Melbourne is often called Naarm because that is an Aboriginal name for the Country on which the city is built, coming from the languages of the Kulin Nation whose people are the Traditional Owners of the area. The growing use of “Naarm” is part of a broader movement to recognise Indigenous sovereignty, history, and culture alongside the colonial name “Melbourne.”

What does “Naarm” mean?

  • “Naarm” (also written “Narrm”) is a Traditional Place name from Eastern Kulin languages, especially Woiwurrung and Boonwurrung, referring to the area around what is now central Melbourne and parts of Port Phillip Bay.
  • In Woiwurrung, Elder Aunty Joy Murphy explains that “Naarm” means “place” and marks the region as an important meeting place for Kulin Nation language groups.

Who are the Traditional Owners?

  • The land now called Melbourne sits on the Country of the Wurundjeri and Boonwurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation, whose connection to this area goes back tens of thousands of years.
  • “Naarm” is used to acknowledge this Country, rather than only the British colonial naming after Lord Melbourne in the 19th century.

Why is “Naarm” used more now?

  • In recent years, many organisations, artists, media outlets, and community groups have started saying “Naarm (Melbourne)” in intros, email signatures, and event promos as an Acknowledgement of Country.
  • This trend sits within a broader push for reconciliation: using Traditional Place names in everyday life to recognise that First Nations sovereignty was never ceded and that Aboriginal people remain the custodians of the land.

Is “Naarm” the official name?

  • The city’s official legal name is still Melbourne; “Naarm” is not an official dual name like Uluru/Ayers Rock.
  • However, many institutions and events voluntarily adopt dual phrasing (for example “live from Naarm (Melbourne)”) to blend the colonial name with the Traditional Place name.

Why is it a talking point online?

  • On forums and in opinion pieces, some people enthusiastically embrace “Naarm” as a respectful way to centre Indigenous history, while others see it as confusing or as a political statement, especially when broadcasters use it without explanation.
  • This mix of enthusiasm, curiosity, and pushback is part of why “why is Melbourne called Naarm” keeps popping up as a trending topic and debate in recent years.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.