Named after Schönhauser Allee, the old road to Schloss Schönhausen.
The avenue began in the Middle Ages as the road from Berlin to the villages of Pankow and Niederschönhausen, and is named after Schloss Schönhausen in Niederschönhausen. It was once called Pankowscher Landweg, then Schönhauser Weg, and has carried its present name since 27 December 1841. The U-Bahn station was called Nordring until 1936, when its name was brought into line with the S-Bahn station.