Mount Begbie is named for Sir Matthew Baillie Begbie (1819-1894), a prominent judge in the British Columbia colony. The first ascent of the mountain was accomplished June 11, 1907, by James Robert Robertson, J. Herdman, and Rupert W. Haggen, with Edward Feuz Jr. as guide. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1932 when approved by the Geographical Names Board of Canada.