"Moyie Lakes (not Mooyie Lakes)" adopted in the 2nd Report of the Geographic Board of Canada, 30 June 1900. Distinguished as Upper Moyie Lake and Lower Moyie Lake on BC map 4D, 1912. Labelled Moyie Lake (singular) on BC map 1EM, 1915 et seq, applying to both waterbodies. Even though these are distinct waterbodies separated by a 1-mile section of the Moyie River, the singular form "Moyie Lake" is the entrenched local name, and has appeared as such in gazetteers from 1930 onward.

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

Named in association with the river, in turn a corruption of the French, mouiller, " to (make) wet ", given by trappers owing to the moist conditions described by David Thompson, 1808. Called "Grand Quête Lake" by Governor Simpson, in honour of an Indian chief by that name, whose pigtail was very long. Note however that Simpson described the lake(s) as 20 miles long, about double their actual length (Simpson's journal, 1847). The 2 lakes are mapped but not labelled on Palliser's maps. Originally pronounced moo-YAY, now commonly pronounced moy-EE. See also Moyie River.

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