Incorporated as a Village Municipality 15 March 1929; Williams Lake (Village) confirmed 13 March 1947 on Ottawa file OBF 2208-2. Re-incorporated as a Town Municipaity 15 February 1965; Williams Lake (Town) confirmed 1 October 1965. Re-incorporated as a City 5 November 1981; Williams Lake (City) confirmed 30 November 1981 on 93B/1. Boundary amendment effective 31 March 1994; confirmed 13 July 1994 on 93 B/1.

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

Williams Lake Colonial Office opened here August 1861, S. Gompertz, postmaster; named in association with the adjacent lake. Colonial Office closed in 1864. Williams Lake Post Office (re)opened 1 October 1907; closed 1 August 1919. The Borland Post Office (opened nearby 1 January 1916), was renamed Williams Lake Post Office 1 September 1920. [see also the municipality's own website.]

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

After Jack Williams, a Cornish settler; possibly after Chief William, grandfather of present chief of Suger Cane Reserve Indians (18th Report, Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1924.)

Source: included with note

"No story of Williams Lake would be complete without at least brief mention of William Pinchbeck, after whom the lake in the beautiful San Jose Valley would have been called had not 'Squatter' Williams, an American, preceded him..." (Williams Lake Tribune, 27 May 1948).

Source: included with note

The Indian name for this place was Columetza, meaning "the gathering place of the lordly ones" refering to nearby Sentinel Rock where the Cariboo tribes had had periodic gatherings.... (Akrigg, 1001 British Columbia Place Names, Discovery Press, Vancouver, 1973). The present name [of the lake] dates back at least to 28 April 1860 when John Telfer was granted a pre-emption "situated at Williams Lake". [The lake] is named for Chief William, at one time the leader of the Sugar Cane Reserve Indians. During the "Chilcotin War" of 1864, Chief William blocked the endeavours of the Chilcotins to have the other Indians in the Cariboo join them in a general massacre of the whites.

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