'Walthamstow' probably means the place of welcome.
It was recorded around 1075 as Wilcumestowe and in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Wilcumestou; why the place was thought particularly welcoming is not apparent. The station opened in 1870 as Hoe Street and took its present name in 1968, when the Victoria line arrived. 'Central' tells it apart from nearby Walthamstow Queen's Road.