The earliest traceable name of Tiu Keng Leng is "Chiu Keng Wan Shan" (or Chiu Keng Leng), literally refers to the clear and tranquil waters of the bay. Fishermen used to call the bay as Chiu Keng Wan and the hills as Chiu Keng Leng. In another saying, the name Chiu Keng Leng refers to the traditional headwear of Hakka women working in the field which reflected sunlight and looked like mirrors under the sun. At that time, Hakka people lived in the south-western part of Tseung Kwan O (from Tin Hau Temple in Sam Ka Tsuen towards Tseung Kwan O Bay). The name Chiu Keng Leng remained unchanged until a foreigner killed himself after the British leased the New Territories.

          It is said that after the signing of the Convention Between Great Britain and China Respecting an Extension of Hong Kong Territory in 1898, a Canadian and retired civil servant from the works department (who was known as Albert Herbert Rennie) found Chiu Keng Leng as the ideal place for him to start his business. He bought a piece of land there with his entire pension and built the Hong Kong Flouring Mill. The Mill was specialized in producing flour for the exclusive use of local westerners. The Mill started operation in 1905 and closed in April 1908 because of high production cost and poor quality of product. The failure in business had made Mr. Rennie so disappointed that he jumped into the sea and drowned himself at Lei Yue Mun, 3 km from his flour mill on 14 April 1908.

          The news soon spread across Sai Kung. However, the popular version of the news was not that Mr. Rennie had drowned himself at sea. Instead, it was said that "Mr. Rennie hung himself by putting one end of a rope round his neck at the mill and tying another end to a big rock before jumping into the bay". It seems that the story maker was unaware that it would need a 3 km long rope to complete the feat to link up the mill site, the big rock and the bay.

          Unfortunately, most of the people at that time chose to believe a "sensational story". Chiu Keng Leng was thus replaced by Tiu Keng Leng, literally "Hanging Ridge", to add to the frightening connotation.

          In June 1950, a large number of mainland refugees moved from Mount Davis on Hong Kong Island to Tiu Keng Leng. They changed the Chinese name so that it meant "adjusting the condition".

          In fact, Mr. Rennie had not hung himself while "Hanging Ridge" was but a mockery. The name is only a transitional name from Chiu Keng Leng to Tiu Keng Leng.