Originally, Hata was written as 波多 (Hata) in kanji. 波 means "wave" and 多 means "much". The name meant "many waves", reflecting the abundance of clean water the town had. In 1932, the name was changed from 波多 to the current 波田. 田 means "rice paddies" and reflected the town's hope for abundant water and rice cultivation. Hata's main industry is farming and produces various vegetables and fruits, including watermelons, corn, apples, peaches, and so on. Hata is built on a river terrace. The town's slogan is "A Fascinating Town on a River Terrace" reflects this.