a variation of the Cham word daknan (lit. 'the large water'); Sakaya (aka Van Món), another Champa researcher, claims a connection with the Raglai word danang, meaning 'river source'.

Another name given to Da Nang was Cua Hàn (lit. 'mouth of the Han [river]'). The name used by the French, Tourane, is said to derive from this name, by way of a rough transliteration. This name (spelled Cua han) appears on maps of the area drafted by Alexandre de Rhodes