There are two different versions regarding the origin of the town’s name. Besides Vonitsa, the relevant literature includes the name “Vonditza”, from a Slavic word meaning “water”. The second theory is based on a letter sent, in the early 13th century, by the archbishop of Nafpaktos, Ioannis Apokafkos, to the bishop of Vonitsa, Georgios Vardanis the Attic. The archbishop claims that the community’s name is actually Bulgarian in origin, from a word meaning “fish hook”. In both cases, though, it becomes clear that the local residents were well aware of the role of the aquatic element in their prosperity.