Shibutani was called Shirutani (written 滑谷 Shirutani and 瀋谷 Shirutani), and the name originated from the street, which was always slippery from a mixture of water that splashed onto the street from a nearby swamp and fallen leaves.
渋谷は、もともとは滑谷（しるたに、汁谷、瀋谷などとも記される）と言われ、沢の水が絶えず落ち葉などと相俟って非常に滑りやすい道となっていたことに由来する。