Skagit River adopted 6 February 1912 as labelled on BC Lands' 1871 map of British Columbia by J.W. Trutch, and on Geological Survey map of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, 1877, by G.M. Dawson, and on Geological Survey sheet 56A, Skagit Valley, 1912, and on BC Land's map 2B, New Westminster & Yale District, 1914. "Skagit River (not Canon Creek)" identified in the 18th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1924. "Skagit River (not Canyon Creek nor Canon Creek)" identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer.

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

Headwaters fork once labelled Cedar Creek, since determined to be the main channel of Skagit River. Flows NW from Alison Pass, turns SW then S and flows into Ross Lake (reservoir) just north of the BC-Washington boundary; drains S end of Ross Lake then flows SW then W into Puget Sound. Total length = 125 miles; length in BC = 30 miles.

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

"This is the name of a Coast Salish Indian band living along this river. The meaning of Skagit is uncertain, but it may come from a Straits Salish work meaning ' to hide or conceal'."

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

"...[Skagit County]...given the name of the Indian tribe that had inhabited the area. The meaning of the name is lost, but under various early spellings it was affixed to several geographic points [in Washington state]: Scaadget, Scaget, Skait, Scatchet..."

Source: Phillips, James W; Washington State Place Names; University of Washington Press, Seattle, 1971.