The name "Shilin" was derived from ''Pattsiran'', the [[Ketagalan]] word for "hot spring". It was then transliterated into Chinese as "八芝蘭" {{XL|Patcilaan}}. By the late Qing dynasty, "many literary talents from the area had passed the [[Khøkuo|imperial examination]]", prompting the local gentry to rename it ''Shilin'' (士林), meaning "congregation of scholars and talents".