Ontarioan

Ontarioan is a demonym historically used to denote a resident or native of Ontario, a province of Canada. The form is built from the name Ontario with the -an suffix; today the more common demonym is Ontarian. Ontarioan tends to appear in older texts, regional writing, or contexts seeking an archaic or stylistic tone.

In contemporary English, Ontarian is the standard demonym for people from Ontario, while Ontarioan is largely considered outdated, imprecise, or dialectal and is rarely used in official discourse. Both terms refer to residents of the same jurisdiction, but Ontarian is the preferred form in modern usage.

Ontario is Canada’s most populous province, located in east-central Canada along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Its population is highly diverse, with major urban centers such as Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, and London. Ontarians are part of a multicultural society that includes large immigrant communities and Indigenous peoples. English is the predominant language, with French spoken in parts of the province and in official bilingual spaces, notably in Ottawa.

The term Ontarioan carries no legal or political status and is not an official nationality. It appears mainly in historical, regional, or stylistic contexts rather than contemporary formal language.