The Municipality of New Lucena was formerly known as Jimanban, a very small barrio organized sometime in 1800, which was a part of the Municipality of Cabatuan. In 1886 the boundary line separating the jurisdiction of Santa Barbara and Cabatuan was defined and Jimanban was made part of Santa Barbara. Intermarriage among the people increased the area's population

    Led by Bartolome Valenzuela, a prominent resident of the barrio (Jimanban) the resident organized themselves and petitioned the governor-general that they are granted independence by putting up a church, convent, and a casa real (municipal building). With the help of the provincial officials and captain municipal of the municipalities of Santa Barbara, Cabatuan, and Pototan, Lucena was separated from Santa Barbara on October 9, 1877, in accordance with the Dirrecion General De Administration Civil. The first Municipal Officials were elected and the first captain municipal was Bartolome Valenzuela is known as Tan Abe, the grandfather of then-Senator Tomas Confessor and Representative Patricio Confessor.

    It is not recorded when Jimanban was changed to New Lucena but Lucena reportedly comes from dialect Lu (Ulo) which means "head" and "cena" which is the short version for the flower Azucena, which means pure and peaceful. Thus, Lucena means a pure and peaceful leader.

    Another belief was that Jimanban was changed to Lucena after the name of the Provincial Alcalde Mayor Pedro Gonzales Lucena, the 36th Executive of the Province of Iloilo in 1716–1717.

    When the Americans came, Pueblo de Lucena was again incorporated into the Municipal of Santa Barbara in 1902 for economic security and the facilitation of government. In 1921, the prominent citizens of Lucena petitioned for their separation from Santa Barbara. On January 1, 1947, Lucena became a new town in the Province of Iloilo, thus it is now called New Lucena.