The Pišnica was attested in historical sources as Peschtchenitza in 1763–1787. The name is derived from *Pěsъčenica, based on the Slavic noun *pěsъkъ, which also yielded the Slovene noun pesek 'gravel, sand'. Etymologically the name therefore means 'gravelly river'. The development of the vowel *ě to i is characteristic of the localdialect.