According to linguist Ivan Duridanov, Chiprovtsi's original name was "Kipurovets" (Кипуровец). The current form gradually emerged through a sound shift and a syncope. The name is of Slavic origin, but may be linked to the archaic Greek loanword "kipos" (κήπος, "garden"), a word also borrowed by Serbian. Some researchers derive the toponym from the personal name "Kipra" or "Kipro", implying beauty and sprightliness. Another popular hypothesis, although rejected by Duridanov, links the name to Latin "cuprum" ("copper") due to the numerous copper deposits and mines in the region in Ancient Roman times.