Adopted 26 June 1911 on 93B/4 as listed in 1908, 1909, 1911 Gazetteers as an established name. May have previously appeared as Whitewater River (maps/dates not cited) or "East Taseko River," as the East fork was determined to be the main channel (1930 BC Gazetteer; maps/dates not cited).

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.

The branch identified as "East Taseko River" on early maps has since been determined to be the main channel (1930 BC Gazetteer.)

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

Taseko recorded as being an Indigenous place name, but at the time of recording (date not cited) the meaning was unkown. Language not identified. Letter to R.P. Bishop from H.E. Taylor (Agent, William Lake B.C.) "I enquired from a Nemiah Valley [First Nation member] this week, who lives near Taseko Lakes, and he says that it is an old [First Nation] word used long ago and that none of the present people know what it means. I infer that the very old [First Nations people] used words which have become forgotten. I will however endeavour to find out just what this word means and will write you again if necessary" (file number/date not cited recorded on name card). (T.6.54)

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff.

"[Taseko River] from a [Tsilhqot'in] word that means 'mosquito river'."

Source: Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; "British Columbia Place Names"; Sono Nis Press, Victoria 1986 /or University of British Columbia Press 1997

Headwaters at 51 00 - 123 1.

Source: Canadian Geographical Names Database, Ottawa