Asalin sunan wannan ƙasar ta fito ne daga balaguron da mashahurin mai binciken ya gudanar Jaques cartier a shekara ta 1535 da Kogin St. Lawrence.
Mutanen asali na Arewacin Amirka da aka sani da Iroquois Sun zauna akan hanyar ƙauyen Stadacona, inda yau ne garin Quebec, don wannan ana amfani da kalmar kanata don kiran waccan yankin, amma Cartier ya fara sanya mata suna kamar haka Canada don kiran duk wannan yanki mai faɗi.
Wannan shine dalilin da ya sa daga can arewacin Saint Lawrence River aka fara kiran shi Kanada, har ma bayan shekaru a cikin 1547 tuni ya bayyana akan taswirar yankin da wannan sunan.
Dole ne ku yi la'akari da cewa Kanada ana kiranta Sabon Francia Amma daga 1700 zuwa, a ƙarshe ta sami sunan Kanada, kodayake an sanya wasu sunaye a duk tsawon lokaci da tarihi, kamar Victorialand, Borelia, Cabotia, Yankin Arewa, da sauransu.