# Place-Names of the Province of Nova Scotia/P

P
PALMER ROAD (K.)—Named after Louis Palmer a New York Loyalist who came to Kings County from Shelburne about the year 1785.
PARADISE (H.)—A place near Lawrencetown. The Indians called it "Nesogwaakade," meaning "place of eel weirs."
PARKDALE (L.)—The old name of this settlement was Upper Foster. It was changed to its present name by an Act of Parliament in 1902.
PARKER COVE (A.)—Called after an early settler named Parker.
PARKS CREEK (L.)—Named after the first settler, James Parks, an Irishman, who came from Petite Riviere and settled here.
PARKS FERRY (L.)—(See Parks Creek) named after some member of the Parke family who settled nearby in the early days of the district's settlement.
PARRSBORO (C.)—Parish, River and Town in Cumberland County. Named in honor of Vive-Admiral John Parr, who was Governor of Nova Scotia 1782-1791.
The Indian name for this place was "Owokun," or "Owwokun," "a crossing over place," "a portage or short cut." Parrsboro Township, one of the three townships into which Cumberland County is divided, was at first included in the County of Kings.
PARR LAKE (H.)—Named in honor of John Parr, who was Governor of Nova Scotia in 1782, sometimes called Governor Lake.
PARTRIDGE ISLAND (C.)—The Indian name for this island was "Pulowecha Munegoo," which means Partridge Island.
PATTEN HILL (Y.)—So named after its first settler Richard Patten. He was from Marble Head and settled here about the year 1770.
​PEARL ISLAND (L.)—Named after the Pearl family, Albert Pearl being Light keeper 1873-1908, and M. B. Pearl since 1908; named Pearl in 1914 to avoid duplication of "Green" its former name.
PEASBROOK (G.)—This place is supposed to have received its name because of the plentiful growth of wild peas found near the brook; was first settled about the year 1760.
PEBAK (Hts.)—A small stream near Shubenacadie. A Micmac Indian name meaning "a wilderness." Sometimes known as Indian Road Brook.
PECKS HEAD (C. B.)—Near Sydney, so named after an early Irish family who settled near by (See Battery Point).
PEGGY COVE (H.)—Locally said to be named after a woman named Peggy, an early settler.
PEGGY SOI (H.)—Pronounced Peggy Swa. (See Dover Soi.).
PENNANT POND (H.)—The Indian name of this place was "Skabank," which means "where they eat raw."
PEREAU (K.)—Part of the "Land of the Acadians." The Micmac name for this place was "Wojechk," meaning "white water," or "white signal far off."
PERRANG COVE (H.)—This name was given this place in 1864 by Capt. P. F. Shortland, R. N.
PERRY'S CREEK (Y.)—Named after one of Yarmouth's first three settlers, Moses Perry, who came from Cape Cod and settled in Yarmouth in the year 1761.
PETER FRASER'S CAVE (P.)—The name of a singular fissure in Pictou County; the roof is formed by limestone rocks leaning against each other, the interior illumined by numerous stalactites that are suspended from the roof. A somewhat similar cave known as the "Fairy Hole" is found in Victoria County, Cape Breton.
PETITE (Hts.)—The Indian name for this place was "Wasokwesoogwode."
PETIT ANSE (R.)—The French for small cove.
​PETIT DE GRAT (R.)—Said to be of Basque origin, grat meaning a fishing station, a small fishing station. There is a Cape Grat in Newfoundland and several other places in which the word appears.
PETITE PASSAGE (D.)—The Indian name for this place "Tawilketc," meaning "the little outlet" or "opening."
PETITE RIVIERE (L.)—Isaac de Razillys, a Frenchman, settled here in 1672. There were only two settlers in the year 1745. The first British settler was Benjamin Harrington.
A descriptive name. There are two of these rivers, the Indians called one of them "Simkook" and the other "Upsamkook."
PETITE RIVER (Hts.)—The Indians called this place "Wasokwesoogwode."
PETITE RUISSEAU (D.)—English "Little Brook," so named by the early French settlers.
PETPESWICK (H.)—Cape, Harbor, Lake and Village. The Indian name for this place was "Koolpijooik."
PETRIE REEF (C. B.)—A reef on the south side of Sydney Harbor named after a Petrie family who were seagoing and very early settlers.
PETTIPAS—Changed to "Bellenden's Head" in 1725, in memento mori of Lieutenant John Bellenden, was was descended from a noble family, and who was buried there.
PHINNEY COVE, PHINNEY MOUNTAIN (A.)—So called after a family named Phinney, who owned the land and were settled there as far back as 1856.
PICTOU—Pictou County contains 1058 square miles. There are a number of theories relative to the origin of this name. A few of them are given below.
According to Dr. Rand, it is the Micmac word "Pictook." The "k" at the end of Micmac names, he says, marks what grammarians call the locative case, expressing "at" or "in," The word "Pict" means an "explosion of gas." Whenever the noun ends in the sound of "kt" the regular form of the case locative is the addition of "ook." Thus "Pict" becomes "Pictook," and the "k" being dropped, we have the name "Pictou."
The entrance to Pictou Harbor the Indians called "Poogunekpachk." Also the Micmac word "bucto," meaning "fire" might ​be the original. The Micmac Indian word "Bucto" or "Booktook," meaning "Big Harbor" would appear to be a plausible derivation of the name.
It is questionable whether there is any place that has had so many names as this town, as it was at different times known as: Coleraine, New Paisley, Alexandria, Donegal, Tiegnmouth, Southampton, Walmsley.
A place near Pictou Light House was known by the Indians as "Esasok" meaning "the western encampment.
Changed from Walmsley to its present name in 1790.
The Indian name for Pictou Harbor was "Poogunekpechk."
The first settlers of Pictou were about a dozen families from Maryland, who came in the brig "Hope" in the year 1767.
The "Hector" settlers from the North of Scotland came in the year 1773. In 1783 at the close of the American Revolution many other settlers arrived.
The first frame house in Pictou was built in 1789.
In 1807 Pictou was divided into townships, named Pictou, Egerton and Maxwelton. It was set off from Colchester as a separate district in 1792 and was raised to the dignity of a county in 1836.
The name was supposed by many to have been a corruption of Poictou, the name of an old Province of France. It is found so spelled in many old documents and plans. Others claim it was so named owing to the bottle-shaped appearance of its harbor.
PICTOU ISLAND (P.)—The Micmac Indian name was "Akoogomich" also "Gunsunkook." In 1762 it was referred to as "Isle Poitee" in a report made by Lieutenant-Governor Belcher to the Home Government. (See "Pictou.")
370 emigrants from the Isle of Barra in Scotland settled on Pictou Island in the year 1802. A number of these later went to and settled in Cape Breton.
PIEDMONT (P.)—Named by the Reverend Dugald McKeichan, the first minister of Barney's River, so named from its situation at the foot of a range of hills. "Pied" from "Pes" (Ped) Latin for foot; "mount" (mountain). Generally by an extension this word pertains to any place situated at or near the foot of mountains.
It was first settled in 1810-1816 by Scotsmen from Perthshire and Blair Athole.
PINKNEY POINT (Y.)—Named after an early settler John Pinkney who settled there in the year 1777.
PIPERS GLEN (I)—This place was so named because Niel Jamison a bag-pipe player of considerable local fame resided there.
​PIPERVILLE (I.)—This place was known as rear of East Lake Ainsley; an Act of Parliament changed it to its present name in the year 1886. (See Pipers Glen.)
PIPER POND (Hts.)—So named after a probably mythical piper of a Highland regiment who was supposed to have lost his watch in the waters, dived after it and was drowned.
PIRATES HARBOR or COVE (G.)—On the Strait of Canso. Called by the Indians "Tesogwode," meaning "the place where goods were sorted" or "Place of Flakes." It is said to have been a resort for pirates in the olden days. Nearby is a small island and between this island and the shore there was a safe anchorage and an excellent hiding place for small vessels.
PISSIQUID (Hts.)—The old name for Windsor. The Micmac spelling was "Pesegilk," meaning "to flow split-wise"-as the tide passes up near Windsor and divides off into the St. Croix Pissiquid is an old French settlement, and was included in the Minas territory that was settled and farmed by the Acadians.
PLANT POINT (C. B.)—On the south side of the entrance to Little Bras d'Or. So named after Samuel Plant, an early settler at this place.
PLEASANT HARBOR (H.)—This place was formerly known as "Shoal Bay" and was changed by an Act of Parliament to its present name in 1886.
PLEASANT POINT (L.)—This name was substituted for the old name "Indian Point" by an Act of Parliament passed in the year 1907.
PLEASANT RIVER (Q.)—This place was first settled in the year 1802 by Zenas Waterman, an ex-soldier from the American Army, and by a man named Harlow.
PLEASANT VIEW (C.)—Hendersons Settlement was changed to the above name by an Act of Parliament passed in 1874.
POCK WOCK LAKE (H.)—A lake near Hammonds Plain. From an Indian word "Pogwek," meaning "the smoky" or "dry lake."
POCK WOCK LAKE (Q.)—Said to mean Indian "Paakwaak" "stop here; you cannot go further," but given by Dr. Rand as "Pogwek" meaning "dry lake."
​POINT ACONI (C. B.)—So called from its sharp, needle-like promontory. The word must come from the Greek "Acon" (a dart); may have been named by the Spanish (?).
POINT AMELIA, Sydney Harbor (C. B.)—Named by Captain Crawley (for whom Crawley's Creek was named) in honor of Princess Amelia, daughter of King George III.
One of Sydney's streets is named "Amelia," and Frederick Amelia Lovell was the first born and first baptised in Sydney.
POINT BETTY ISLAND (P.)—Said to have been named after Captain Savage's vessel, the "Betty" which was lost here.
The old Indian name for this place was "Mkobeel," which means "beaver place."
POINT CARLETON (S.)—Named in honor of Sir Guy Carleton who was Commander-in-Chief in Canada in 1796. The place was first settled by Isaac Wilkins, an American Loyalist.
POINT EDWARD AND EDWARDSVILLE (C. B.)—A point and village between the two Sydneys formerly known as "West Arm." The present name is in honor of King Edward VII, who as Prince of Wales visited Sydney Harbor in the year 1860.
POINT MICHAUD (R.)—Named after an early French settler.
Two names, which have entirely disappeared-are given on old maps for this point or a point near by; viz: Cape Hinchinbroke and Cape "Henlopen." There is a cape on the eastern coast of Delaware of the latter name.
Denys calls the islands near here "Isles Michour."
POINT PLEASANT (H.)—At one time known as "Sandwich Point." When Cornwallis in 1749 first thought to form the City of Halifax, it was at this place he intended to locate the City' The North West Arm Halifax, was at one time known as "Sandwich River.
POINT TUPPER (R.)—Said to be named after Sir Charles Tupper, a Canadian statesman and politician, one of the "Fathers of Confederation," of whom he was the last survivor. He was born in 1821; died 1915.
The old name was Guernsey; it was given its new name by a resident Henry Paint. It is held by some that this place was not named after Sir Charles but after a family of settlers.
POLLY BOG (Col.)—See Anton.
​POMQUET (Ant.)—The place was first settled by three men named Duon, Dorion and Vincent. Old papers dating 128 years back (from 1916) spell the name "Pommquette.
Dr. Rand gives the Micmac name as "Pogumkek," meaning "raining along" and from this the present name has been formed.
A place near here was known to the Indians as "Pogumkooigitk" meaning "flowing over dry sand."
PONHOOK LAKE (Q.)—Indian, "Bahnook,"-first lake in the chain. There is one lake of this name on Liverpool, and another on Port Medway River; and still another in Halifax County.
POPE HARBOR (H.)—The Indian name for this place was "Kwemoodetc," meaning "the little loon place."
POQUETVILLE (V.)—This name is given to the territory between the Half-way House, Neil's Harbor and Cape North, and was given it by an Act of Parliament in the year 1893.
PORCUPINE CAPE (Ant.)—So named owing to the curious resemblance the cape has to the back of a porcupine.
The Indian name was "Pookudapskwode," and also "Madooeswotp," meaning "the head of a porcupine."
PORT ACADIA (D.)—Named by an Act of Parliament passed in the year 1860, was formerly known as "Church Point." (See).
PORTAGE CREEK (V.)—See Whycocomagh Portage.
PORTAPIQUE (Col.)—River and Village in Colchester County. Descriptive French name meaning "Port under a hill."
PORT BAN (I.)—An English-Gaelic word meaning "white port." "Ban" is Gaelic for a degree of whiteness.
PORT BEVIS (V.)—Originally, and now sometimes called "Big Harbor." The present name was given it in honor of an American who was identified with the company that at one time was engaged in mining plaster rock at this place.
PORT BICKERTON (G.)—This place is said to have been named in honor of an English Lord Bickerton, who was Vice-Admiral some time on the West Indian Station.
PORT DUFFERIN (H.)—Was formerly known as Salmon River. In the year 1899 by an Act of Parliament the name was ​changed to the above in honor of the Marquis of Dufferin, who was Governor-General of Canada, 1872-1878.
PORTER LAKE (Hts.)—The Indian name for this place was "Amaguntcetc," meaning "the little breezy place."
PORTER TOWN (C.)—See Hastings.
PORT FELIX (C.)—Formerly known as Molasses Harbor. An Act of Parliament passed in the year 1869 changed it to its present name. The Indian name for Molasses Harbor was "Wolunkak," meaning "the scooped out place."
PORT GEORGE (A.)—Named after English Royalty, the Indian name was "Goolwagopskooch," meaning "Hood seal rock."
PORT GREVILLE (C.)—This place takes its name from Greville Bay in Cumberland County. The Bay was no doubt named in honor of Robert Greville, the second Lord Brooke, a famous English Parliamentary General, 1794-1866. It was formerly known as Ratchford River, but was changed to its present name by an Act of Parliament in 1865.
PORT HASTINGS (I.)—At one time named "Plaster Cove," owing to gypsum deposits in the neighborhood. The old name was changed by An Act of Parliament in the year 1869. It received its present name in honor of Sir Hastings Doyle, at one time Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.
PORT HAWKESBURY (I.)—At one time called "Ship Harbor," which was changed by an Act of Parliament in the year 1860 to its present name, owing to their being a "Ship Harbor" in Halifax County.
It was named in honor of Admiral Edward Hawke, an English Baron. (See Hawkesbury).
PORT HEBERT (S.)—Named by de Monts in 1623, after his apothecary, Louis Hebert.
PORT HOOD (I.)—Harbor, Island and Town. At one time called "Juste au corps" by the French.
The British changed the name to its present name in honor of the famous Admiral First Viscount Samuel Hood (1724-1816). He was appointed Commander-in-Chief in North America in 1767.
The first English settler is said to have been John Smith, who settled there in 1789.
The Indians called the place "Kagweamkek," meaning "sand- bar."
​On some maps the Port Hood Island is called "Smith's Island" and on others "Henry Island."
PORT HOOD TOWNSHIP (C. B.)—One of the four subdivisions of Cape Breton Island (the north-western part) formed in the year 1828.
PORT HOWE (C.)—This place was likely named after Viscount Howe, who commanded the British forces sent out in the year 1757 to take Louisburg from the French. Admiral Holborne had charge of the fleet and Howe of the troops.
It was at one time "Toney Bay." It was given its present name in March 1883-There was an English Captain How, who was treacherously shot in this vicinity in the year 1750 and although the spelling is not the same it may have been named after him.
PORT JOLI (Q.)—A descriptive French name meaning "pretty."
The Indians named this place "Emsik," from a word probably meaning "blown along by the wind." This place was at one time called by the French "Port Noir," that is "the black port." The Portuguese named this place Baya Formose.
PORT LA TOUR (S.)—Named after a Frenchman, Charles Amador, the Marquis de la Tour. It was at one time known as "L'Omeroy," or "L'esmeron." Strange to say, about the year 1620, this place was named "Port Louis" in honor of the French King, by the interesting man whose name it now bears. La Tour built a fort at this place for convenience as a depot for Indian trade. It is near Cape Sable.
La Tour was known as Lord of Cape Sable and Lieutenant of the King (French) in Acadia.
PORT LORNE (A.)—This place was likely named in honor of the Marquis of Lorne (Duke of Argyle) who was Governor-General of Canada 1883-1888. One time known as Marshall Cove and again as Port Williams.
PORT MALCOLM (R.)—At one time named "Caribou Cove Main," which was changed by an Act of Parliament in the year 1886 to its present name, which is the name of a number of families who settled there. In former times the place was a great resort for Caribou, which suggested its first name.
PORT MEDWAY (Q.)—This place was called by the French "Port Moltare." The old Indian name was "Alacah," meaning "a river with n many branches or streams." The Indians also knew this place as "Ulgwedook," "the place of mushrooms." The present name is no doubt after the English River "Medway."
​The second lake on the Port Medway River was calledby the Indians "Malegeak," meaning "fretful waters."
The third lake on Port Medway River was named by the Indians "Minegooskek, meaning "the place of the Little Island."
The fourth lake on Port Medway River was named by the Indians "Nabegwonchuk," meaning "the ships' place."
This name appears in several plans as "Port Metway."
PORT MORIEN (C. B.)—See Morien.
PORT MOUTON (Q.)—Town, Island and Port. Named "Luke's Bay" which was the name of the ship "St. Luke" sent out with colonists by Sir William Alexander in the year 1623, but the older French name stuck to it. The name was given to it by De Monts in 1604, from the circumstance of a sheep jumping overboard and being nearly drowned before it was rescued.
The proper form is "Port du (not au) Mouton"-now "Port Mouton."
The name "Port Matoon" appears on some modern maps as the present form of this name. In 1771 we find a reference to this place, and it is called "Port Mattois."
The name "Gambier Harbor" appears as the name for this port at one time. The Indian name was "Wolugumkook," meaning "a deep gully" or "hole in the river."
PORT MULGRAVE (G.)—Named in 1859 in honor of the Earl of Mulgrave, Governor of Nova Scotia in 1858. The old Indian name for this place was "Wolumkwagunuchk," meaning "the lobster ground."
PORT NOVA (C. B.)—(See "Cape Breton"-the "Cape.")
Pichon spells it (1760) "Portenove." The cape was known as "Le Chameau in 1725.
PORT PHILIP (C.)—Formerly known as "Mouth of River Philip," changed to the above by an Act of Parliament in 1867.
PORTREE (I.)—Named by Scotch settlers after the Northern division of the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland.
PORT ROSEWAY (S.)—Formed by Alexander McNutt in 1765. This is the old name for Shelburne Harbor. This name is the old French name Port Razoir transformed into an English name of similar sound.
PORT ROSSIGNOL (Q.)—On May 12th, 1604, De Monts put in at Liverpool Harbor, where he found Captain Rossignol of ​Havre, carrying on a contraband trade with the Indians. De Monts arrested the Captain and confiscated his vessel, naming the port after the captain.
PORT ROYAL (R.)—This name adopted and the old name "Grand Rosseau" discontinued. The change approved by an Act of Parliament passed in 1867.
PORT SALTER (C.)—So named by an Act of Parliament in 1882.
PORT SHOREHAM (G.)—In 1901 an Act was passed by Parliament changing the old name of this place "Clam Harbor" to Port Shoreham, after the sea port town in Sussex, England
PORT WADE (A.)—Opposite Digby. It was known until a few years ago as "West Ferry" named about 1905 after Mr. F. B. Wade, a member for Annapolis County, who was partially instrumental in having a railway terminus and pier built at this place.
It was originally settled by French; later by United Empire Loyalists.
PORT WILLIAM (K.)—This place was formerly known as "Terry's Creek," so called after one of the early settlers named Terry. Its present name is after a former Governor of the Province.
POTTER'S POINT (D.)—First settled and named after Joseph Potter.
POTTLE'S LAKE (C. B.)—The lake from which the Towns of North Sydney and Sydney Mines receive their water supply. It was named after the original grantee, an Englishman named Pottle.
POULAMON (R.)—This place bears the Acadian French name for the small codfish known as the "Tom cod." The word "Tom cod" is a corruption of the American Indian word "Tacaud" "plenty fish."
PRESQU'ILE (I.)—A French word meaning peninsula, from the word "Presque," meaning near or almost an "isle," meaning "island." "Nearly an island," that is "peninsula."
PRESTON (H.)—One of the four township divisions of Halifax County, settled in 1812 by colored men and women who were plantation slaves, among them descendants of the Maroons from Jamaica who settled there a few years previously.
​It was originally surveyed and laid out in 1784 by on Theophileus Chamberlain, and granted to him and his associates, sixty-three other Loyalists.
PRIM POINT (D.)—The lighthouse on the point bears the name of Prim Point Lighthouse, since the year 1817.
PRINCE OF WALES LANDING PLACE (C. B.)—This Cove, on the shore of Sydney Harbor, between North Sydney and Sydney Mines, was originally known as "Indian Cove," and is locally known as "Barrington's Cove," after the family of that name who own the beautiful adjoining property.
It received its present name owing to the fact that in the year 1860, on the 28th of July, the then Prince of Wales and afterwards King Edward VII of England, who was en route from St. John's, Newfoundland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in the ships "Hero" and "Ariadne," made a landing at this place and visited the Sydney Mines and inspected the Sydney Mines Volunteers.
PRING ISLAND (Y.)—Named after William Pring. It was given to him and John Crawley in the year 1762 for assistance rendered to the first families that settled in Yarmouth; they arrived in 1761 and suffered great distress during the first year.
PRIVATEER COVE (D.)—So named owing to a privateering vessel having used the port about the year 1777. The vessel was lost at the time on Baxter's Point near by.
PROSPECT (H.)—In 1771 this place is referred to as "Prosper"; at one time called "Passepac." The Indian name was "Naspadakun," meaning "an herb mixed with tobacco."
PUBNICO (Y.)—Named from the Indian word "Pogomkook," meaning "land from which the trees have been removed to fit it for cultivation." The old French spelling was "Pomboncoup," from which the transition to "Pubnico" was easy. It is also stated that it was called "Poubomcoup," after a French family of that name who lived there or thereabout in 1705, but it is more likely that the Indian derivation is the correct one. Of the Indian word "Pogbumkook," or "Bogbumkook," we find the following English and French variations "Pommicoup," Poumicoup," "Pobomcon,' "Pignico," and "Pubnico."
PUGWASH (C.)—This is from an Indian name "Pagweak," meaning "shallow water," or "a shoal." Settled by the French about 1750. Was one time called "Waterford."
​PUZZLE POINT (C. B.)—The eastern end of Long Island in the Bras d'Or Lakes. Sailing westerly, i. e., coming into the Lakes, it is difficult to discern the opening between the Island and the mainland; hence the name.