[4] The municipality (originally the parish) is named Eresfjord og Vistdal, a compound name meaning "Eresfjord and Vistdal", referring to the local Eresfjorden (fjord) and Vistdalen valley.

The first element of this part is the genitive case of the word vistr which means "calm" or "quiet one", referring to the main river running through the valley.

[5] Historically, the name of the municipality was spelled Eresfjord og Vistdalen.

On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Eresfjord og Vistdal, removing the definite form ending -en.

[7] The municipal council (Herredsstyre) of Eresfjord og Vistdal was made up of 17 representatives that were elected to four-year terms.