Vancouver Island
/vænˈkuːvər ˈaɪlənd/noun
An island in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, named after British naval officer George Vancouver.
Did you know?George Vancouver named the island during his 1792 expedition, effectively placing his own surname on the map of the Pacific Northwest.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Dutch
Dutch
van Coeverden
“A surname meaning “from Coevorden,” a place in the Netherlands; Coevorden is commonly interpreted as “cow ford” or “cow crossing.””
16th–17th Century
English
Vancouver
“An English family surname derived from the Dutch-origin Van Coeverden form.”
Old English
Old English
īegland
““Island,” literally “water-land” or land surrounded by water.”
1792
English
Vancouver Island
“The name applied by George Vancouver during his expedition along the northwest coast of North America.”
Modern English
English
Vancouver Island
“The established geographic name for the large Canadian island in British Columbia.”