ...

, Kasalka Butte, Kasalka Creek * Kelowna: "ki?lawna?" meaning a male grizzly bear in the

language. *

Kemano Kemano was a settlement situated 75 km (47 mi) southeast of Kitimat in the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was built to service a hydroelectric power station, built to provide energy for Alcan to smelt aluminum from its ore. ...

, from the name of one of the subdivisions of the Henaksiala people, a subgroup of the Haisla *

Keremeos Keremeos () 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 ...

* Khutzeymateen River, Khutzeymateen Provincial Park, Khutzeymateen Inlet, from "K'tzim-a-deen" (Tsimshian language) *Kincolith – see Gingolx *

Kitimat Kitimat is a district municipality in the North Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine regional government. The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban distr ...

– people of the snow *

Kitlope River The Kitlope River is a river in the Kitimat Ranges in the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada, flowing north for ,Length measured using Google Maps path tool, BCGNIS coordinates, topographic maps, anTopoQuest into the head of the Gardner Canal ...

, 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 Columbia, Kitselas Canyon, "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 Klemtu is an unincorporated community on Swindle Island in the coastal fjords of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Kitasoo Indian Reserve No. 1. Klemtu is the home of the Kitasoo tribe of Tsimshians, originally from Kitasu Bay, and t ...

, from the

Coast Tsimshian language Tsimshian, known by its speakers as Sm'álgyax, is a dialect of the Tsimshian language spoken in northwestern British Columbia and southeastern Alaska. ''Sm'algyax'' means literally "real or true language." The linguist Tonya Stebbins estimat ...

"Klemdoo-oolk," meaning"impassable" * Kluskus Lakes, Kluskus Hills, Kluskus *

Kootenay Kootenay, Kootenai, and Kutenai may refer to: Ethnic groups *The Kutenai, also known as the Ktunaxa, Kootenai, or Kootenay, an indigenous people of the United States and Canada **Kutenai language, the traditional language of the Kutenai **Ktunaxa ...

: derived from the proper name of the Kootenay people,

* Kuyakuz Mountain, Kuyakuz Lake * Kwadacha River "white water" in

(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 Park Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into ...

** Kwadacha, British Columbia (Fort Ware) *

Lakelse Lake Lakelse 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" - "fresh water mussel", for the mollu ...

Lakelse Lake Provincial Park Lakelse 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" - "fresh water mussel", for the moll ...

Lakelse Hot Springs The Lakelse 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 south of Terrace, British Columbia, Terrace along British Columbia Highway ...

etc. from the Coast Tsimshian "LaxGyels" * Kyuquot, British Columbia,

Kyuquot Sound Kyuquot Sound is a complex of coastal inlets, bays and islands on northwestern Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The sound is named after the Kyuquot people, who are of the Nuu-chah-nulth peoples by culture and languag ...

– from the name of the local group of Nuu-chah-nulth *

: adapted from the proper name for the Lower St'at'imc people, the Lil'wat of Mt. Currie. 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 * Malakwa: from Chinook Jargon ''malakwa'' for "mosquito(s)" (from fr. ''le maringouin''). * Mamquam River * Marktosis *

– a Haida adaptation of a Spanish captain's name, possibly Masseta or Massetta *

Matsqui Matsqui is a former district municipality in British Columbia, Canada. It was incorporated in 1892 and merged with the district municipality of Abbotsford in 1995 to create the new City of Abbotsford. Matsqui used to be the western part of what is ...

: ″stretch of higher ground″ * Mehatl Creek *

Mesilinka River Mesilinka River is a river in the Canadian boreal forest. It is located in the province of British Columbia, approximately 3,500 km west of the national capital, Ottawa, and about 900 km north of the provincial capital, Victoria Victoria mo ...

Metchosin The District of Metchosin is a municipality and community in Greater Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is a coastal community adjacent to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Metchosin is part of the Western ...

: English translation of ''Smets-Schosen'', meaning "place of stinking fish" * Metsantan Pass, Metsantan Range – "People of the Caribou Hide" in

. Also the name of the former settlement of Metsantan, aka Caribou Hide, and of Metsantan Creek and Metsantan Lake *

Misinchinka River The 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, ...

* Mount Tzouhalem, after the Quamichan chief and warrior who was banished there. * M^quqʷin/Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park. *

Muskwa River The Muskwa River flows 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 the ...

, "bear" in the Cree language. * Naglico Lake, Naglico Hills *

Nadina River The Nadina River is a river in Range 4 Coast Land District, British Columbia, Canada. It feeds into François Lake at its west end. François Lake is about south of Burns Lake on Highway 35. Name origin The name is derived from that of Nadina M ...

Nadina Mountain Nadina Mountain, is a remote granitic mountain of volcanic origins located in Nadina Mountain Provincial Park in northern British Columbia, Canada. Situated south of Houston, British Columbia, it rises above the forested foothills of the rolli ...

– 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

. The river's actual name in Carrier, not adopted by the geographical names board, is "Nadinako". *

Nahatlatch River The Nahatlatch River is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It originates in the Lillooet Ranges of the Coast Mountains and empties into the Fraser River in the Fraser Canyon, north of Boston Bar. Cour ...

, Nahatlatch Needle * Nakina River * Nakusp – from the

Sinixt The Sinixt"Sinixt Nation…" (also known as the Sin-Aikst or Sin Aikst,Reyes 2002, ''passim.'' "Senjextee", "Arrow Lakes Band", or — less commonly in recent decades — simply as "The Lakes") are a First Nations People. The Sinixt are ...

Okanagan language Okanagan, or Colville-Okanagan, or Nsyilxcən (n̓səl̓xcin̓, n̓syilxčn̓), is a Salish language which arose among the indigenous peoples of the southern Interior Plateau region based primarily in the Okanagan River Basin and the Columbia R ...

word "Neqo'sp" meaning "closed-in" or "safe" *

Namu Namu or NAMU may refer to: *The North American Monetary Union *Namu, British Columbia, a town in Canada *Namu Atoll, an atoll in the Pacific Ocean *Namu doll, a type of Pullip doll *Yang Erche Namu, a Chinese singer and writer of Mosuo ethnicity ...

* Nanaimo: Named after the

Snuneymuxw The Snuneymuxw First Nation (pronounced ) is located in and around the city of Nanaimo on east-central Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The nation previously had also occupied territory along the Fraser River, in British Columbia. ...

people. * Nanoose Bay * Natalkuz Lake * Nauwigewauk, New Brunswick: from the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) word "Nuhwig'ewauk", which is the Wolastoqey name for the Hammond River, possibly meaning "slow current." *

Nazko Nazko is a small ranching and logging community, including a historic First Nations community located 100 km west of Quesnel on the Nazko River in the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Nazko means, "river flowing from the south". ...

– "river flowing from the south" in Carrier *

Nechako River The Nechako River arises on the Nechako Plateau east of the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, and flows north toward Fort Fraser, then east to Prince George where it enters the Fraser River. "Nechako" is an angl ...

: An anglicization of , its name in the indigenous

which means "big river". *

, from Nemiah, name of the founding chief who moved there from Hanceville * Nicolum River *

Nicoamen River The Nicoamen River is a tributary of the Thompson River in the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located upstream from its confluence with the Thompson at Lytton. The Nicoamen forms the extreme northeast boundary of the Cascade Mount ...

Nicoamen Plateau The Nicoamen Plateau is a small sub-plateau of the Thompson Plateau in the southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located between the Nicoamen River (W) and the lower valley of the Nicola River The Nicola River , originally French Rivièr ...

* Nicolum River, Nicolum River Provincial Park * Nicomekl River – Halq'emeylem for "the route to go" or "the pathway". *

Nicomen Island Nicomen Island is an island in the Fraser Valley region of southwestern British Columbia. Nicomen Mountain in the Douglas Ranges lies to the north across Nicomen Slough. Chilliwack Mountain lies to the south across the Fraser River. Adjacent to th ...

* Nimpkish River, from the name of the 'Namgis, the Kwakwaka'wakw people whose territory this river is in. * Nimpo Lake * Nitinat Lake: from the usual English spelling of the name of the

Ditidaht The Ditidaht First Nation is a First Nations band government on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The government has 17 reserve lands: Ahuk, Tsuquanah, Wyah, Clo-oose, Cheewat, Sarque, Carmanah, Iktuksasuk, Hobitan, Oyees, Doo ...

people * Noaxe Lake, Noaxe Creek

O–Q

: *

Omineca River Omineca River is a river of the North American boreal forest, 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 ...

Omineca Mountains The Omineca Mountains, also known as "the Ominecas", are a group of remote mountain ranges in the Boreal Cordillera of north-central British Columbia, Canada. They are bounded by the Finlay River on the north, the Rocky Mountain Trench (here fil ...

Omineca Country The 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 ...

* Ominicetla River *

Ootsa Lake The Nechako Reservoir, sometimes called the Ootsa Lake Reservoir, is a hydroelectric reservoir in British Columbia, Canada that was formed by the Kenney Dam making a diversion of the Nechako River through a 16-km intake tunnel in the Kitimat Ranges ...

Opitsaht Opitsaht, spelled also as Opitsat and Opitsitah, is a Tla-o-qui-aht settlement/community in the Southwest area of the Meares Islands, Clayoquot South, British Columbia. This peninsula-like region is the home to the Tla-o-qui-aht people from the ...

Osilinka River Osilinka River is a river in the Canadian boreal forest. It is located in the province of British Columbia, approximately 3,500 km west of the national capital, Ottawa, and about 900 km north of the provincial capital, Victoria Victoria mos ...

Osoyoos Osoyoos (, ) is the southernmost town in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia between Penticton and Omak. The town is north of the United States border with Washington state and is adjacent to the Osoyoos Indian reserve. The origin of the n ...

: From ''suius'' in the

, 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 River * Pasayten River *

Penticton Penticton ( ) is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. In the 2016 Canadian Census, its population was 33,761, while its census agglomeration The ce ...

: "Place to stay forever" in

* Popkum: "puffball mushrooms" in

Qualicum Beach :''"Qualicum" re-directs here. For the neighbourhood in Ottawa, see Qualicum, Ottawa'' Qualicum Beach () is a town located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In the 2021 census, it had a population of 9,303. It is situated at the fo ...

Qualicum River The Qualicum River or Big Qualicum River ("Where the Dog Salmon Run" in the Pentlatch language) is a river on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, flowing northeast from its headwaters in Horne Lake into the Strait of Geor ...

: "Where the dog salmon run" in Comox * Quanchus Range *

Quatsino Sound , image = Coal Harbour, Port Hardy, BC.jpg , image_size = 260px , alt = , caption = Coal Harbour, a village located in Holberg Inlet , image_bathymetry = , alt_bathymetry = , caption_b ...

Quatsino Provincial Park Quatsino Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on Quatsino Sound on northern Vancouver Island. History The park was established July 12, 1995. Conservation This undeveloped park protects some of the largest o ...

, Quatsino, British Columbia, from Gwat'sinux, the name of the local group of Kwakwaka'wakw people. * Quispamsis, New Brunswick: From "qospemsis" in the Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) word, meaning "Little lake in the woods", the lake being present-day Ritchie Lake.

S

* Saanich: from WSANEC, the name of one of the local

Straits Salish North Straits Salish is a Salish language which includes the dialects of *Lummi (also known as W̱lemi,Ćosen, Xwlemiʼchosen, xʷləmiʔčósən) ''(†)'' * Saanich (also known as Senćoten, sənčáθən, sénəčqən) *Samish (also known as ...

peoples and their language. *

Sechelt Sechelt (, Shishalh language chat'lich) is a district municipality located on the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately 50 km northwest of Vancouver, it is accessible from mainland British Columbia by a 40-minute ferry tr ...

: the town is named after the Shishalh people who live in the area *

Shalalth Shalalth and South Shalalth are unincorporated communities on the northern shore near the western end of Seton Lake in the Squamish-Lillooet region of southwestern British Columbia. The localities are by road about northwest of Lillooet, but o ...

: From ''Ts'alalh'', "the lake" in the

language of the

people *

Shulaps Range The 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 (1150 mi2) in area. ...

, Shulaps Peak: "ram of the mountain sheep" in the

. *

Sicamous Sicamous is a district municipality in British Columbia located adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway at the Highway 97A junction, where Mara Lake empties into Shuswap Lake via a short narrows. Sicamous is a resort town about halfway between Calg ...

– "river circling mountains" in the

. *

Sikanni Chief River The Sikanni Chief River, is a river in the Northern Rocky Mountains region of the northern British Columbia Interior, interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its headwaters are near Mount McCusker, northeast of the head of the Finlay Arm of Williston ...

* Siska – from ''sisqa'',

(Nlaka'pamux) for "uncle" *

Skaha Lake Skaha Lake is a freshwater lake, through which the Okanagan River flows, in the Okanagan region of south central British Columbia. Along the shoreline are Penticton (north), Kaleden (west), and Okanagan Falls (south). Name origin The lake was l ...

: from the Okanagan language word for "dog" (''sqexe''). Skaha Lake in frontier times was often called Dog Lake, although that is the

meaning of ''skaha''; in the

it means "horse" or "pony". * Skaist Mountain, Skaist River *

– from "X'san",

(Gitksan) for "River of Mist" *

Skihist Mountain Skihist Mountain, also sometimes referred to as Skihist Peak, 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 ...

and

Skihist Provincial Park Skihist Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the Thompson River and adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway #1 between the towns of Lytton (W) and Spences Bridge (E). The park is named for Skihist Mountain, w ...

Skidegate Skidegate ( hai, Hlg̱aagilda) is a Haida community in in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the southeast coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Columbia across Hec ...

Skookumchuck Skookumchuck () is a Chinook Jargon term 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 "whitewa ...

: "strong (skookum) ocean/water (chuck); that is: "strong tide, strong ocean current, rapids" in Chinook Jargon (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). * Similkameen: From "Similkameugh" or "Samilkameigh" or "Samilkumeigh" meaning "white swan", one of the twelve tribes of the

Okanagan people The ''Syilx'' () people, also known as the Okanagan, Okanogan or Okinagan people, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the Canada–US boundary in Washington state and British Columbia in the Okanagan ...

. The "-meen" ending was "forced by the whites" on this name to harmonize with the name of the river's tributary, the Tulameen. * Slocan and

Slocan River Slocan may refer to: Communities * Slocan, British Columbia or Slocan City, a village in the Slocan Valley, British Columbia, Canada * Slocan Valley or Slocan Country or Silvery Slocan, a valley in British Columbia, Canada * Slocan Park, British C ...

: Slhu?kin Meaning "speared in the head" in the Lakes dialect of the

language and in reference to the traditional method of spear fishing in the region with a three pronged fish spear, a "lhumin." * Sloko River * Somass River *

Sooke Sooke is a district municipality on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada, by road from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Sooke, the westernmost of Greater Victoria's Western Communities, is to the north and west of the Sooke ...

: named after the T'Souke people who live in the area *

Spallumcheen Spallumcheen 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 5,055 and land area of in the Canada 2011 Census. The district ...

Spatsizi River The Spatsizi River is a tributary of the Stikine River, rising near Mount Gunanoot in the southeastern Spatsizi Plateau, British Columbia. Etymology "Spatsizi" is a phrase from the Sekani language meaning "red goat", a reference to the habit of ...

and associated placenames *

Spillimacheen River The Spillimacheen River is a tributary of the Columbia River in the Canadian province of British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rock ...

, Spillimacheen *

Spuzzum Spuzzum is an unincorporated settlement in British Columbia, Canada. Because it is on the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately north of the community of Hope, it is often referred to as being "beyond Hope". Environment Spuzzum lies in a constrict ...

, from the local variant of the Chinook Jargon ''spatsum'', a reed used in basketry * Squamish and

Squamish River The 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 Squamish River drains a complex of basins in the ...

: The river and the town are named after the Squamish people who live in the area * Stein River: Adjacent to Lytton BC, "Stein" is an adaptation of the Nlaka'pamux (Thompson) ''staygn'' – "hidden place". * Stellako River, Stellako *

Stikine River The Stikine River is a major river in northern British Columbia (BC), Canada and southeastern Alaska in the United States. It drains a large, remote upland area known as the Stikine Country east of the Coast Mountains. Flowing west and south f ...

and associated placenames. From ''Shta-KEEN'', "great river" in the

Sumallo River The 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 ...

* Sumas Lake,

Sumas River The Sumas River is a river in the Fraser Lowland and a tributary of the Fraser River system, coursing across the international border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington. Course The Sumas River origi ...

Sumas Mountain Sumas Mountain is a mountain located in Whatcom County, Washington, Whatcom County, Washington (state), Washington, 15 miles northeast of Bellingham, Washington, Bellingham and southwest of Vedder Mountain. Located in the Skagit Range, the moun ...

, and the old District of Sumas (now part of Abbotsford): from a Halqemeylem language word for ""a big level opening"

T

* Taghum, British Columbia, ''taghum'' is the Chinook Jargon word for "six" (Taghum is six miles from

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

) *

Tagish Lake Tagish Lake is a lake in Yukon and northern British Columbia, Canada. The lake is more than long and about 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 ...

Tagish Highland The 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 Yuko ...

– "fish trap" ''or'' "it (spring ice) is breaking up" in the

Tagish language Tagish was a language spoken by the Tagish or Carcross-Tagish, a First Nations people that historically lived in the Northwest Territories and Yukon in Canada. The name Tagish derives from ''/ta:gizi dene/'', or "Tagish people", which is how th ...

, Tahltan River, Little Tahltan River,

Tahltan Highland The 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 (the east fork of the Taku River). Its eastern boundary is formed b ...

, a

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 * Tahsis * Tahtsa Lake, Tahtsa Peak,

Tahtsa Ranges The Tahtsa Ranges are a mountain range in northern British Columbia, Canada. It has an area of 7531 km2 and is a subrange of the Hazelton Mountains which in turn form part of the Interior Mountains.

* Talchako River, Talchako Pass * Takla Lake,

Takla Landing Takla 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. In the days of the Omineca Gold Rus ...

Taku River The Taku River ( Lingít: ''T'aaḵu Héeni'') is a river running from British Columbia, Canada, to the northwestern coast of North America, at Juneau, Alaska. The river basin spreads across . The Taku is a very productive salmon river and its ...

Taku Plateau The 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 s ...

and the Taku Arm of

from the name of the

Taku people The 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". The Taku lived along the northwestern coast of North Ame ...

* Talchako River * Tanzilla River, Tanzilla Plateau * Taseko Mountain, Taseko River, Taseko Lakes – from the

''"Desiqox"'', which means "Mosquito River". * Tatla Lake *

Tatlatui Provincial Park Tatlatui 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 ...

Tatlatui Lake Tatlatui 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 The Finlay River is a 402&nb ...

, Tatlatui Peak *

Tatlayoko Lake Tatlayoko 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 ...

* Tchaikazan River, from the

name for a peak visible from its valley, ''Ts^icheza'on''. *

Teslin Lake Teslin Lake is a large lake spanning the border between British Columbia and Yukon, 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 bas ...

and Teslin, British Columbia, from the name of the local group of Inland Tlinkit *

Tochquonyalla Range The Tochquonyalla Range is a subrange of the Tahtsa Ranges, located east of the Gamsby River and west of Lindquist Lake in northern British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories ...

* Toodoggone River, originally "Thudegade" and from the

Kaska language The Kaska language originated from the family of Athabaskan languages. Traditionally Kaska is an oral aboriginal language that is used by the Kaska Dena people.Farnell, G. (2014). The Kaska Dene: A study of Colonialism, Trauma and Healing in Den ...

''Tuhfa Ughane'' meaning "Two Brothers River'' or "eagles nest" * Tsʼilʔos Provincial Park, also Tsʼilʔos, Tsʼylos, Tsʼyl-os, Tsoloss, the Chilcotin language name for Mount Tatlow * Tulameen:

Nlaka'pamux The Nlaka'pamux or Nlakapamuk ( ; ), also previously known as the ''Thompson'', ''Thompson River Salish'', ''Thompson Salish'', ''Thompson River Indians'' or ''Thompson River people'', and historically as the ''Klackarpun'', ''Haukamaugh'', ''Kni ...

(Thompson) language for "red earth", a reference to the ochre found here. *

Tuya River The Tuya River is a major tributary of the Stikine River in northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada. From its source at High Tuya Lake in Tuya Mountains Provincial Park just south of Ash Mountain, the highest peak of the Tuya ...

Tuya Lake Tuya Lake, located in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, presumably derives its name from the presence of nearby steep-sided, flat-topped volcanoes, known as tuyas. The lake is situated just south of Tuya Butte at a latitude of about 59 degre ...

, Tuya Range,

Little Tuya River The Little Tuya River is a tributary of the Tuya River in northwest part of the province of British Columbia, Canada. It flows generally south and east about Length measured using BCGNIS coordinates, topographic maps, anToporama/ref> to join the Tu ...

Tsawwassen Tsawwassen ( ) is a suburban, mostly residential community on a peninsula in the southwestern corner of the City of Delta in British Columbia, Canada. It provides the only road access to the American territory on the southern tip of the peninsul ...

: "Looking toward the sea" in

* Tyoax Pass, at the head of Tyaughton Creek (see next) *

Tyaughton Lake Tyaughton Lake, also known as 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 B ...

Tyaughton Creek Tyaughton 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 t ...

(also Tyoax, Tyax), from the

for "jumping fish" *

Tyhee Lake Provincial Park Tyhee Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located near the town of Smithers in the Bulkley Valley. History On Trutch's 1871 map, it was labelled "McLean's Lake", but "Aldermere Lake" elsewhere. Aldermere was o ...

: ''Tyhee'' is a variant of the usual Chinook Jargon ''tyee'' – "chief, big, great, important, boss"

U–Z

Ucluelet Ucluelet (, also Ukee) is a district municipality (population 1,717) on the Ucluelet Peninsula on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Ucluelet means "people of the safe harbour" in the indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth (No ...

: "people of the safe harbour" in the language of the Nuu-chah-nulth. * Unuk River *

Wannock River The 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 t ...

, "poison" in Wuikyala *

* Whonnock,

Whonnock Lake Whonnock Lake'' It is a natural muskeg lake and, if left alone, it will slowly turn into a peat marsh. The only regular water input is from the north. There is an exit to Whonnock Creek on the south-east side originally closed off by a sandbar (be ...

, Whonnock Creek: from ''honnock'', "humpback salmon" in

, the only variety of salmon to spawn in Whonnock Creek. * Yalakom River, Yalakom Mountain: "ewe of the mountain sheep" in the

* Yohetta Valley, Yohetta Creek, Yohetta Lake, from the Tsilhqot'in language ''yuyetabin'' here bin means lake*

Yoho National Park Yoho National Park ( ) is a national park of Canada. It is located within the Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide of the Americas in southeastern British Columbia, bordered by Kootenay National Park to the south and ...

– "Yoho" means "how amazing" or "it is beautiful" *

Yuquot Yuquot , also known as Friendly Cove, is a small settlement of around six people—the Williams family of the Mowachaht band—plus two full-time lighthouse keepers, located on Nootka Island in Nootka Sound, just west of Vancouver Island, British C ...

, the Nuu-chah-nulth language name, meaning "winds come from all directions", for the village usually known in English as Friendly Cove, on

Nootka Sound , image = Morning on Nootka Sound.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Clouds over Nootka Sound , image_bathymetry = , alt_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = Map of Nootka So ...

* Zagoddetchino Mountain * Zus Mountain * Zymoetz River

Manitoba

* Grand Rapids: Translation of Cree word ''misepawistik'', meaning "rushing rapids". *

The Pas The Pas ( ; french: Le Pas) is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located at the confluence of the Pasquia River and the Saskatchewan River and surrounded by the unorganized Northern Region of the province. It is approximately northwest of the provinc ...

: From French ''Le Pas,'' a shortening of ''Fort Pascoyac'', from the Pasquia River, named for the

Opaskwayak Cree Nation The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (; OCN, Cree: ᐅᐸᐢᑿᔭᐠ , ''opâskwêyâhk'', meaning: at the wooded narrows) is a First Nations band government in Manitoba, Canada. Most of the on-reserve population lives near The Pas on the OCN 21E reser ...

. *

Wapusk National Park Wapusk National Park (; is Canada's 37th national park, established in 1996. The name comes from the Cree word for polar bear (''wâpask''). Located on the shores of Hudson Bay in the Hudson Plains ecozone south of Churchill, its accessibility ...

: from ''wâpask'', "polar bear" in Cree language *

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...

: "muddy water" from the word ''win-nipi'' of the Cree.

New Brunswick

* Apohaqui – 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 River The 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 ...

join.) * Aroostook *

Bouctouche Bouctouche is a Canadian town in Kent County, New Brunswick. History Bouctouche was originally named Tjipogtotjg (pronounced ''Chebooktoosk''), a Mi'kmaq word meaning "Great Little Harbour". The region was next settled by brothers Francois L ...

: a corruption of the Mi'kmaq word Chebooktoosk, meaning Great Little Harbour. *

Caraquet Caraquet ( ) is a town in Gloucester County, New Brunswick, Canada. Situated on the shore of Chaleur Bay in the Acadian Peninsula, its name is derived from the Mi'kmaq term for ''meeting of two rivers''. The Caraquet River and Rivière du Nor ...

: Derived from the Mi'kmaq language, meaning "junction (or meeting) of two rivers". * Escuminac *

Kouchibouguac National Park Kouchibouguac National Park () is a national park located on the east coast of New Brunswick in Kouchibouguac and was established in 1969 to preserve a section of the Canadian Maritime Plain region. The park includes barrier islands, sand dun ...

(and

River A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...

): ''Kouchibouguac'' means "river of the long tides" in

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the nort ...

. * Magaguadavic Lake, a Mi'kmaq word meaning "lake of eels". * Mactaquac, a Maliseet word meaning "big branch". * Manawagonish Island * Meductic : derived from the Maliseet word "Medoctic", meaning "the end". * Meduxnekeag * Miramichi : the name, which may be the oldest recorded name of aboriginal origin in Canada, may come from the Montagnais word for "country of the Micmac." * Nackawic, which gets its name from the Maliseet word meaning "straight" or "not in the direction it seems to be", alluding to the illusion created at the intersection of the Nackawic Stream and the Saint John River. * Nashwaak River : a corruption of the Maliseet word for slow current. * Nashwaaksis *

Nauwigewauk Nauwigewauk is a rural community in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada. It is located near the communities of Quispamsis and Lakeside at the mouth of the Hammond River, and borders the town of Hampton. The people of Nauwigewauk are sometimes lo ...

:probably means babbling brook *

Oromocto "Effort Brings Success" , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = Oromotco NB flag.png , image_shield = Oromocto NB coat of arms.jpg , image_map = , map_caption = , ...

: possibly from the Maliseet word welamooktook which means "good river" * Penniac, meaning "fork in the river". * Penobsquis is a blend of Micmac terms for stone and brook. * Petitcodiac – term is derived from a

word meaning "bends like a bow" (contradicts the popular belief that the name derived from the French term "petit coude", meaning "little elbow") * Pokiok *

Quispamsis Quispamsis (, sometimes shortened to ) is a Kings County suburb of Saint John, New Brunswick, located to the northeast in the lower Kennebecasis River valley. Its population was 18,768 as of the 2021 census. History The original inhabitan ...

– translated from the Maliseet language and means, "little lake in the woods" (i.e., Ritchie Lake) * Shiketehauk River * Temisquata Lake * Washademoak Lake * Woolastook (alternately 'Wolastoq'): Maliseet word meaning 'good and bountiful river': the Saint John River

Newfoundland and Labrador

* Aguathuna: possibly derives from the

Beothuk The Beothuk ( or ; also spelled Beothuck) were a group of indigenous people who lived on the island of Newfoundland. Beginning around AD 1500, the Beothuk culture formed. This appeared to be the most recent cultural manifestation of peoples w ...

''aguathoonet'' or ''aquathoont'', "grindstone", imposed perhaps in the mistaken belief that it meant "white rock" for the limestone abundant in the area * Kaipokok Bay: from Inuktitut, meaning "frothy water" * Ktaqmkuk: Land over the water from Mi'kmaq language "Newfoundland" *

Makkovik Makkovik (Inuit: ''Maggovik'') is a town in Labrador in eastern Canada. It had 365 residents in 2021. The main industry is snow crabbing and there is a fishing cooperative. Makkovik is only accessible by air or sea. History The Makkovik area has ...

: ''Vik'' is the Inuktitut word for "place". ''Makko-'' may have one of the following origins: # it may be a corruption of the name ''Maarcoux'', after Pierre Marcoux, a French trader in

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

in the late 18th centur

or # from the Inuktitut ''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 German Moravian Church, Moravian

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

Johann Ludwig Beck Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name '' Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious ...

br>
* Natuashish: from Innu-aimun, meaning "a small lake". *

Nunatsiavut Nunatsiavut (; iu, italics=no, ᓄᓇᑦᓯᐊᕗᑦ) 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 Inui ...

: from Inuktitut, meaning "our beautiful land" * Shannoc Brook:

Joseph Beete Jukes Joseph Beete Jukes (10 October 1811 – 29 July 1869), born to John and Sophia Jukes at Summer Hill, Birmingham, England, was a renowned geologist, author of several geological manuals and served as a naturalist on the expeditions of (under th ...

, the

Geological Survey A geological survey is the systematic investigation of the geology beneath a given piece of ground for the purpose of creating a geological map or model. Geological surveying employs techniques from the traditional walk-over survey, studying outc ...

or of Newfoundland in 1839–1840, believed that Shannoc Brook, a tributary of the

Exploits River The Exploits River is a river in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It flows through the Exploits Valley in the central part of Newfoundland. Including the Lloyds River, which discharges in Beothuk Lake, the Exploits river has a ...

, was given the

name for the

. *

Sheshatshiu Sheshatshiu () is an Innu federal reserve and designated place in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The reserve is approximately north of Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Some references may spell the community's name as Sheshatshit, ...

: from Innu-aimun, meaning "a narrow place in the river". *

Torngat Mountains The 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.

: from the Inuktitut name for the region, ''turngait'', meaning "spirits"; Inuit legends hold that here the spirit and physical worlds overlap. * Wabana – from the

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pre ...

''wabunaki'', "east land" from ''wabun'' "dawn"; so named in 1895 by Colonel Thomas Cantley, president of the

Nova Scotia Steel Company A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramat ...

Wabush Wabush is a small town in the western tip of Labrador, bordering Quebec, known for transportation and iron ore operations. Economy Wabush is the twin community of Labrador City. At its peak population in the late 1970s, the region had a population ...

– from Innu-aimun ''uapush'', "Arctic hare"

Nova Scotia

Antigonish , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = File:St Ninian's Cathedral Antigonish Spring.jpg , image_caption = St. Ninian's Cathedral , image_flag = Flag of Antigonish.pn ...

: Derived from the

word ''nalegitkoonechk'', meaning "where branches are torn off". *

Baddeck Baddeck () is a village in northeastern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated in the centre of Cape Breton, approximately 6 km east of where the Baddeck River empties into Bras d'Or Lake. Local governance is provided by the rural municipality ...

* Chebucto (the original name of Halifax and the

Halifax Harbour Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Halifax largely owes its existence to the harbour, being one of the largest and deepest ice-free natural harbo ...

): Derived from the Mi'kmaq word "Jipugtug", meaning "the biggest harbour". * Cobequid: Derived from the Mi'kmaq word "Wakobetgitk", meaning "end of the rushing or flowing water". * Ecum Secum: Derived from the Mi'kmaq language, meaning "a red house". * Eskasoni: Derived from the

word ''We'kwistoqnik'', meaning "Where the fir trees are plentiful". * Kejimkujik National Park: "Kejimkujik" has been translated as meaning "attempting to escape" or "swollen waters", but the park's official translation means "tired muscles". * Malagash * Merigomish * Mushaboom * Musquodoboit Harbour: ''foaming to the sea''. The name is an anglicized version of the Mi’kmaq word ''Moosekudoboogwek''. *

Nictaux, Nova Scotia Nictaux is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Annapolis County. Nictaux is at the intersection of Highway 10 and Highway 201. The name Nictaux comes from the Mi'kmaq word Niktak, meaning 'The forks of a river'. Si ...

, meaning unknown *

Pictou Pictou ( ; Canadian Gaelic: ''Baile Phiogto'') 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 (6 miles) north of the larger town of New Gla ...

: Derived from the Mi'kmaq word "Piktook", meaning "an explosion of gas". * Pugwash: Derived from the

word "pagwe’ak", meaning "deep water". * Shubenacadie:Derived from the Mi'kmaq word Shubenacadie (or Segubunakade) means "abounding in ground nuts" or "place where the red potato grows. *

Stewiacke Stewiacke () is a town located in southern Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The town was incorporated on August 30, 1906. Geography The town is located in the Stewiacke Valley, at the confluence of the Stewiacke and Shubenacadie Rive ...

: Derived from the Mi'kmaq language, meaning "flowing out in small streams" and "whimpering or whining as it goes". *

Tatamagouche Tatamagouche (Mi'kmaq: ''Taqamiju’jk'') is a village in Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada. Tatamagouche is situated on the Northumberland Strait 50 kilometres north of Truro and 50 kilometres west of Pictou. The village is located along ...

: Derived from the

word ''takumegooch'', meaning "meeting of the waters". * Tracadie * Wagmatcook * Whycocomagh:Derived from a Mi'kmaq word which means "Head of the Waters".

Northwest Territories

Aulavik National Park Aulavik National Park ( ); from the Inuvialuktun for "place where people travel") is a National Parks of Canada, national park located on Banks Island in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is known for its access to the Thomsen River, one of ...

, ''Aulavik'' means "place where people travel" in Inuvialuktun * Naats'ihch'oh National Park Reserve, ''Naats'ihch'oh'' means "stands like a porcupine" in the

Dene Suline language Chipewyan or Denesuline (ethnonym: ), often simply called Dene, is the language spoken by the Chipewyan people of northwestern Canada. It is categorized as part of the Northern Athabaskan language family. Dënësųłinë́ has nearly 12,000 s ...

Nahanni National Park Reserve Nahanni 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 ( ...

and

South Nahanni River The South Nahanni River is a major tributary of the Liard River, located roughly west of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada. It is the centerpiece of Nahanni National Park Reserve. It flows from the Mackenzie Mountains in the we ...

, from '' Nahani'' meaning "People over there far away" in the

Dene The Dene people () are an indigenous group of First Nations who inhabit the northern boreal and Arctic regions of Canada. The Dene speak Northern Athabaskan languages. ''Dene'' is the common Athabaskan word for "people". The term "Dene" ha ...

language *

Pingo Canadian Landmark Pingo Canadian Landmark, also known as Pingo 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 ...

, from '' Pingo'' an Inuvialuktun word for "small hill" *

Slave River The Slave River is a Canadian river that flows from the confluence of the Rivière des Rochers and Peace River in northeastern Alberta and empties into Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. The river's name is thought to derive from the ...

, thought to come from the Athabaskan ''Deh Gah Got'ine'', the name for the

Slavey The Slavey (also Slave and South Slavey) are a First Nations indigenous peoples of the Dene group, indigenous to the Great Slave Lake region, in Canada's Northwest Territories, and extending into northeastern British Columbia and northwestern ...

group of the Dene

* Thaydene Nene National Park, ''Thaydene Nene'' meaning "land of our ancestors" in the Dene language * Tuktut Nogait National Park, ''Tuktut Nurrait'' means "young caribous" in Inuvialuktun

Nunavut

Auyuittuq National Park Auyuittuq National Park ( iu, ᐊᐅᔪᐃᑦᑐᖅ, , "the land that never melts") is a national park located on Baffin Island's Cumberland Peninsula, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, the largest political subdivision of Canada. The park was ...

– Auyuittuq means "the land that never melts". *

Iqaluit Iqaluit ( ; , ; ) is the capital of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian territory of Nunavut, its largest community, and its only city. It was known as Frobisher Bay from 1942 to 1987, after the Frobisher Bay, large bay on the c ...

: "many fish" in Inuktitut. *

Pangnirtung Pangnirtung (or Pang, also Pangniqtuuq, in syllabics: ᐸᖕᓂᖅᑑᖅ ) is an Inuit hamlet, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut, located on Baffin Island. Pangnirtung is situated on a coastal plain at the coast of P ...

is derived from ''Pangniqtuuq'': "the place of many bull caribou" * Quttinirpaaq National Park – ''Qutsiniqpaaq/Quttiniqpaaq'' means "top of the world" in Inuktitut and ''Quttiniqpaaq'' in

Inuinnaqtun Inuinnaqtun (; natively meaning ''like the real human beings/peoples''), is an indigenous Inuit language. It is spoken in the central Canadian Arctic. It is related very closely to Inuktitut, and some scholars, such as Richard Condon, believe ...

. * Sirmilik National Park – ''Sirmilik'' means "the place of glaciers" in Inuktitut and ''Hirmilik'' in

. * Ukkusiksalik National Park – ''Ukkusiksalik'' means "place of have cooking pots" in Inuktitut and ''Utkuhikhalik'' in Inuinnaqtun/Natsilik/Kivalliq.

Ontario

* Adjala-Tosorontio:''Tosorontio'' is derived from the Huron (Wyandot) word meaning "beautiful mountain", and ''Adjala'' was the name of the wife of Chief Tecumseh. *

Algonquin Provincial Park Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Can ...

: Named after the

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

(

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawat ...

g) people of Ontario. *

Almaguin Highlands The Almaguin Highlands Region (colloquially known as Almaguin, also referred to as 'the Highlands') in Ontario, Canada, covers approximately comprising the eastern half of Parry Sound District. It is bounded by Muskoka in the south, and by Lake ...

: Derived from the words ''Algonquin'' and ''Magnetawan''. * Assiginack *

Algoma District Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The name was created by an American ethnologist, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (1793-1864), who was appointed Indian agent to the Ojibwe in ...

Atikokan Atikokan (, Ojibwe for ' caribou bones') is a town in the Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The population was 2,642 as of the 2021 census. The town is one of the main entry points into Quetico Provincial Park and promotes it ...

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

for "caribou bones." * Attawapiskat: "People of the parting of the rocks" from the Swampy Cree (Omushkegowuk) ''chat-a-wa-pis-shkag''. Also *

Brantford Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independ ...

: Named after Joseph Brant, a

leader. * Cataraqui River * Cayuga: Named for the

Cayuga people The Cayuga (Cayuga: Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ, "People of the Great Swamp") are one of the five original constituents of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), a confederacy of Native Americans in New York. The Cayuga homeland lies in the Finger Lakes regi ...

of Ontario. * Chinguacousy * Consecon: reportedly (see Squire’s Site archaeological dig, Consecon Lake) derived from either or some combination of ‘lake of many pickerel/fish’ (con ho con) or, according to Rev Bowen P. Squire, ‘water opening’ (Khan ho Kharon); however, according to an Anishinaabe elder, the name in Ojibwemowin means ‘waters overtaking’ * Couchiching: Derived from the

''gojijiing'', meaning "inlet." *

Deseronto Deseronto is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, in Hastings County, located at the mouth of the Napanee River on the shore of the Bay of Quinte, on the northern side of Lake Ontario. The town was named for Captain John Deseronto, a n ...

: Named for Captain John Deseronto, a native

leader who was a captain in the British Military Forces during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. * Eramosa: Thought to be derived from the word ''un-ne-mo-sah'' (possibly meaning "black dog", "dead dog", or simply "dog"). * Esquesing Township: Mississauga

word ''ishkwessin'', meaning "that which lies at the end", which was the original name for

Bronte Creek Bronte Creek is a waterway in the Lake Ontario watershed of Ontario Canada. It runs through Hamilton and Halton Region, with its source near Morriston (south of the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 401), passing Bronte Creek Provincial Park, o ...

. *

Etobicoke Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...

: "The place where the

alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...

s grow" from the word ''wadoopikaang'' in the

Ojibwe language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...

. *

Fort Erie Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812. Fort Erie is one of Ni ...

Iroquoian The Iroquoian languages are a language family of indigenous peoples of North America. They are known for their general lack of labial consonants. The Iroquoian languages are polysynthetic and head-marking. As of 2020, all surviving Iroquoian ...

, ''erige'', meaning "cat". *

Gananoque Gananoque ( ) is a town in the Leeds and Grenville area of Ontario, Canada. The town had a population of 5,383 year-round residents in the 2021 Canadian Census, as well as summer residents sometimes referred to as "Islanders" because of the Tho ...

: Origin unknown, thought to be derived from Native languages for "place of health" or "meeting place" or "water running over rocks." * Garafraxa: Possibly derived from the word for "panther country". *

Iroquois Falls Iroquois Falls is a town in Northern Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,537 at the 2016 census. The town centre lies 11 km east of Hwy 11 on the banks of the Abitibi River, west of Lake Abitibi. Timmins, one of the largest cities in ...

: Named for the

Iroquois people The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years t ...

of Ontario. *

Kakabeka Falls Kakabeka Falls is a waterfall on the Kaministiquia River, located beside the village of Kakabeka Falls in the municipality of Oliver Paipoonge, Ontario, west of the city of Thunder Bay. The falls have a drop of , cascading into a gorge carved ...

: From the

word ''gakaabikaa'', "waterfall over a cliff". *

Kaministiquia River The Kaministiquia River is a river which flows into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. ''Kaministiquia'' (''Gaa-ministigweyaa'') is an Ojibwe word meaning "where a stream flows in island" due to two large islands (McKellar ...

: Derived from ''gaa-ministigweyaa'', an

word meaning "(river) with islands". * Kanata:

word meaning "village" or "settlement." *

Kapuskasing Kapuskasing is a town on the Kapuskasing River in the Cochrane District of Northern Ontario, Canada, approximately east of Hearst. The town was known as MacPherson until 1917, when the name was changed so as not to conflict with another rail ...

: Of Cree origin, possibly meaning "bend in river." *

Kawartha Lakes The City of Kawartha Lakes (2021 population 79,247) is a unitary municipality in Central Ontario, Canada. It is a municipality legally structured as a single-tier city; however, Kawartha Lakes is the size of a typical Ontario county and is most ...

: An Anglicization of the word ''ka-wa-tha'' (from ''ka-wa-tae-gum-maug'' or ''gaa-waategamaag''), a word coined in 1895 by Martha Whetung of the

Curve Lake First Nation Curve Lake First Nation ( oj, Oshkiigmong) is a Mississauga Ojibway First Nation located in Peterborough County of Ontario. Curve Lake First Nation occupies three reserves; Curve Lake First Nation 35, Curve Lake 35A, and Islands in the Trent ...

, meaning "land of reflections" in the

language. The word was subsequently changed by tourism promoters to ''Kawartha'', with the meaning "bright waters and happy lands." * Keewatin: Algonquian for "north wind." Derived from either ''kīwēhtin'' in Cree or ''giiwedin'' in

. * Madawaska: Named after an Algonquian band of the region known as ''Matouweskarini'', meaning "people of the shallows". *

Magnetawan Magnetawan is a township in the Almaguin Highlands region of the Parry Sound District in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as the name of the primary population centre in the township. The Township of Magnetawan was formed in 1998 thr ...

: Derived from the word for "swiftly flowing river." *

Manitoulin Island Manitoulin Island is an island in Lake Huron, located within the borders of the Canadian province of Ontario, in the bioregion known as Laurentia. With an area of , it is the largest lake island in the world, large enough that it has over 100 ...

: "Manidoo Minis", Spirit Island. ''Manitoulin'' is the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

version, via French, of the Old Odawa name ''Manidoowaaling'', which means "cave of the spirit". *

Manitouwadge Manitouwadge 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 north-west of Sault Ste. Marie. History Manitouwadge (''Manidoowaazh'' in O ...

: From ''manidoowaazh'' in

, meaning "cave of the spirit." * Manitowaning: Manidoowaanhning, place of the spirit's den *

Manotick Manotick ( ) is a community in Rideau-Jock Ward in the rural south part of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is a suburb of the city, located on the Rideau River, immediately south of the suburbs Barrhaven and Riverside South, about from ...

: Derived from

for "island." *

Matachewan Matachewan is a township in Timiskaming, Northeastern Ontario, Canada, located at the end of Ontario Highway 66 along the Montreal River. The name is derived from the Cree word for "meeting of the currents". The town's main economy is based o ...

* Matawatchan * Mattawa: "Meeting of the waters" in

. * M'Chigeeng * Michipicoten: "Big bluffs" in

. * Missinaibi Provincial Park: Cree for "pictured waters," thought to refer to the pictographs found on rock faces along the river. * Mississauga: Named for the native tribe of the Mississaugas * Mississippi Mills: May originate from ''Mazinaa ikiniganziibi'', Algonquian for " aintedimage river", referring to the pictographs found on

Mazinaw Lake Lake Mazinaw is a lake in the Addington Highlands north of Kaladar in Eastern Ontario. The lake is situated on the upper Mississippi River. It has a perimeter of and averages in depth with a maximum depth of , making it the seventh-deepest lake ...

. * Moosonee: Derived from the Cree word ''moosoneek'', meaning "at the Moose (River)". * Muskoka: Named for a First Nations chief of the 1850s, Chief Yellowhead or ''Mesqua Ukie''. *

Napanee Greater Napanee is a town in southeastern Ontario, Canada, approximately west of Kingston and the county seat of Lennox and Addington County. It is located on the eastern end of the Bay of Quinte. Greater Napanee municipality was created by a ...

* Nassagaweya: Derived from the Mississauga word ''nazhesahgewayyong'', meaning "river with two outlets." * Neebing * Niagara:

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

in origin, meaning uncertain. *

Nipigon Nipigon () 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. Lake Nipigon is located approximat ...

: May have originated from the

word ''animbiigoong'', meaning "at continuous water" or "at waters that extend ver the horizon" * Nipissing: From the

term ''nibiishing'', meaning "at (some) water". *

Nottawasaga River The Nottawasaga River is a river in Simcoe County and Dufferin County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Great Lakes Basin, and is a tributary of Lake Huron. The river flows from the Orangeville Reservoir in the town of Orangeville, ...

: Derived from the

words for "Iroquois" and "river outlet". * Ohsweken *

Oneida Nation of the Thames The Oneida Nation of the Thames is an Onyota'a:ka (Oneida) First Nations band government located in southwestern Ontario on what is commonly referred to as the "Oneida Settlement", located about a 30-minute drive from London, Ontario, Canada. T ...

* Onondaga *

Opasatika Opasatika is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Cochrane District on the Opasatika River, a tributary of the Missinaibi River. Its name is of First Nation origin, meaning "river lined with poplars". The main communiti ...

, "river lined with poplars". * Opeongo, derived from the

word ''opeauwingauk'' meaning “sandy narrows”. * Oshawa: from the

term ''aazhaway'', meaning "crossing to the other side of a river or lake" or just "(a)cross".Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary
/ref> * Otonabee: From the Ojibwe term "Odoonabii-ziibi" (Tullibee River). Otonabee comes from the words ode which means "heart" and odemgat that comes from "boiling water". It translates into "the river that beats like a heart in reference to the bubbling and boiling water of the rapids along the river" * Ottawa: "To buy" from the word ''adaawe'' in the

Anishinaabe language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...

; adapted as the name of the

Odawa people The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They ha ...

. *

Penetanguishene Penetanguishene , sometimes shortened to Penetang, is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the southeasterly tip of Georgian Bay. Incorporated on February 22, 1882, this bilingual (French and English) community has a populati ...

: believed to come from either the Wyandot language or from the Abenaki language via the Ojibwa language, meaning "land of the white rolling sands". *

Petawawa Petawawa is a town located in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 18,160 (2021 Census), Petawawa is the most populous municipality in Renfrew County. Geography The town lies on the west ...

: From Algonquin meaning "where one hears the noise of the water" *

Powassan Powassan is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located near North Bay. Powassan is located in the Almaguin Highlands region of Parry Sound District, at its easternmost boundary with the Nipissing District. The municipality inc ...

: From the word for "bend." *

Pukaskwa National Park Pukaskwa 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. The ...

* Saugeen: Ojibwa language, Zaagiing, meaning outlet * Shawanaga * Scugog: Derived from the Mississauga word sigaog, which means "waves leap over a canoe." * Shuniah: named after the Ojibwa word "zhooniyaa" for "money" or "silver" * Sioux Narrows *

Sioux Lookout Sioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Located approximately northwest of Thunder Bay, it has a population of 5,272 people (up 4.7% since 2011), an elevation of , and its boundaries cover an area of , of which is lake and wetla ...

* Tecumseh *

Tehkummah Tehkummah is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on Manitoulin Island. Communities The best known community in the township is South Baymouth, the northern docking point of the ''MS Chi-Cheemaun'' passenger-car ferry which tr ...

Temagami Temagami, formerly spelled as Timagami, is a municipality in northeastern Ontario, Canada, in the Nipissing District with Lake Temagami at its heart. The Temagami region is known as ''n'Daki Menan'', the homeland of the area's First Nations c ...

: from the

word ''dimiigami'', "deep water(s)". * Timiskaming: from the Algonquin language ''Temikami'' or ''Temikaming'', meaning "deep waters". *

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

: from an Iroquoian language, but of uncertain derivation.Bright (2004:508–9) Another story says it is derived from the Mohawk word "tkaronto" meaning "trees standing in the water". *

Tuscarora Tuscarora may refer to the following: First nations and Native American people and culture * Tuscarora people **''Federal Power Commission v. Tuscarora Indian Nation'' (1960) * Tuscarora language, an Iroquoian language of the Tuscarora people * ...

* Tyendinaga: Derived from a variant spelling of Mohawk leader Joseph Brant's traditional Mohawk name, Thayendanegea. * Wahnapitae: from the Anishinaabe ''waanabide'', "be shaped like a hollow tooth". *Waupoos: Ojibway for "rabbit" * Wasaga Beach: Derived from "Nottawasaga," as above. * Wawa * Wawanosh * Wikwemikong: from the Anishinaabe W''iikwemkoong'', "Bay of Beavers" from Anishinaabe word "Amik" meaning beaver. *

Wyoming Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to the s ...

: derived from the Munsee name xwé:wamənk, meaning "at the big river flat."

Quebec

* Abitibi * Aguanish * Ahuntsic district of

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...

Akpatok Island Akpatok Island is one of the uninhabited Canadian Arctic islands in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada. It is the largest island in Ungava Bay on the northern coast of Quebec. The island is named for the Akpat, the thick-billed murre (''Ur ...

''Akpaqtuq'' means "come down or lowers itself" in Inuktitut * Amqui * Arthabaska (and

County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

) * Réservoir Cabonga * Réservoir Caniapiscau, and (

, Hunting camp, Regional county municipality) * Causapscal * Chibougamau or Chibouagmou: *

Chicoutimi Chicoutimi () is the most populous borough (arrondissement) of the city of Saguenay in Quebec, Canada. It is situated at the confluence of the Saguenay and Chicoutimi rivers. During the 20th century, it became the main administrative and com ...

: "End of the deep water" in Innu or Cree. * Coaticook: Derived from the

language, meaning "river near the pines". *

Donnacona Chief Donnacona (died 1539 in France) was the chief of the St. Lawrence Iroquois village of Stadacona, located at the present site of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. French explorer Jacques Cartier, concluding his second voyage to what is now Can ...

: Named after Chief

, 16th century

Chief of

. * Lac-Etchemin (and town) * Gaspé (also

, Peninsula, and

Cape A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...

): "land's end" in

. * Inukjuak ''Inugjuaq or Inujjuaq'' means "The Giant/Big Man" in Inuktitut *

Kahnawake The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (french: Territoire Mohawk de Kahnawake, in the Mohawk language, ''Kahnawáˀkye'' in Tuscarora) is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Queb ...

*Kamouraska County, Quebec, Kamouraska County: Derived from the

language, meaning "birch bark here". *Kangiqsualujjuaq, Quebec, Kangiqsualujjuaq ''Kangiqsualujjuaq'' means "the very large bay" in Inuktitut *Kanesatake, Quebec, Kanesatake *Kawawachikamach, Quebec, Kawawachikamach, Naskapi Nation, Quebec *Kenogami Lake, Lac Kénogami: ''Kenogami'' means "long water" in Montagnais. *Koksoak River, Rivière Koksoak ''Quqsuaq'' means "Yellowish" in Inuktitut *Kuujjuaq, Quebec, Kuujjuaq ''Kuujjuaq'' means "the great river" in Inuktitut *Lac Manitou, Quebec, Lac Manitou: Derived from the Algonquian name ''Gitchi Manitou'', which in their culture describes their Creator (the Great Spirit). *Maniwaki, Quebec, Maniwaki *Maskinongé, Quebec, Maskinongé (and Maskinongé County, Quebec, County) *Matane *Matane County, Quebec, Matane County *Matapédia County, Quebec, Matapédia County *Réservoir and Rivière Matawin, Quebec, Réservoir and Rivière Matawin *Magog, Quebec, Magog: Derived from "Memphremagog", see Lake Memphremagog below. *Manicouagan River: "where there is bark" *Mascouche *Mégantic County, Quebec, Mégantic County (also Lake):

for "lake trout place". *Lake Memphremagog, Quebec, Lac Memphremagog: Meaning "beautiful waters" or "vast expanse of water" in

. *Missisquoi County, Quebec, Missisquoi County: ''Missisquoi'' is an

tribal name. *Nastapoka Islands, Quebec, Nastapoka Islands *Oka, Quebec, Oka *Pohenegamook, Quebec, Pohenegamook *Pontiac County, Quebec, Pontiac County: Name of the famous 18th-century Ottawa leader Pontiac (Ottawa leader), Pontiac. *

(and Quebec County, Quebec, County, and Quebec, Province): The "narrowing of the river" refers to the point where the St. Lawrence River passes Quebec City. *Rimouski (and Rimouski County, Quebec, County) *Saguenay, Quebec, Saguenay *Salluit, Quebec, Salluit ''Salluit'' means "the thin ones" in Inuktitut *Sayabec, Quebec, Sayabec *Shawinigan, Quebec, Shawinigan: "Portage at the crest" in Algonquian. *Squatec, Quebec, Squatec *Tadoussac, Quebec, Tadoussac *Temiscamingue County, Quebec, Temiscamingue County *Témiscouata County, Quebec, Témiscouata County:

for "bottomless" or "extremely deep all around". *Torngat Mountains, Quebec, Torngat Mountains ''Tuurngat'' means "Spirits or sometimes Evils" in Inuktitut *Yamachiche, Quebec, Yamachiche *Yamaska County, Quebec, Yamaska County

Saskatchewan

*Assiniboia: Derived from the name of the Assiniboine First Nation people. *Cypress Hills (Canada), Cypress Hills: Early Métis in Canada, Métis hunters, who spoke Métis French, a variation of French, called the hills ''les montagnes des Cyprès'', in reference to the abundance of jack pine trees. In the Canadian French spoken by the Métis, the jack pine is called ''cyprès''. *Kamsack: From a First Nation word meaning something vast and large. *Katepwa: Likely derived from the Cree word ''Kahtapwao'' meaning What is calling?. *Kenosee lake *Kinistino, Saskatchewan, Kinistino: It has been suggested that the word ''Kinistino'' is equivalent to running water in Cree. This has not been able to be verified. *

: From Woods Cree: ''aðapaskāw'', [where] there are plants one after another. *Manitou Beach: When the world was created, the Great Spirit, ''Aasha Monetoo'', gave the land to the indigenous peoples. *Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation *Mistusinne: Derived from the Plains Cree language, Plains Cree word ''mistasiniy'' meaning big stone which resembled a sleeping bison. *Moosomin, Saskatchewan, Moosomin From the Cree word for the mooseberry or high bush cranberry. *Nipawin: Derived from the Cree word meaning a bed, or resting place which referred to a low-lying area along the river now flooded by Codette Lake. *Nokomis, Saskatchewan, Nokomis: Named for Hiawatha, Hiawatha's grandmother in The Song of Hiawatha, Longfellow's epic poem, chosen in 1906 by postmistress Florence Mary Halstead. *Ogema, Saskatchewan, Ogema: "Omega" is Greek language, Greek for "end", being "the end of the rail-line". Two communities had the same name, so two letters were switched to become "Ogema". ''Ogema'' is an Ojibwe language, Anishinaabemowin word meaning Chief. *Piapot, Saskatchewan, Piapot: Named for Chief Piapot, meaning Hole in the Sioux or One Who Knows the Secrets of the Sioux. *Saskatoon: Derived from the Cree word ''misāskwatōmin'', meaning Saskatoon berry – a fruit native to the area. *Sintaluta: The name comes from a Lakota language, Lakota word meaning tail of the red fox. *Wadena, Saskatchewan, Wadena: Named after Wadena, Minnesota, the origin of some early settlers of American descent, which was named after Chief Wadena, an Ojibwe Chief. *Wakaw: A Cree word meaning crooked, referring to nearby Wakaw Lake. *Wapella, Saskatchewan, Wapella: Meaning either water underground or gently falling snow, where ''wape'' means to snow in Dakota language, Dakota. *Waskesiu Lake, Waskesiu: From the Cree word meaning red deer or elk. (Also resort town of Waskesiu Lake, Saskatchewan, Waskesiu Lake) *Wawota: From the Dakota language, Dakota words ''wa ota'', which means much snow. ''Wa'' means snow, ''oda'' or ''ota'' means lots.

Yukon

*Aishihik Lake and Aishihik River: meaning "tail hanging down" in Southern Tutchone *Alsek River *Dezadeash Lake *Ivvavik National Park: ''Ivavik'' means "birthplace" or "nursery" in Inuvialuktun *Klondike, Yukon, Klondike and Klondike River: Derived from the Hän language word for hammer stones used to fix salmon nets (''Tr'ondëk''). *Kluane Lake and Kluane National Park and Reserve: from ''Łù'àn'' meaning big fish in Southern Tutchone *Klukshu and Klukshu River *Kusawa Lake *Nisutlin River *

and Tagish, Yukon: from the name of the language and people (Tagish Kwan) *Takhini River *Tatshenshini River *

, Teslin River and Teslin, Yukon: from the Tlingit people, Tlingit ''Deisleen'', long narrow water *Vuntut National Park

Notes

References

Resources

''The composition of Indian geographical names, illustrated from the Algonkin languages''
James Hammond Trumbull, Trumbull, J. Hammond (James Hammond), 1821–1897. [Hartford, Conn.? : s.n., 187–?] * http://www.arcticplacenames.ca {{DEFAULTSORT:List of Place Names in Canada of Aboriginal Origin Indigenous culture in Canada, place names Indigenous peoples in Canada-related lists, Place names Indigenous toponymy, Canada Lists of populated places in Canada, Indigenous origin Lists of Canada placename etymologies, Indigenous Lists of North American place name etymologies, Canada Names of places in Canada

Canada

Provinces and territories

By province and territory

Alberta

British Columbia

A–B

C

D–J

K–L

M–N

O–Q

S

T

U–Z

Manitoba

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Northwest Territories

Nunavut

Ontario

Quebec

Saskatchewan

Yukon

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

Resources