13 Madara Uchiha Named the Village While Hashirama Built Konoha's Foundation. Madara Uchiha named the village Konohagakure. The name came from a leaf that he picked up. He looked at the village through the leaf and named it the settlement "Village of the Hidden Leaf."

Why are the hidden villages hidden?

The villages are all independent and each has its own secrets, hidden techniques, et cetera, which they guard from other villages. The locations of each village although not completely a secret are obscured, preventing them plans or other sensitive information from leaking out.

How about the village hidden in the leaves?

Konohagakure (木ノ葉隠れの里, Konohagakure no Sato, English TV: "Village Hidden in the Leaves" or "Hidden Leaf Village", literally meaning: Village Hidden by Tree Leaves) is the hidden village of the Land of Fire.