Named after the River Brent and a crossroads nearby.
The river's name is older than the Romans and may come from a Celtic word meaning 'high' or 'elevated', perhaps linked to the goddess Brigantia. It is probably first recorded in 705, in Breġuntford, now Brentford. The station, due to be called Woodstock, opened in 1923 as Brent and became Brent Cross in 1976, when the shopping centre opened.