The former name of Mississauga was "Toronto Township." In 1968, Toronto Township was renamed to the Town of Mississauga after a popular vote by residents. The name "Mississauga" was chosen over "Sheridan," with 11,796 votes for Mississauga versus 4,311 for Sheridan. Toronto Township could not keep its original name due to confusion with the nearby City of Toronto, which had already been incorporated in 1834. The name "Mississauga" is derived from the Ojibwa word meaning "river of many mouths," and it was chosen to honor the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Indigenous people of the area.
