Chilko Lake adopted 26 June 1911, not "Chilcote Lake" as labelled on Trutch's 1871 map of British Columbia, nor "Chilco Lake" as spelled on subsequent maps. Name changed 11 March 2019 to Tŝilhqox Biny as recommended by Tŝilhqot’in National Government, as Tŝilhqox Biny is the Tŝilhqot’in name for this lake and supported by the Cariboo Regional District, BC Parks, and Recreation Sites and Trails.

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

'Chilanko' is an anglicization of the Tŝilhqot’in name, Tsalhanqox. Click 'Lookup the official name' to see Tsalhanqox's name record for more information on the origin of the name.

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

Identified as Chilko Lake in The Nemiah Declaration, 23 August 1989, by the Tsilqot'in People of Xeni, a.k.a. Nemiah Valley Indian Band. Traditional name and spelling identified as Tsilhqox Biny (where biny means "lake") in land claims maps filed 2004-05.

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

See Chilko River for origin information: "[Chilko River] from a Chilcotin Indian word meaning 'ochre river' ...[Chilcotin] can be translated as 'ochre river people' here referring not to the colour but to the mineralized substance (usually red or yellow) much prized by the Indians for use as a base for paint or dye."

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