By the early 1800s, Fall Branch was known as "Crouch Town", after a family of early settlers. The name had changed to "James' Cross Roads" by 1830, when a post office was established. The name "Falls Branch" had been adopted by 1854, and the "s" was dropped from "Falls" in 1883, giving the community its current name. The name was inspired by the waterfall the community's main creek, also called Fall Branch, spills over just before it empties into Horse Creek.