Religious Place Names

Roman Catholic immigrants have frequently given religious place names, or toponyms, to their settlements in the New World, particularly in Québec and the U.S. Southwest. Québec’s boundaries with Ontario and the United States clearly illustrate the difference between toponyms selected by Roman Catholic and Protestant settlers. Religious place names are common in Québec but rare in its two neighbors

Religious Toponyms

Place names near Québec’s boundaries with Ontario and the United States show the imprint of religion on the landscape. In Québec, a province with a predominantly Roman Catholic population, a large number of settlements are named for saints.

Pause & Reflect 6.3.3

What examples of religious toponyms can you find in your community?