List of Canada city name etymologies
City Language of origin Explanation
Barrie 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
Belleville English Named after Lady Arabella Gore , wife of Sir Francis Gore , following a visit by the two to the settlement in 1816 . The community was previously known as Singleton 's Creek , after an early settler named George Singleton , and Meyer 's Creek , after John Walden Meyers
Brampton English Named after Brampton , England , by a settler named John Elliot
Brant English Named after Mohawk Chief Thayendanegea ( also known as Joseph Brant ) , who allied his people with the British during the American Revolution and ultimately led to them receiving a land grant for the area at the site of the current city
Brantford English Named after Mohawk Chief Thayendanegea ( also known as Joseph Brant ) , who allied his people with the British during the American Revolution and ultimately led to them receiving a land grant for the area at the site of the current city . The original Mohawk settlement was at a location favourable for landing canoes , which quickly became known as Brant 's ford
Brockville English Named after Sir Isaac Brock in 1812 by the settlement 's residents in honour of his service to Upper Canada . The original name , Elizabethtown , had been selected by government officials but was unpopular with residents , who opted to use Brockville until it was officially changed several years later
Burlington English Named after the nearby bay of the same name ( now Hamilton Harbour ) , which was named in 1792 by Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada John Graves Simcoe in honour of the original name of Bridlington , England
Cambridge English The city received its name in 1973 following the amalgamation of the towns of Galt , Preston and Hespeler into a single municipality . The name Cambridge originates from Preston 's name prior to 1834 , Cambridge Mills
Clarence-Rockland English The city received its name in 1998 following the amalgamation of the Clarence Township and the Town of Rockland
Cornwall English Named after the Duchy of Cornwall
Dryden English Named after John Dryden , who served as Ontario 's Minister of Agriculture in 1895 and founded the settlement as an agricultural community after visiting the area
Elliot Lake English Named after the neighbouring lake of the same name
Greater Sudbury English Named for Sudbury , Suffolk in England ; Greater was added in 2001 when the city of Sudbury was amalgamated with six suburban municipalities
Guelph English Named to honour Britain 's royal family , the Hanoverians , who were descended from the Guelfs , the ancestral family of George IV , the reigning British monarch ; thus the nickname The Royal City
Haldimand County French Named after Sir Frederick Haldimand , the Governor of the Province of Quebec from 1778 to 1786
Hamilton English Named for George Hamilton , the city 's founder
Kawartha Lakes Anishinaabe Named after the nearby lakes of the same name , which are an Anglicization of the Anishinaabe word Ka-wa-tha , meaning land of reflections . The name was later changed to Kawartha , which means bright waters and happy lands
Kenora English The name is a portmanteau of the names of the three towns which amalgamated in 1905 to form the present-day city : Keewatin , Norman and Rat Portage
Kingston English Originally referred to as the King 's Town , the name was shortened to Kingston in 1788 . The settlement 's original name , Cataraqui , likely was derived from an Iroquois word meaning the place where one hides
Kitchener English Originally named Berlin thanks to the German heritage of many of its citizens , in 1916 the city changed its name to Kitchener in response to anti-German sentiment during the First World War . The name Kitchener was suggested in honour of British military officer Horatio Herbert Kitchener , who had died that same year . The other options in the referendum were Adanac , Brock , Benton , Corona , and Keowana
Ontario
This page lists the etymologies of the names of cities across Canada.