The region's taxonomic name has a convoluted history. Ericeira is believed to have originated from "Ouriceira", itself a derivative of "Ouriço", referring to the name for sea urchins (used in the parish's coat-of-arms). One legend suggested that Ericeira was the "terra de ouriços" ("land of ouriços"), owing to what was assumed to be an abundance of sea-urchins along the beaches. However, recent investigations, archived in the Museum of the Misericórdia, confirm that the animal mentioned was not an "ouriço", but an "ouriço-caixeiro" ("hedgehog"), a species associated with the Phoenician goddess Astarte. The ancient settlement presumably dates from the passage and colonization of the Phoenicians.