The name 'Ea 1' has an uncertain origin, but it is believed to possibly derive from Sumerian, meaning 'house of water'. Alternatively, it may have Akkadian or Hurrian roots. In ancient Mesopotamian cultures, Ea was the Akkadian, Assyrian, Hurrian, and Babylonian name for the Sumerian water god Enki, who was associated with wisdom, creation, and freshwater.