Named after Köpenick, whose Slavic name means 'island place'.
The Slavs who had a castle here gave the town the name Copnic, 'island place': the old town and the palace still stand on islands where the Spree and Dahme meet. It was first documented in 1209 as Copenic and was officially spelled Cöpenick until 1931. The station opened on 23 October 1842, then about one kilometre from the town.