The village is named after the river Å-elva, which flows past it from the nearby mountains of Snøtinden, Ristindend, and Åtinden–all of which are more than  above sea level.
The village's name originates from the river Å-elva, which originates from the mountains of Snøtinden, Ristindend, and Åtinden, all of which are located above sea level.