Adopted 6 April 1950 on 92/NW as named in 1792 by Captain Vancouver and long-labelled on British Admiralty charts and BC maps.

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

Named in 1792 by Captain Vancouver, and so-identified in his journals, after William Robert Broughton, captain of H.M. armed tender Chatham, accompanying Vancouver on his exploration in these waters. HMS Discovery and HMS Chatham were anchored off the south shore of this island Saturday, 28 July 1792.

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

Broughton Strait, Broughton Island and Broughton Archipelago all named in 1792 by Captain Vancouver, after Lieutenant Commander William Robert Broughton, captain of the armed tender Chatham, engaged examining this coast during that year. Broughton returned to England with despatches, overland from California, early in 1793, Lieutenant Puget continuing Broughton's duties in the Chatham.... [Broughton] returned to this coast in command of the sloop of war Providence, 400 tons.... upon his arrival at Nootka, 17 March 1796, he found that Vancouver had completed his work and sailed for England. Broughton then commenced a close survey of the coast of Asia 35ºN to 52ºN....

Source: Walbran, John T; British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: their origin and history; Ottawa, 1909 (republished for the Vancouver Public Library by J.J. Douglas Ltd, Vancouver, 1971)