Georges Daressy proposed that in the Greek period the settlement may have been called *Tawa*, *Tawwa*, or *Tafa* in Latin. In the Byzantine era, it appeared as *Tou* and was the seat of a significant bishopric.

During the Muslim conquest of Egypt, the settlement retained the name "Tanitad," which later evolved into "Tantada." It remained a small village until the 11th century CE, when it became the capital