Originally, Jalan Raja refers to just the small stretch near the St Mary's Cathedral. The section that runs in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building was originally known as Gombak Road1, as it crosses the Gombak River. The name has appeared on a map as early as 1889. There was a boarding house called Raja Resthouse at the western end of the road, on the site that is presently Bangunan Bank Rakyat.