The toponym Dầu Một existed prior, in reference to large number of Dipterocarpus trees lining the port where there was a market in this area.

In the 1940s, many of these were cut down; thus, the place name Thủ Dầu Một can be understood as "the only large oil tree growing, located next to the fort".

Other toponyms in the area do follow similar tree + numeral structures, such as Xoài Tư (literally "Mango" + "Four") and Quéo Ba ("Mangifera reba" + "Three").

[4] Thủ Dầu Một has seen a rapid expansion and economic development since 1997, as the province has become an important industrial hub of the region.

Thủ Dầu Một will be a modern city within the Hồ Chí Minh City Metropolitan Area (including Thủ Dầu Một, Nhơn Trạch, Tân An, Biên Hòa and parts of Đồng Nai and Bình Dương provinces).