Sapele, Sapoli, and Sapeli, are the European rendering of the Okpe name of the village which is Urhiapele or Urhuapele.  The hinterland Urhobo call it Isapele and the Itsekiri people generally call it Usapele, both obviously after the European rendering. Urhiapele or Urhuapele is a combination of two Urhobo words – Urhie or Urho and Apele. Urhie or Urho means a river or a stream, and Apele is a name of a Juju of the Okpe owners of the village. Urhiapele or Urhuapele therefore means the “River or the stream of Apele.”