Canada Origin of the Name

The name Canada originated from a Huron-Iroquoian word, Kanata meaning "village" or "settlement" or "collection of huts" [3] , referring to Stadacona, a settlement on the site of present-day Quebec City. Maps made by early European explorers show that the name River Canada was given to the Ottawa River, and the Saint Lawrence River below Montreal. A plausible hypothesis is that the river was named for the village on its banks, and the surrounding country for the river used to explore it.

In 1867 through confederation, the British North America Act created "one Dominion under the Name of Canada." The term "Dominion" was chosen (rather than "Kingdom") to avoid the possible antagonizing of anti-monarchist sentiment in the United States and to reflect Canada's status as a self-governing colony of the British Empire. Notwithstanding historical precedents for the term "dominion", the country's name and motto are often linked to Ps 72:8 and Zech 9:10 - "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." Canadian Immigration. How to immigrate to Canada.

Until the 1960s, the term Dominion of Canada was commonly used to identify the country, after which time the Dominion Government began simply to use the name "Canada" on all official state documents and treaties. This was to recognize Canadian autonomy from the UK, though some critics insisted that the country's proper name should continue to be regarded as "the Dominion of Canada," even if it remained largely unused. The Canada Act 1982 refers merely to "Canada" and the single name is the current official shortform and longform (as well as bilingual) name in use. Later in 1982, this was reflected in the renaming of the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day.