Adoped 2 November 1937 on 93K/10 as listed in 1930 Gazetteer and as appears on Reference Map 3C "Stuart Lake" (1914, 1923) and Reference Map 1G "Cariboo and Adjacent Districts" (1916) and likely on Geological Survey of Canada Map 630A "Fort Fraser - East, West" (1938). Likely named in association with Pinchi Creek and Pinchi Bay as supplied by topographer.

Source: BC place name cards, files, correspondence and/or research by BC Chief Geographer/Geographical Names Office.

The traditional name is Tesgha. ("Central Carrier Country" © Carrier Linguistic Committee, Fort St. James, 1974).

Source: included with note

Two unincorporated communities – the old Dakelh village of Pinchi and the much newer Pinchi Lake – share this name with a lake (56 sq. km), a mountain (1267m) and a bay on Stuart Lake. The first time the term is known to have been used by a non-[Indigneous people] was in 1811, when North West Company fur trader Daniel Harmon, while stationed at nearby Fort St. James, noted the existence of “Pinchy Lake.” The name has also been spelled as Binche, Pinche, and Pinchie. It is believe that the first non-Aboriginal visitors to the area applied the moniker of the existing Dakelh village to the lake. Sources differ as to the origin of the name. Some say that “pinchi” is a Dakelh (Carrier) First Nation word meaning “lake outlet.” Others believe it is a derivation of a Dakelh place name, either Tesgha or Tesghabun. The prefix tes refers to the bottom or bed of a lake, while gha translates into “furry,” “hairy,” or “mossy,” while bun means “lake.” Hence, the name refers to the condition of the lakebed. Another interpretation, however, is that tes means “bed” or “bedding” and Tesgha means “resting place for waterfowl.”

Source: Thorburn, Mark; "British Columbia Place Names"; Dragon Hill Publishing Ltd., Canada, 2009, pages 229-230.