<P> Other theories speculate that the name comes from the Nukkari Berber tribe living in the Moroccan Atlas, named in Roman sources as Canarii, though Pliny again mentions the relation of this term with dogs . </P> <P> The connection to dogs is retained in their depiction on the islands' coat - of - arms (shown above). </P> <P> It is considered that the aborigines of Gran Canaria called themselves "Canarii". It is possible that after being conquered, this name was used in plural in Spanish, i.e., as to refer to all of the islands as the Canarii - as . </P> <P> What is certain is that the name of the islands does not derive from the canary bird; rather, the birds are named after the islands . </P>

Why do they call them the canary islands