Origins of names of cities in Canada
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Origins of the names of cities in Canada lists the names and origins of names of cities across Canada:
City | Province | Language of origin | Explanation |
---|---|---|---|
Barrie | Ontario | English | Named for Sir Robert Barrie, who was in charge of the naval forces in Canada and frequently had to portage from Lake Simcoe to Georgian Bay |
Calgary | Alberta | Scottish Gaelic | Named for Calgary, Mull, which originated from the Scottish Gaelic "Cala ghearraidh", meaning "beach of the meadow (pasture)" |
Charlottetown | Prince Edward Island | German | Named for Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, consort of George III of England |
Edmonton | Alberta | English | Named for Edmonton, London |
Fredericton | New Brunswick | English | Named for the second son of King George III of the United Kingdom, Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York |
Halifax | Nova Scotia | English | Named for George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, President of the Board of Trade |
Hamilton | Ontario | English | Named for George Hamilton, the city's founder |
Iqaluit | Nunavut | Inuktitut | Inuktitut word meaning "many fish" |
Markham | Ontario | English | Named by William Berczy to honour Sir John Markham |
Mississauga | Ontario | Anishinaabe | Named for the Mississaugas who originally inhabited the area |
Moncton | New Brunswick | English | Named for Lieutenant Colonel Robert Monckton, who capture nearby Fort Beauséjour |
Montreal | Quebec | Middle French | Named for "Mont Réal", or Mount Royal, a geological feature located within the city |
Ottawa | Ontario | Odawa | Named for the Ottawa tribe, which originally inhabited the area. The word means "traders" in the Odawa language. |
Quebec City | Quebec | Algonquin | French transcription of the Algonquin word "kébec", which means "where the river narrows" |
Regina | Saskatchewan | Latin | Named by Princess Louise, wife of the then-Governor General of Canada the Marquess of Lorne in honour of Queen Victoria; Regina is the Latin word for queen. |
Richmond Hill | Ontario | English | Named by Benjamin Barnard after the folk song The Lass of Richmond Hill, about Richmond Hill, London |
Richmond | British Columbia | English | Named by Hugh McRoberts for Richmonds Farm in Australia |
St. John's | Newfoundland and Labrador | English, Basque or Spanish | Named for the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, which was the date of landing by John Cabot. The name by Basque fishermen for the bay of St. John's was similar to the Bay of Pasaia in the Basque region, and one of the fishing town called St. John (in Spanish, San Juan) |
Thunder Bay | Ontario | English, French | Named for the bay on which the city is located, which was originally labelled Baie du Tonnerre on French maps in the 17th century. The name was chosen by referendum in 1969. |
Toronto | Ontario | Iroquoian | Derived from word "tkaronto", meaning "place where trees stand in the water" |
Vancouver | British Columbia | English | Named for Captain George Vancouver, an officer of the British Royal Navy. |
Vaughan | Ontario | English | Named for Benjamin Vaughan, a British commissioner who signed a peace treaty with the United States in 1783. |
Victoria | British Columbia | English | Named for Queen Victoria |
Whitehorse | Yukon | English | Named for the White Horse Rapids, which were said to look like the mane of a white horse |
Winnipeg | Manitoba | Cree | Western Cree word meaning "muddy waters" |
Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Dene Suline | Named for the Yellowknives Dene First Nation |