Adopted 1 May 1934 on National Defense map, Victoria, as labelled on J.D. Pemberton's 1855 map of Southeastern Districts of Vancouver Island, labelled on British Admiralty Chart 2840, 1861 et seq, and on BC map 2A, 1913.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

After Hon. John Gordon, Captain of HMS America in these waters 1845-46; brother of the Foreign Secretary, the Earl of Aberdeen.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

After Captain the Hon. John Gordon, commanding H.M.S. America when it was in the North Pacific in 1845-46. Disappointed with his lack of success hunting and fishing here, Gordon gave a very poor account of the country to his brother, the 4th Earl of Aberdeen, the British Foreign Secretary. There is no evidence to support the theory that Gordon's unfavourable report contributed to the British decision to let the Americans have Washington and Oregon (to which they had little real claim) rather than risk a war.

Source: Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; 1001 British Columbia Place Names; Discovery Press, Vancouver 1969, 1970, 1973.