Its name was first recorded in 1269 as castrum "Dewa". The origin of the name gave rise to controversy. It is considered that the name comes from the ancient Dacian word "dava", meaning "fortress" (as in "Pelendava", "Piroboridava", or "Zargidava"). Other theories trace the name to a Roman Legion, the Legio II Augusta, transferred to Deva from Castrum Deva, now Chester ("Deva Victrix") in Britain. János András Vistai assume the name is of old Turkic origin from the name Gyeücsa. Others assert that the name is probably of Slavic origin where "Deva" or "Devín" means "girl" or "maiden". (A similar case exists in Slovakian for the Devín Castle, located at the confluence of the Danube and Great Morava, at the site of the former town of Devín.)