The city now known as Mississauga was originally named Toronto Township by British colonial officials in 1805. Before becoming Mississauga, it was unofficially known as the "City of South Peel." When the township sought to incorporate as a town in the 1960s, a new name was needed to avoid confusion with the City of Toronto. After a plebiscite with options that included Sheridan, Malton, and Mississauga, the name Mississauga was chosen by popular vote in 1967 and officially adopted on January 1, 1968. This name reflects the Indigenous Mississaugas of the Credit, with Mississauga likely meaning "river of many mouths" in the Ojibwa language. Thus, the city's former name was Toronto Township, and it was referred to as City of South Peel during its transition to becoming the City of Mississauga.
