Adopted 3 July 1946 on Map 103SE, as established on BC Provincial Map 3L, 1915, and in the 1930 Gazetteer of Canada.

Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff, file Q.1.45.

Named in 1910 by regional hydrographer Lt Cdr Phillip Musgrave after Yakoun River, which flows N into this bay. QCI historian Kathleen Dalzell gives three possible translations for the Haida First Nation word: “straight point,” “in the middle,” or “on the east.” The river is the largest in the QCI, with major salmon and steelhead runs, and was once covered with majestic forests, now extensively logged. The Yakoun valley was the site of the fames 300-year-old Golden Spruce, an unusual, yellow-needled variety that was cut down by a vandal in 1997. Nearby Yakoun Lakeis also named for the river. The alternative spellings Yakun and Yah-koon are sometimes seen for these features. The bay is an important sanctuary for waterfowl.

Source: Scott, Andrew; "The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names"; Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, 2009, page 654-655.