The earliest references to Crete come from texts of the Syrian city of Mari from the 18th century BC, where the island is referred to as Kaptara.

In ancient Egypt, it was known as Keftiu, which strongly suggests the Minoan name of the island. The current name was first attested in Mycenaean Greek texts in the 15th century BC. In ancient Greece, the name Crete first appeared in Homer’s “Odyssey.”