The name of Shenzhen first appeared in 1410 during the Ming Dynasty. Local people called the drains in paddy fields "zhen" or "chong". The name "Shenzhen" means "deep drains", because this is an area crisscrossed with rivers and streams, and there are deep drains in the paddy fields. Shenzhen became a township at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty.

Shenzhen is also known as “Roc City."