The origin of the name "Nervi," according to some authors, is due to the presence of a Celtic colony that settled there in the past; the hypothesis is supported by the motto "Near Av Inn" present on the Nervi coat of arms and meaning, in Celtic, "place near the sea." According to others, however, the name comes from the mispronunciation of the name "in arvis" (in the fields) found on a Roman military stone. The third theory, on the other hand, relates to Emperor Marcus Cocceius Nerva, to whom the name of the suburb is said to have been dedicated by a division of soldiers who found refuge in the neighborhood.