When was Canada named Canada?

Answer 1

Canada, the first country to have been created by legislation, was named "Canada" on July 1, 1867. The pre-Confederation Province of Canada was named "Canada" on February 10, 1841. The colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada were so named on December 26, 1791.

Kindly note that Canada's name has always been, simply, "Canada." It was never "the Dominion of Canada." In this respect, please refer to section 3 of the British North America Act(now the Constitution Act). The word "dominion" therein was merely a term of description. The pertinent part of section 3 reads, "one Dominion under the Name of Canada." The confusion arises because in the 1860s most (if not all) nouns were capitalized.

Answer 2

It happened when European explorers confused the meaning of the Native word Canada, which means "the village." The thought the word represented the name of the land.