The Punjab was probably called Sapta Sindhvah, a combination of the two Sanskrit words – Sindh and Sapt – meaning the seven rivers of Sindh, the references of which are found in the Rig Veda, written by the Aryans in this part of the world. The debate, however has been going on as to which were the seven rivers that the various songs in the Rig Veda allude to. Probably the land stretching from Kabul in the north to Saraswati in the south formed part of it.
But there exists plenty of disagreement on it – the seven rivers could have been Sindh, Kabul, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Jhelum and Chenab. Later perhaps it was called Punjnad, which again is the combination of two Sanskrit words Punj five and Nad meaning water – land of five rivers. But the word Punjnad being of later coinage is not found in the Rig Veda. Punjnad had been used in the subsequent Vedas and is also mentioned in Mahabharat. According to various sources this land had also been called Arya Vart, Vehleek, Madhr Des, Uttar Path, and Punjaal. Sindh was for the Iranians Hind and the Greeks made it Ind, and the Romans called it India and from there came the English version. After the Greek rule this land was called Taki from the tribe Takkas who were the undisputed rulers lords of the Punjab. In the twelfth century, however, according to SomDev it was called Punj Ambo, which again means land of the five rivers, and after the coming of Islam Hindo Sindho Punjab is actually the Persian for Punjnad.
The word Punjab was used for the first time by Ibne Batuta, the Muslim traveller who visited India in the fourteenth century.