Yangzhou place names are named after ancient books.

Yangzhou was written as Yangzhou in ancient times (according to the fact that the word "Yang" in Hanshu was changed by "Mu" and "Hand" by later generations, and Wang Niansun has a detailed textual research). The name of Yangzhou was first seen in Shangshu Gong Yu: "Huaihai is just Yangzhou". This is a broad geographical concept in the minds of the ancients, including Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and other provinces in the vast areas of Huaishui, Yellow Sea and Yangtze River. According to Du You's Tong Dian in Tang Dynasty, there are 39 county capitals in Guyang Prefecture, 196 counties. Although this Yangzhou includes today's Yangzhou, it cannot be confused with today's Yangzhou.

During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there were thirteen secretariat departments in China, including Yangzhou secretariat department. The jurisdiction of this secretariat is equivalent to Huaishui in Anhui today, Jiangsu and Jiangxi, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces south of the Yangtze River. Huangmei and Guangji in Yingshan, Hubei; Gushi, Henan, far away from cities and other places. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, he lived in Liyang (now Hexian County, Anhui Province) and moved to Shouchun (now Shouxian County, Anhui Province) and Hefei (now northwest of Hefei City, Anhui Province) at the end of the year. In the Three Kingdoms, Wei and Wu established Yangzhou, Wei Zhi Shou Chun and Wu Zhi Jian Ye (now Nanjing, Jiangsu). After the Western Jin Dynasty destroyed Wu, it was still under construction (later renamed Jianye, later renamed Jiankang).

Today's Yangzhou is called Han in the Spring and Autumn Period, Guangling in the Qin and Han Dynasties, Jiangdu in the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties and Wu Zhou in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. In the ninth year of Emperor Kai of Sui Dynasty, Wu Zhou was changed to Yangzhou, but the headquarters was still located in Danyang (now Nanjing). In the eighth year of Tang Gaozu Wude (625), Yangzhou Academy was moved from Danyang to Jiangbei, and Guangling enjoyed the proper name of Yangzhou from then on.