The name Sitia is old and came from the name of the ancient city of Itidas or Itia which was located in Eastern Crete. The scholars and linguists who dealt with the etymology of the name state that it probably comes from the generic name Hetia.

In an inscription containing a resolution of the Praesians, Sitaeitas are mentioned, so some linguists express the opinion that there may have been a different city with the name Sitia that changed to Sitia later. But even if the name of Sitia comes from the ancient Iteia or Setia, it is certain, from the findings of the archaeological dig, that the newer city was not built on the site of the ancient one.