The name Phong Nha-Ke Bang includes Phong Nha cave and Ke Bang limestone forest.
Phong Nha is widely explained as originating from Hán which means wind-tooth (wind flowing from the cave and stalactites and stalagmites inside the cave looking like teeth), but other theorires suggest that Phong Nha is the name of a nearby village and therefore, its name has nothing to do with wind and teeth as widely explained.
According to Lê Quý Ðôn, Phong Nha was the former name of a nearby village.[25] Other theory suggests that, Phong Nha derived its name from the imagination that mounts in this region standing in line looks similar to the scene of mandarins in front of the king in royal courts, therefore, it was named Phong Nha (Han Tu: phong means “summit” and nha means “mandarin”.
Other names of Phong Nha cave includes: Thủy Tiên cave, Thủy Mount, and Troóc cave