The Malay word Ubi refers to the Tapioca plant. Coincidentally, it is the Latin word for "where" (as in "ubiquitous").
Kampong Ubi was a rather large village even for its time. The first settlements began at the junction of Jalan Ubi and Changi Road, and quickly expanded northwards to the areas designated as Ubi Estate today. All the roads and side-lanes within the kampong were named after vegetables, e.g. Jalan Kobis (cabbage), Jalan Bayam (spinach), Jalan Tauge (bean sprouts), and the like
