The mountain's name is slightly enigmatic in its meaning. The name does not originate from the Norse language like many of the hills in the Assynt area; it does in fact derive from Gaelic. It was called Conamheall in the original 1891 publication of Munro's Tables, which translates as adjoining hill or hill of meeting (a reduced form of Gaelic coinneamh meeting, and in prepositional constructions opposite, facing, plus meall round hill) which is probably the correct translation as it describes its close connection to Ben More Assynt. Between 1921 and 1969 the mountain was called Cona-mheall which translates as enchanted hill. Since 1974 it has been called by its anglicised name of Conival.