'Xiamen' originates from Chinese, specifically the word '廈門 (Xiàmén)', where '廈' meant 'mansion' or 'large building' and '門' meant 'gate'.

'Xiamen' was formerly known in English as 'Amoy', derived from the local Hokkien pronunciation, and eventually became the modern English word 'Xiamen' reflecting the Mandarin pronunciation.

Initially, it referred to the 'mansion gate' or 'large gate', but over time it became the name of the city known today as Xiamen.