There were conflicting versions of how Terengganu got her name. Some associated it to the discovery of an incisor tooth of an unknown origin at a river estuary by a group of hunters from a neighbouring state. Thus they called the place 'Taring Anu' where the tooth was found. Another version, the name Terengganu was derived from a very bright rainbow seen by a group of sea travellers and proclaimed the land to be 'Terang Ganu (Bright Rainbow). Yet another version implies the river of Terenggan as an important trade route between the coastal settlements and those from inland. Trade flourished with the river as the main transportation link. Inland settlements goes to Sungai Terenggan nu (that way to the coastal) rather than to Sungai Terengganu ni (that way to further inland).Furthermore the name Terengganu was mentioned as Teng-Ya-Nu by a Chinese scholar, Coo-Cu-Fei in his book Ling-Wai-Fai-Ta in 1178AD. Another Chinese historian, Cao-Ju- Kua did not miss Teng-ya-nung when he authored Cu-fan-Cih in 1226AD.
Teng-ya-nung was under the rule of Sri Vijaya kingdom. Ptolemy, a Greek traveller corroborated that the east coast region of the Golden Chersonese (Peninsular Malaya) had Kole and Primula. Both believed to be ports of call for coastal traders. Kole was said to be in Kemaman while Primula was believed to be in Kuala Terengganu. The Inscripted Stone (Batu Bersurat) found by Sayed Hussein Ghulam Al-Bukhari in 1902 at Kuala Berang bore the word Terenkanu inscribed in jawi, an Arabic Romanized version.
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