Northern Sami language
The park is named after the large river "Anárjohka" which begins in the park and flows north. The river name comes from the Northern Sami language where "johka" means "river". The meaning of the first element is unknown (but it is also found in the name of the Finnish Lake Inari which translates to the Sami "Anárjávri"). The first word "øvre" is from the Norwegian language and means "upper", thus the name means "the upper part of the Anárjohka river".