The university is named upon the three illustrious tribal leaders who mastered courage to put up valiant resistance against British imperialist oppression, two brothers Sidhu Murmu, Kanhu Murmu and Birsha Munda.
On 10 January 1992 Siddhu Kanhu University was founded in Dumka, which, later, on 6 May 2003 renamed as Sido Kanhu Murmu University.