It came to be called Sanji Chion-ji Temple when Gokashiwabara was the Emperor, which is said to have started because three devotional exercises, which were performed the daytime out of six devotional exercises performed the course of a day in the Imperial Court, began to take place in this temple.
後柏原天皇の代に三時知恩寺と称されるようになったが、これは宮中における1日6回の勤行のうち昼間の3回をこの寺で行うようになったことによるとされる。