The name of Moka can be traced back to the introduction of a variety of coffee plants originating from the region of Moka in Arabia. The name Moka was derived from the “Moch-a” coffee which was introduced and cultivated by the French as of the first years of their occupation of the Island. The cultivation of coffee in Moka was abandoned in the first half of the 19th century.
The administrative organisation of the District of Moka dates back to 1762. At the beginning of the 19th century, Governor Decaen subdivided Moka into four townships: Les Pailles, Moka, Terre Rouge and Quartier Militaire.