Since it is harvested in a late season, after ichibanca (first picked tea leaves) and nibancha (second picked tea leaves), it was first called '晩茶' (bancha; lit. 'late tea'), which was later changed to '番茶' (bancha; lit. coarse tea').
一番茶、二番茶を摘んだあとの遅い時期に収穫される事から晩茶と呼ばれ、後に変化して番茶となった。