Avanduse was attested in historical sources as Auendoys in 1241, Avendes in 1494, and Катко in 1900. The FinnishlinguistLauri Kettunen compared the name to the common nounavandus 'open place; hole in the ice' and Finnish avanto 'hole in the ice'. The name Катко in the 1900 attestation refers to Katkuküla, the original village name at the site of today's Avanduse. The name Katkuküla is derived from katk 'quagmire' plusküla 'village'.