The village of Rostokino has been known since the 15th century, when it belonged to Mikhail Borisovich Pleshcheev, a close boyar to the Grand Princes of Moscow, Vasily II (the Dark) and Ivan III[6].
As a monastic possession, the village prospered rapidly, as its residents were granted an "obelnaya" charter, exempting them from all state duties and taxes, and requiring them to work solely for the monastery.
During the Time of Troubles, Rostokino suffered greatly: it was repeatedly traversed by Polish-Lithuanian forces and Cossack detachments supporting the False Dmitrys.
In 1613, a large band of Cossacks engaged in banditry along the Trinity Road sent messengers from Rostokino to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, declaring their readiness to cease their criminal activities and enter the sovereign's service.
However, the village retained its rural character for a long time, and only in the post-war period did the construction of modern standardized residential buildings begin.
The district takes its name from the village that stood in this area before being subsumed by Moscow, whose name in Old East Slavic literally means river split.