Etymology

The name Harare comes from a Shona word "Haarare" in the local dialect or "Haarari" in others. It literary translates to "it doesn't sleep" which is the name given to places with constant noise such waterfalls or places constantly occupied by wild game. "Haarare" was the name of the region which contained the spot where Fort Salisbury was built by the Rhodesian Pioneer Column. The city grew into the colonial capital, Salisbury.

During the colonial era one of several African townships was called "Harare" Township. The second "a" may have been dropped by the Europeans through mispronunciation or by the Africans themselves through extensive usage. Upon independence Salisbury was renamed Harare from the original "Haarare" again dropping the second "a".