# On the naming of Canada **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2024, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-naming-of-canada/1000443 "2024-04-18T03:35:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 9
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2024, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-naming-of-canada/1000443/9 "2024-04-18T11:39:09Z")
> [@Trivia Dominoes II — Play Off the Last Bit of Trivia — continued!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trivia-dominoes-ii-play-off-the-last-bit-of-trivia-continued/846950/8602): > > The rarely used full name of Canada is the “Dominion of Canada”. I can’t remember the last time I heard anyone actually use this, which would seem pretentious in many contexts. The first time I have ever heard, “Dominion of Canada”, is RIGHT NOW. LOL Got this from the [**Canadian Encyclopedia:**](https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dominion) “Dominion of Canada is the country’s formal title, though it is rarely used. It was first applied to [Canada](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada) at [Confederation](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/confederation) in 1867. It was also used in the formal titles of other countries in the British [Commonwealth](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/commonwealth). [Government](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/federal-government) institutions in Canada effectively stopped using the word Dominion by the early 1960s. The last hold-over was the term Dominion Day, which was officially changed to [Canada Day](https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-day) in 1982. Today, the word Dominion is seldom used in either private or government circles.”\* --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-naming-of-canada/1000443)._