The municipality (originally the parish) is named after the Tromsøysundet strait in 1860 (prior to that time it was called Tromsøe landdistrikt, which means the rural district around Tromsø).
The administrative division (originally a parish) received its name from Tromsøysundet strait in 1860 (previously it was referred to as Tromsøe landdistrikt, which denotes the rural region surrounding Tromsø).