Incorporated 10 November 1879 as "The Corporation of the District of Surrey"; confirmed 11 February 1936 on 92G/2. Re-incorporated as a City municipality, 11 September 1993.

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

After Surrey in England (Gosnell Year Book, 1897-1901) [see also the municipality's own website.]

Source: Nelson, Denys; Place Names of the Delta of the Fraser River; 1927, unpublished manuscript held in the Provincial Archives

Various residents credited or taking credit, as follows:
"In January 1881 the Surrey Municipality Council held its first meeting at Brownsville, now known as South Westminster and of the few who are still living and who were present at the memorable meeting, Henry Thrift of White Rock remembers it well. [Known as] "the father of the municipality", Mr. Thrift had left his home in the beautiful county of Surrey, England in 1878 and crossed the continent to San Fransisco and from there travelled to British Columbia by boat. He chose for his home a spot on the banks of the Campbell river at Hazlemere, naming the district after his home in England..." (Vancouver Province 15 November 1925)
"What I remember about the selection of the name was that Mr. Yeomans, Mr. H.D. Chantrell, my father the late Alex McDougall, Mr. William Woodward and his son John, and my brother and myself, met at the home of Mr. Woodward where the local Mud Bay post office was then established, and discussed the matter of a name for the proposed new municipality. It was either Yeomens or Chantrell who proposed the name of Surrey." (31 January 1927 letter from W.C. McDougall)
"A man by the name of Brimer came from Surrey, England, and settled at Mud Bay, and he thought that Surrey would be a good name." (9 February 1927 letter from G.A. Boothroyd)

Source: Nelson, Denys; Place Names of the Delta of the Fraser River; 1927, unpublished manuscript held in the Provincial Archives

Probably so named because it lies south of New Westminster, just as the county of Surrey lies south of Westminster (part of London) in England.

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