Adopted 5 May 1926 as labelled on British Admiralty Chart 1923B, 1874 et seq. Originally approved in the 1930 B.C. Gazetteer. Confirmed14 June 1946 on 103SE, 13 March 1947 on 93SW and 2 July1953 on 93D. Named by Captain Pender of the "Beaver", circa 1866, after Thomas Cunningham, an early B.C. settler,who purchased Vancouver Coal Company's general store in1864. He was chief fruit inspector for B. C. in 1906. (Place Names of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 1969.)

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