The name, Yishun, is a Mandarin romanisation of Nee Soon, named after Lim Nee Soon, a prominent industrialist who made his fortune from rubber and pineapples.

Yishun remained unchanged and is now the name attached to streets, roads, parks and a well-known cineplex within the town, Golden Village Yishun. It has developed into a sprawling residential town with Northpoint Shopping Centre, Yishun and Khatib MRT Station, and Orchid Country Club.