ðə stɹˈiːt wʌz nˈeɪmd baɪ kˈæptɪn wˈɪljəm mˈeɪn smˈɪθ ðə fˈɜːst sɚvˈeɪɚ dʒˈɛnɚɹəl ˈæftɚɹ ɐn ˈɜːli nˈuː zˈiːlənd kˈʌmpəni sˈɛtlɚ ʃˈɪp, ðə kjˈuːbə, wˌɪtʃ hiː ɚɹˈaɪvd ɪn wˈɛlɪŋtən hˈɑːɹbɚɹ ˌɔn θɹˈiː dʒˈænjuːˌɛɹi wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi.
The street was named by Captain William Mein Smith the first Surveyor General after an early New Zealand Company settler ship, the Cuba, which he arrived in Wellington Harbour on 3 January 1840.