At various times it has been called Baptiste River and Baptiste Berland River. The river is named after Baptiste Berland. David Thompson's map of 1813-1814 records the Baptist River. The name Berland River was officially adopted in 1917 to avoid confusion with the Baptiste River that flows into the North Saskatchewan. The Berlands were long involved with the fur trade. The elder Baptiste had his name on a river in the early part of the 19th century. The younger Edward Berland was mentioned by Father de Smet in the 1840s.

Flows east into Athabasca River approximately 53 km south of Fox Creek.