Explanations of the origin of the word Ardeşen in Armenian, Georgian and Laz have not yet been conclusive, but the root art̆a- in the name means fire in Persian.

There is plenty of rainfall but little land flat enough for planting anything except for tea, and life is hard in these wet highlands.

This was even more the case before tea planting began, when successive generations migrated away from the area to jobs in Turkey's larger cities or abroad.

The income from tea growing has brought more amenities to Ardeşen but the traditional rural lifestyle persists; many of the people in the countryside are ethnic Laz and the older generations in particular continue to speak the Laz language, although their traditional clothing has disappeared with the ban on growing hemp.

The municipality consists of the following 23 quarters: Bahar, Başmahalle, Cami, Düz, Elmalık, Kahveciler, Kavaklıdere, Kuzey, Merkez, Müftü, Şentepe, Yayla, Yenimahalle, Barış, Deniz, Fırtına, Çiftekavak, Işıklı, Yavuzselim, Cumhuriyet, Fatih, Konaktepe and Taşbaşı.