Named after Alt-Hohenschönhausen, ‘old’ Hohenschönhausen.
The village was settled in the first half of the 13th century, probably by colonists from Schönhausen in the Altmark. In the 14th century ‘Hohen’ (high) was added to set it apart from lower-lying Niederschönhausen. The prefix ‘Alt-’ (old) dates from 2002, when the new Ortsteil of Neu-Hohenschönhausen was created.