Named after the rue des Goncourt, which honours the brothers Edmond (1822–1896) and Jules (1830–1870) de Goncourt.
The Académie Goncourt, which awards the Prix Goncourt, France's best-known literary prize, was founded under Edmond's will in the name of both brothers. The station is subtitled Hôpital Saint-Louis, after the hospital nearby, named in memory of King Louis IX.