It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives replied A-maa-gok (Cantonese Chinese: 阿媽閣; Jyutping: aa3 maa5 gok3; Cantonese Yale: a máh gok; lit.

'Pavilion of the Fujianese sea goddess Matsu (媽祖)'; Hokkien Chinese: 阿媽閣; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: A-má Koh; lit.

'towards; to; at; in' resulting into the following forms, "Macão", "Macao", "Macau", "Maquão", "Maçhoam", "Machoam".

[1] The temple was well described in ancient Chinese texts as well as represented in paintings, related to Macao.

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