The earliest mention of the island of Abadan, if not the port itself is found in works of the geographer Marcian, who renders the name “Apphadana”. Earlier, the classical geographer, Ptolemy notes “Apphana” as an island off the mouth of the Tigris (which is, where the modern Island of Abadan is located).
In the Islamic times, a pseudo-etymology was produced by the historian Ahmad ibn Yahya al-Baladhuri (d. 892) quoting a folk story that the town was presumably founded by one “Abbad bin Hosayn” from the Arabian Tribe of Banu Tamim, who established a garrison there during the governorship of Hajjaj in the Ummayad period.
