Penticton incorporated as a District Municipality 1 January 1909. "Penticton (Municipal District)" adopted in the 18th Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 31 March 1924, p.357. Form of name incorrectly changed to Penticton (Town) 6 October 1936 on Geological Survey sheet 420A, Kelowna. Re-incorporated as a City municipality 10 May 1948, called The Corporation of the City of Penticton; Penticton (City) confirmed 7 October 1954 on 82E/SW.

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

"Mr. Ellis has a fine farm known as Penticton..." (G.M. Dawson, Geological Survey Progress Report 1877-78, p.54B). Penticton Post Office was opened 1 December 1889, Thomas Ellis postmaster.

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

"Place where water passes beyond." (information from Isaac Harris, published in Vernon News, 18 July 1918). Compare with: "Derived from the Okanagan dialect of the Salish tribe, the word Pen-tak-tin meaning 'a place of permanent abode where waters pass by'." (50th Anniversary booklet of Penticton, 1958). See also the municipality's own website.

Source: included with note

From the Indigenous name Pente-hik-ton, "ever" or "forever" referring to the constant steady flow of the Okanagan River out of the lake.... applied by the Indigenous people to the locality at the outlet of the lake, meaning that the stream ran on ever, or forever, in contrast to other streams which dried up during the summer (6th Report of the Okanagan Historical Society); compare with: "Derives from the Okanagan word Sin-peen-tick-tin, loosely translatable as 'permanent place'." (c1980 advice from Randy Bouchard, BC Indian Language Project).

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