The area is occasionally called the North Kinki or 'San-Tan' (meaning three 'Tan') when combined with adjacent Tajima Province (但馬国) in northern Hyogo Prefecture (as the Chinese character "但" can be also pronounced "tan").
また、隣接する兵庫県北部の但馬国と併せて「三たん」（さん‐）や北近畿と呼ばれることもある。