The community is also known as the Capilano Indian Reserve, formally Capilano Indian Reserve No. 5, and is named like the adjacent Capilano River after the Capilano chieftaincy, the best-known Joe Capilano. The name Kiapila'noq means "people of Kiap", and was the title of the supreme chief of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh in the area of English Bay.
The community is also referred to as the Capilano Indian Reserve, formally known as Capilano Indian Reserve No. 5, named after the nearby Capilano River in honor of Joe Capilano, a prominent local chief. The name Kiapila'noq translates to "people of Kiap", signifying the title held by the supreme chief of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh tribe in the English Bay area.