 Despite the official Cortes spelling, which appeared on Canadian Hydrographic Service Charts, many of the island's early pioneers anglicized the name and referred to the island as Cortez.Marina Island, just southwest of Cortes Island in Sutil Channel, was also named by Galiano and Valdes in 1792, in association with Cortes Island, for La Malinche, known as Doña Marina, the Nahua woman who was interpreter, adviser, and mistress of Hernando Cortes during his conquest of Mexico.During the late 19th century Admiralty charts showed the name as Mary Island, until the original name was restored in 1906.