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The Dauphin Map of Canada, c. 1543, showing the areas Cartier visited. Newfoundland is near the upper right; Florida and the Bahamas are at lower left. While a variety of theories have been postulated for the name of Canada, its origin is now accepted as coming from the St. Lawrence Iroquoian word kanata, meaning 'village' or 'settlement'. [1]
- Overview
- Aboriginal roots
- The naming of a nation
Today, it seems impossible to imagine Canada by any other name. However, there were a number of other interesting suggestions and events leading up to the formal christening of our nation in 1867.
The name “Canada” likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement.” In 1535, two Aboriginal youths told French explorer Jacques Cartier about the route to kanata; they were actually referring to the village of Stadacona, the site of the present-day City of Québec. For lack of another name, Cartier used the word “Canada” to describe not only the village, but the entire area controlled by its chief, Donnacona.
The name was soon applied to a much larger area; maps in 1547 designated everything north of the St. Lawrence River as Canada. Cartier also called the St. Lawrence River the “rivière du Canada,” a name used until the early 1600s. By 1616, although the entire region was known as New France, the area along the great river of Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence was still called Canada.
Soon explorers and fur traders opened up territory to the west and to the south, and the area known as Canada grew. In the early 1700s, the name referred to all French lands in what is now the American Midwest and as far south as present-day Louisiana.
The first use of Canada as an official name came in 1791, when the Province of Quebec was divided into the colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. In 1841, the two colonies were united under one name, the Province of Canada.
Leading up to the proposed confederation, a number of names were suggested for the northern half of the continent of North America, including: Albertsland, Albionora, Borealia, Britannia, Cabotia, Colonia, EfisgaFootnote 1, Hochelaga, Norland, Superior, Transatlantia, TuponiaFootnote 2, and Victorialand.
The debate was placed in perspective by Thomas D’Arcy McGee, who declared on February 9, 1865:
“I read in one newspaper not less than a dozen attempts to derive a new name. One individual chooses Tuponia and another Hochelaga as a suitable name for the new nationality. Now I ask any honourable member of this House how he would feel if he woke up some fine morning and found himself instead of a Canadian, a Tuponian or a Hochelagander.”
Fortunately for posterity, McGee’s wit and reasoning – along with common sense – prevailed, and on July 1, 1867, the provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick became “one Dominion under the name of Canada.”
- Canada. The name “Canada” likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement.” In 1535, two Aboriginal youths told French explorer Jacques Cartier about the route to kanata; they were actually referring to the village of Stadacona, the site of the present-day City of Québec.
- Newfoundland and Labrador. King Henry VII of England referred to the land discovered by John Cabot in 1497 as the “New Found Launde.” It’s likely that name Labrador came from Joas Fernandez, the Azorean known as “El llavorador”, an explorer on the Corte-Real’s expedition in 1500.
- Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is Latin for “New Scotland”. The province was named by Sir William Alexander who was given the land by King James VI of Scotland in 1621.
- New Brunswick. This province was originally included in the area that made up Nova Scotia. It was later separated and established as a province in 1784. The name “New Brunswick” was given to the area in honour of King George III who also held the title of Duke of Brunswick, an area in Germany.
Feb 22, 2019 · Canada did not become fully independent from Britain until 1982 when its constitution was "patriated" under the Constitution Act of 1982, or the Canada Act, The act essentially transferred the country's highest law, the British North America Act, from the authority of the British Parliament—a connection from the colonial past—to Canada's federal and provincial legislatures.
- Susan Munroe
But the British in the 13 colonies to the south usually referred to Canada after its capital, Quebec. Following the British conquest, the English name for the colony became the "Province of Quebec." Many of the French inhabitants resisted the name Quebec. They preferred to be identified with the original name, Canada.
Jul 18, 2020 · This name is yet another version of Great Britain. Cabotia. This name derives from John Cabot, an Italian explorer that mapped much of Canada's Eastern coast for England around 1497. Colonia. Yup, Canada was almost just named Colonia, presumably because we're a colony of Great Britain. It's safe to say that Canada was the better choice here.
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Jan 4, 2012 · But on 10 August 1535 he had given the name Saint Laurent to a bay north of Île d'Anticosti, and the name spread gradually to the gulf and river. In 1603, on his first voyage to Canada, Samuel de Champlain spoke of the “river of Canada,” but by 1613 used Saint Laurent for the gulf.
