Premise: The city's name derives from the Greek words "άργυρος" ("árgyros" meaning "silver") and "πόλη" ("poli" meaning "city"). The name's older form was "Argyroupolis". The first name of the settlement was "New Argyroupolis", given by the refugees from Gümüşhane.
Hypothesis: The gold and silver found in the Greek Acropolis were mined in the nearby city of Athens.