Named after Imperial Wharf, the housing built on the old Imperial Gasworks in Fulham.
The station takes its name from the riverside development beside it, built since 2004 on the former gasworks site. The Imperial Gas Light and Coke Company bought land at Sands End in 1824, and a new jetty was built at Imperial Wharf in the 1920s. During planning, the station was known as Chelsea Harbour.