 The name "Butuan" is believed to have existed long before the Spanish conquistadores arrived in the Philippine archipelago.One possible indication of this is a rhinoceros ivory seal with design carved in ancient Javanese or early Kawi script (used around the 10th century CE) which, according to a Dutch scholar, was deciphered as "But-wan".Another account suggests the name derives from the word "batuan", a mangosteen-related fruit common in Mindanao.