Britannica Sources used in this answer

How did Hunan province get its name from Dongting Lake?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Hunan Yueyang Tower, Yueyang, Hunan province, China.

The name Hunan is derived from two Chinese characters: hu, which means "lake," and nan, which means "south." Together, they signify "south of the lake," referring to the province's geographic position relative to Dongting Lake.1