A photo taken by Alexander R Hogg in 1910 shows the Dub Tea Rooms with two members of staff at the door. The name "The Dub Tea Rooms" is painted twice on the facade of the house, along with the words "Malone Gardens". Later, in the 20th century, the name was associated with a general shop called the Dub Stores, which served Upper Malone Road and the Taughmonagh estate. The name is still in use by a number of shops in a short row at this location. It has also been applied to the sports grounds of Queen's University Belfast, accessible from the end of Dub Lane.
It is likely that the name contains the Ulster-Scots word dub, meaning a muddy pool or puddle. This interpretation fits with the fact that Dub Lane was originally a rough, muddy, untarred road.