Place-Names of the Province of Nova Scotia/A
Place-Names of Nova Scotia.
A
ABERCROMBIE (P.)—This place was likely so named after General James Abercrombie, a British General, who was connected with the 42nd or the first battalion of Royal Highlanders. He made several campaigns in Canada, and was killed at Bunker Hill in 1775.
ABERDEEN, C. B.—See New Aberdeen.
ABUPTIC HARBOR AND RIVER (Y.)—See Argyle River.
ACADIA.—Acadia, sometimes Cadie or Kaddy, is the Micmac Indian equivalent of region, field, ground, land or place, the place of; and when joined to an adjective, it denotes that the place referred to is the appropriate or special place of the object expressed by the noun or noun-adjective. In the Micmac Indian language adjectives of this kind are formed by suffixing "a" or "wa" to the noun.
As an example: Segubbun is the Micmac Indian for ground nut. Segubbuna, of or relating to ground nuts. Segubbuna-Kaddy, is the place or region of ground nuts. This gives us the place name of "Shubenacadie."
The Malicite Indians used the word "quoddy" for "Kaddy,", as it occurs in the place name "Passamaquoddy."
Acadia included the greater part of Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and was known as "the Duke's territory" and later as "the King's territory", it was also sometimes called "the province of Sagadahock."
ACADIA COLLEGE—See Wolfville.
ACADIAVILLE (R.)—Formerly Little Arichat, changed by Act of Parliament to its present name in 1866.
ADDINGTON FORKS (Ant.)— Likely so named in honor of the Addington who was the British Prime Minister in the years that Edward, the Duke of Kent, was Commander-in-Chief of Nova Scotia, 1796-1800.
AINSLIE (I.)—The Township of Ainslie one of the four subdivisions of the north-western part of Cape Breton Island, was formed in the year 1828 and was named after Lake Ainslie which in turn had been named after Lt.-Governor Ainslie, who was the Lt.-Governor of Cape Breton Island 1816-1820.
- (See Lake Ainslie)
ALBA (I.)—This place formerly known as "Boom" was given its present name by Act of Parliament in 1893. It is the Latin name for "white" and the name is applicable owing to the large quantities of white plaster rocks to be found in the neighborhood.
ALBERT BRIDGE (C. B.)—The Bridge and place was no doubt named in honor of the Prince Consort, who married Queen Victoria in 1840.
ALDERNEY (R.)—A place on Isle Madame, named after the Channel Island Alderney, which name is a corruption of the French "Aurigny." A number of Alderney fishermen frequented this port of Cape Breton.
ALLEN RIVER OR CREEK (A.)—This is the name now given the smaller Annapolis River, once known as "L'Esquilla" from the German "Equille", meaning "a sea needle" or little fish; French meaning "splinter." This name "L'Equille" is now given to another river in this county. Called by Dierville in 1708, Du Moulin River, the French for "Mill River."
ALMA (P.)—So named in commemoration of the place where a great victory was won by the Allies over the Russians in the Crimean War in the year 1854.
AMAGUADUS POND (C. B.)—This place is said to be named from a Micmac Indian word meaning "plenty." It was first settled by Europeans in the year 1805. At the request of the inhabitants the name was changed to Castle Bay (see) in the year 1896.
AMETHYST COVE (K.)—So named owing to the number of Agate, Jasper, and Amethyst specimens found there.
AMET ISLAND (Col.)—The original name of this island is supposed to have been "Isle L'Ormet" or "L'Ormet" and the name is supposed to be suggested by its resemblance to an "Armet" or helmet.
AMHERST (C.)—This place was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst (1717-1797) who, in co-operation with Admiral Boscawen, captured Louisburg in 1758. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief and Governor General in America in 1761. Previous to 1759, it was called by the French "Les Planches." The Micmac Indian name was "Nemaloos Kudaagun" and "Nemcheboogwek," the latter meaning "going up rising ground." One of the three township divisions of Cumberland County is called Amherst.
AMIRAULT HILL (Y.)—Jacques Amirau (corruption from Amirault, sometimes Amero) settled lands on the Tusket River in Yarmouth County in 1766. The Hill retains his name.
ANDERSON LAKE (H.)—Given this name after an early settler. This lake is sometimes known as Gough's Lake.
ANDERSON MOUNTAIN (P.)—Named after Andrew Anderson, who received a grant of lands there. He was the first settler.
ANDERSON POINT (C. B.)—Near Sydney, named after a Mr. James Anderson, who did a general mercantile business there about 1840.
ANNAPOLIS (A.)—It is said that Champlain was filled with admiration with the security and spaciousness of this place and gave it the name "Port Royal." It was founded by De Monts in 1604. In some old documents this name appears as "Royal Haven." The Micmac Indian name for Annapolis River was "Taoopskek" meaning "flowing out between rocks." The River was for a short time called by the French the "Dauphin," meaning "the eldest son of royalty." It received its present name from the English in 1710 in honor of Queen Anne of England. The name was formed by connecting the name of Queen Anne with the Greek word "polis" meaning city. It was one of the five earliest counties of the Province which were formed in the year 1759. The settlement was destroyed by Sir Samuel Argyle in the year 1618 in the name of Great Britain.
Annapolis was the capital of Nova Scotia from 1710 to 1749, when Halifax became the capital.
Annapolis County is divided into four townships—Annapolis, Granville, Wilmot and Clements.
Annapolis County is the smallest county in the Province. It contains 552 square miles.
Annapolis was captured by the English in 1654, restored to the French in 1668, again captured in 1690 and again restored in 1697; finally captured by Nicholson in 1710, when it was renamed.
1620-1630 an ephemeral Scottish Colony was located at Annapolis. In 1626 it was captured by Sir David Kirk with an English Fleet. In 1634 it was granted to Claude de Ragilly.
ANSE DE LA CHOUX (R.)—Near St. Esprit; so named by the French owing to a wild celery found there, excellent for salads and soups. Anse is the French for cove or creek and Choux is the plural of the French word chou, meaning cabbage.
ANSE LE BLANC (D.)—Le Blanc Cove, settled in 1769 and named after Charles Le Blanc, an early settler. Anse being the French for cove and Blanc the French for white; the English named the place White Cove.
ANTHONY’S NOSE (COL.)—A point on the Shubenacadie River where the coral and shell cliff, nearly fifty feet high, reminded some early settlers of a man’s nose and two robust cheeks. They called it St. Anthony’s Nose—now Anthony’s Nose.
ANTIGONISH (ANT.)—The Micmac Indian spelling of this word is "Nalegelkooneech." Dr. Rand says the Micmac meaning of the word is: the place where branches are torn off the trees by bears getting beech nuts. Several writers say the name is from an Indian word meaning “River of fish,” but Dr. Rand’s derivation is likely the correct one.
Antigonish County is divided into four Townships—Antigonish, Tracadie, St. Andrews, and Arisaig.
On Nicholas Deny’s map of 1672 he calls it "River d’Anticonnachie." In 1685 the name appears on Father Jumeau’s map as Artigonieche. In 1733 it appears as Antigonich. In 1744 Bellin spells it Antigoniche. In 1755 it first appears as Antigonish, the present form. Father Pacific gives a Micmac spelling of Antigonish as "Alitgonieljg" and says the meaning is “broken branches” which partly agrees with Dr. Rand’s interpretation. French settlers were in Antigonish as early as 1762. An English officer Timothy Hierlihy was in the country in 1775. He and eighty others received a very large grant of land in 1784.
The name "Antigonish" as applied to the County, replacing its former county name of "Sydney," first appears in 1863, when it was changed by an Act of Parliament.
The Antigonish town of today was one time known as "Dorchester," the name of the township of which Antigonish is the shire town.
In Antigonish is the St. Francis Xavier College, a Diocesan Institution opened as Arichat College, at Arichat, C. B., in 1853, transferred to Antigonish and established as a college under its present name in 1855; University powers created by an Act of Legislature in 1866. Named after Saint Francis Xavier, the Patron Saint of Canada.
ANTON (COL.)—Formerly known as Polly Bog, changed to Anton in 1880 by an Act of Parliament.
ANTRIM (H.)—So named after the Ulster Town or County in Ireland of that name.
APAGWIT (G.)—A small island in the Gut of Canso. An Indian word meaning "moored in shelter" or "sheltered by the encircling shore." (This, or "Abagwit" was the original Indian name for Prince Edward Island).
APPIN (ANT.)—Named after a small district near Loch Linnhe in Argyleshire, Scotland.
APPLE RIVER (C.)—The Indian name for this place was "Agoomakun" meaning "where they catch herring."
APSLEY (C. B.)—This name is found in 1820 applied as the "Parish of Apsley" in the County of Bathurst. It was within the present County of Cape Breton boundaries. The name comes from the house of Lord Bathurst "Apsley," which became famous; as it was the house presented to the Duke of Wellington by a grateful country in the year 1820.
ARCADIA (Y.)—This place was once known as Upper Chebogue. It received its present name on the 27th of January, 1863. The name was chosen because of the building of a brig there in 1817 by Bartlett Gardner. The brig was named "Arcadia."
ARCHIBALD MILLS (H.)—The Indian name for this place was "Kesokedek" meaning "the road that runs over a hill."
ARCHIBALD POINT (V.)—A point north of North Bay, Ingonish, said to be named after Archibald & Co, a firm that ran a fishing establishment near there some years ago.
ARDNESS (P.)—The name, in a Scottish settlement, suggests Aird, a town in the Isle of Skye, from which some of the settlers came; and "Ness," akin to nose, a point of land running into the sea. It is an inland village, but nevertheless we believe that this is how the name was constructed. The prefix "Ard" is found in a number of place names of Scotland.
ARENBERG ISLAND (L.)—Sometimes called "Paradise Island." Named after a family named Arenberg, who for many years made the island their home.
ARGYLE (Y.)—One of the two township divisions of Yarmouth County. This place is no doubt named after Argyle or Argyll, in Western Scotland. The Township was granted in 1771, and contained 187 sq. miles. The Indian name for this place was "Bapkoktek." It was named Argyle by Capt. Ronald McKinnon who received a grant of land here in consideration of his services as a soldier.
ARGYLE (I.)—Formerly known as South Side Lake Ainslie, in the year 1893 by an Act of Parliament was changed to its present name.
ARGYLE RIVER (Y.)—Was known as Abuptic River. The Indian name and spelling was "Pobbobtek" or "Bapkoktek. It was settled in the year 1763. The settlement was named Argyle by Captain Ronald McKinnon, an early settler from the Western Highlands of Scotland, and the name of the settlement was applied to the River.
ARICHAT (R.)—The Micmac Indian name "Nerichat" was by transformation brought to Arichat. On some early plans it is found as "Nerichau." West Arichat was at one time named "Acadiaville," as some of the Acadians after their expulsion from Grand Pre, settled in this place. The Indians also had the name of "Liksake" for Arichat, meaning worn rocks, also "Eliksake" meaning "the camping ground"
ARISAIG (ANT.)—This place was settled just previous to 1815 by families from Arisaig in the Highlands of Scotland, who gave their old home name to their new home. The grants were dated 1815, but there is no doubt the settlers were there at an earlier date. It is one of the four Township divisions of Antigonish County.
ARLINGTON (H.)—The old name for this place was Mooseland. It was given its present name by an Act of Parliament passed in 1897. (See Arlington West).
ARLINGTON WEST (A.)—So named in 1876 by the inhabitants who met together for that purpose at the time of the opening of a Post Office for the community. The name was probably suggested by some citizen after Arlington in Massachusetts.
ASHVILLE (I.)—Formerly named Sodom. In the year 1875 the name was changed to Ashville by an Act of Parliament.
ASKILTON (I.)—At one time part of and known as River Inhabitants, but in the year 1865 was named "Askilton," a word coined from the name of Donald McAskill, who was the Postmaster at that time.
ASPOTOGAN (L.)—Also "Ashmutogun." The name is derived from the Indian name "Ukpudeskakun, which means "When they blockade the passageway," referring to the place where the seals go in and out. The In diansused to block up the passage in order to enable them to kill the seals. "Kebego Kooctk," meaning "a closing of the passage" is another Micmac name for Aspotogan. There are the Harbor, Mountain, Peninsula and Village of this name.
ASPY BAY (V)—The French called this bay Havre D'Aspe or D'Achepe. Some authorities say that the Basque sailors named it Pic d'Aspe, after a Pyrenees Mount; others say it is from the Micmac Indian word "apago" meaning codfish. There is also the River of this name.
ATHOL (C)—A name possibly suggested by descendants of the Loyalists after John Murray the 4th Duke of Athol. The name is now applied to the place that was formerly known as "Little Forks." The change was authorized by Parliament in 1871.
AULD COVE (G)—First settled about the year 1785. It is named after one of its first settlers, a Mr. Alexander Auld.
AVON RIVER (HTS)—was at one time known as "Ingogon." The Indian name was "Tooetunook" meaning, "flowing square into the sea." The largest branch of the river the Indians called "Amagapeskjik" which means "running over stones." The present name is after the river Avon in Scotland, made famous in song. The eastern branch of this river was called by the Indians "Apsetkwechk", meaning, "running small" and the largest branch was known as "Amagapakitjik", meaning "rushing over rocks" or "running over stones."
AYLESFORD (K)—Granted as early as 1770. The township was one of the four townships of Kings County and was formed in the year 1784. The name was probably given in honor of the Fourth Earl of Aylesford, Lord of the Bedchamber to King George III.
Aylesford Bog the Indians called "Kobetek" meaning "beaver" or "the beavers' home" from a little beaver-shaped island.