Naestved has roots as far back as 400-500 BC. Archaeological material from this period has been found in the soil under Naestved, and tells of human life here before long before the Viking era.
The name of the city, Naestved, derives from two words: Næs and Tved. Tved means "cleared land" or "cleared wood" (as "thwaite" in English toponyms), and refers to the city's origin in the woods of southern Zealand, on the banks of the Suså. "Naes" is the Danish word for a small peninsula (as "ness" in English toponyms), and probably refers to the city's placing on the peninsulas Ydernæs, Grimstrup Næs, and Appenæs.
In 1135, Benedictine monks received Saint Peter's Church and surrounding land in order to found St. Peter's Priory. This is seen as the foundation of the town of Naestved, although the town appears to have existed already at that time, being both big and important to the region
