The first historical reference to the shrine appears in "Nihongi Ryaku" (Summary of Japanese Chronologies) in an article for the 16th day of the 12th month of the year 818 (old lunar calendar) which states 'Izumo-sha Shrine in Kuwata County, Tanba Province has a rank of Myojin Taisha' - indicating that the shrine was already influential by this point in history.
国史の初見は『日本紀略』の弘仁8年（818年）12月16日条「丹波国桑田郡出雲社、名神に預る」という記述であり、この時代にはすでに有力な神社になっていたことがわかる。