The origin of the name "Gongdeok" is not clearly known. However, it has been hypothesized that it was derived from the Korean word "deogi" or "deok" meaning "a flat place on a high plateau", or "keun deogi" that means "a hill." Some insist that the name came from the old name of the area, "Gongdeok-ri."

The name "Singongdeok-dong" is a combination of "Gongdeok-ri" that had existed during the Joseon era and "Sin-dong" that was newly created near Gongdeok-dong. The area had been mostly farmlands to grow crops until the assassination of Empress Myeongseong in 1895 when it began to be inhabited by people. At that time, a man surnamed Kim who served as a minister in the Joseon government decided to go to the countryside with his family and become a farmer for he hated the chaotic atmosphere within the fortress as Japanese soldiers were all around the city. He led his family to Maponaru Port, where, however, he changed his mind and settled in the nearby area. The area is known to be today's Singongdeok-dong.

Famous for peach blossoms in spring, Dohwa-dong has been called "Boksa-gol" or "Dohwanae-dong" since the Joseon era (“Boksa” and “dohwa” mean peaches and peach blossoms, respectively.). Dohwa-dong today includes Samsung Apartment and Useong Apartment complexes and the surrounding areas. With the construction of the Gyeongwon Line in 1905, residential zones started to be formed here and the traces of the old days are hardly found today.

This was where Maponaru Port was in the past, and the name "Mapo-dong" originated from the port's name. Maponaru Port was the most crowded of the five water transportation hubs along the Hangang River (Ttukseom, Noryang, Yongsan, Yanghwajin, and Mapo) and originally called "Samgae" which later changed to "Mapo".

This is where Yi Ji-ham, a scholar of the Joseon Dynasty, lived. Until few years after the liberation of Korea, there still remained an empty site known as the site of his house, but today, only a monument to him stands near the former site. Among the old village names in Tojeong-dong are "Araet (Upper) Tojeong" and "Wit (Lower) Tojeong", which suggests that the area has long been called by this name ("Tojeong-ri" in the past).

There are two hypotheses about the origin of the name. First, in the Feng Shui theory, the area represents the head of a dragon in the entire shape of the Hangang River. In Korean, "yong" means "dragon" and "gang" means "river". So, it is thought that this name was given to the area. Second, "Yonggang" is considered to be a combination of "yong" of "Yongsan" and "gang" of Seogang. It was also called "Ongmak" and "Ong-ri" or "Dok Mak" and "Dok Maeul" because there were many workshops that baked earthenware jars ("dok" or "onggi" in Korean). Later in the process of indicating the name in Hangeul, it was changed to "Dogi-dong" and then "Dongmak". In Dongmak, a large number of earthenware jars and pots were produced and sold. They were used not only for storing salted seafood or kimchi, but also for making liquor. According to (A Record of Seasonal Customs in Korea), a book published during the Joseon era, refined soju (Korean distilled spirits) was produced in the vicinity of Dongmak. The book also records that Sammaekju, a type of soju produced in the area between Gongdeok and Dongmak, was difficult to brew but had a unique taste different from that of ordinary soju. In this area, thousands of jars of Sammaekju was produced every year. It was yellowish in color and tasted as fresh as dew but looked cloudy as if mixed with oil when in the jar. Sammaekju was known to be good for the health of internal organs.

The initial name of Sinsu-dong originated from Sucheol-ri. The name "Sucheol" came from the area's former names "Musoemak" and "Musumak". "Musoe" or "musu" mean cast iron and the area was called by these names as there were many workshops manufacturing cast iron caldrons and farming tools to be offered to the country. Also, as cast iron was melted and poured onto batang (mold) in the manufacturing process of caldrons, there was a place called "Batanggeori" within the area.

The name "Gusu-dong" means "an old village nearby Sucheol-ri". Like Sinsu-dong, there were workshops where cast iron caldrons and farming tools were manufactured and offered to the country here and thus the area was also called "Musoemak" and "Musumak".

During the reign of King Sukjong of Joseon, Park Se-chae who served as the Second State Councilor, lived at Sodongru in this area. The name "Hyeonseok-dong" was taken from his pen name "Hyeonseok." The former name of the area was Nongam. On the other hand, it is also argued that this area was named "Hyeonseok" as there were many black stones around it ("Hyeon" and "seok" mean "black" and "stone," respectively.). For this reason, in the past, the area was also called "Gameundol Dongne." "Gameundol" is the old form of the word "Geomeundol" meaning "black stone." So, the residents here often called this area "Utgameundol Maeul" meaning "a village on black stones" or "Angameundol Maeul" for it was created on a mountain ridge with many black stones. Until the Joseon era and the Japanese occupation era, the Hyeonseok-dong area was where the rich who made their fortune through commerce lived, constructing their summer houses, pavilions and luxurious tile-roofed houses.

"Sinjeong" means "a new well" but it is not known where it was located in the past. There was the site of Gongse, the Joseon Dynasty's institution that collected taxes from ships passing through Seogangnaru Port in the current 96-beonji area in Sinjeong-dong, but it was removed in the construction process of riverside roads. There was also a shrine for Prince Sado at 77-1 beonji in Sinjeong-dong, which was demolished for the construction of the riverside roads.

Daeheung-dong was called "Dok Mak" or "Dok Maeul" which means "a place where earthenware is produced and sold." During the Japanese colonial period, however, the name changed to "Dongmak" as it was mistakenly indicated by the Japanese. The upper and lower parts of the area were also referred to as "Dongmak Sangni" and "Dongmak Hari," respectively. Recently, the area was renamed Daeheung. The development of the area began from 1929 when the Yongsan Line connecting Yongsan and Dangin-ri was constructed. A small town where earthenware was made into a developed city area with the completion of Dongmak Station, a way station on the railroad that transported goods to Dangin-ri's thermal power plant.

During the Joseon era, salt was rare and valuable. At that time, all the ships loaded with salt from across the country gathered at Maponaru Port. So. Mapo was famous for salt and there was even a salt brand called "Mapo Yeom." For this reason, many neighborhoods in Mapo have names related to salt. Sogeummeori-gol in Mapo-dong had a salt market where ships loaded with salt busily moved in and out. Near Dongmak Station in Daeheung-dong was a large salt storage. In Yonggang-dong, earthenware to contain salt were produced and sold. Yeomni-dong, in particular, was a place inhabited by many salt traders. They put their salt in the earthenware jars that they bought in Yonggang and exchanged them with fish at the port.

The name Anyeon-dong originated from its old names "Aeugae" and "Aegogae". Here, "ae" and "gogae" mean "a child" and "hill," respectively. During the Joseon era, when people died, their bodies were buried outside the fortress. In particular, Aeogae Hill was a place where the corpses of children were buried contained in earthen jars. In fact, many graves of children were found around the San-7 beonji area in Ahyeong-dong. It is also presumed that the hill was named "Aegogae," literally meaning "a child hill," as it was a smaller hill than the nearby Mallijae Hill. Sogeummeori-gol in Mapo-dong had a salt market where ships loaded with salt busily moved in and out. Near Dongmak Station in Daeheung-dong was a large salt storage. In Yonggang-dong, earthenware to contain salt were produced and sold. Yeomni-dong, in particular, was a place inhabited by many salt traders. They put their salt in the earthenware jars that they bought in Yonggang and exchanged them with fish at the port.