The City of Arcoverde has a history that a little runs away from the common one of the toponymy chosen for pioneers. The origins, generally, mark the identity of the place or who deferred payment in it, exactly with the development. Arcoverde was influenced by who arrived later with the progress. At the beginning, close to the Mountain range of the Old Village, in the center of caatinga, the farms Bredos and Olho had appeared d' Water, of Joo Nepomuceno de Siqueira Melo and Manoel Pacheco of the Couto. In 1865, Leonardo Couto, son of Manoel Pacheco of the Couto, d' created the town of Eye; Water of the Bredos, when it donated lands and it constructed to the chapel of Ours Lady of the Release.
In 1909, Eye d' Water of the Bredos changed the name for Rio Branco because of the creation of the postal agency and the inauguration of the Railroad binding it the Capital of the State. In consequncia the commerce was intensified and, in 1928, Rio Branco raised it the category of City, with the one more time changed name for Arcoverde, in 1943, in homage to the D. Joaquin de Albuquerque Cavalcanti Arcoverde, first Cardinal of Latin America, been born in the hinterland. The district was created with the denomination of Rio Branco, for the municipal law n 18, of 1912, subordinate to the city of Fishing. Raised to the category of Village, with the denomination of Rio Branco, for the state law n 991, of 01-07-1909, desmembrado of Fishing.
In 1920, the district of Rio Branco appears in the city of Fishing. Being raised to the condition of city and headquarters of the city, for the state law n 1931, de1928 and installed in 1929. In referring administrative division to the year of 1933, the city is constituted of the district headquarters. For the state Decree n 952, of 1943, the city of Rio Branco started to call Arcoverde. In 1960 division, the city is constituted of the district headquarters up to 2005. It suffered to municipal toponmica alteration from Rio Branco for Arcoverde modified for the state Decree n 952, of 31-12-1943.