 Yet another theory is that "Kochi" is derived from the word "kaci", meaning 'harbour'.Accounts by Italian explorers Nicolo Conti (15th century), and Fra Paoline in the 17th century say that it was called "Kochchi", named after the river connecting the backwaters to the sea.After the arrival of the Portuguese, and later the British, the name Cochin stuck as the official appellation.