ירושלים נקרא ציון

We find in over 150 places in Tanach that ירושלים is called ציון. How did this name come about and why is it in fact called ציון?

There are a lot of explanations given especially in Kabbalah as to how and why this would be. However I haven't seen a satisfactory answer as to how this name came about.

I would like to suggest a hypothesis.

 ירושלים is a central theme in Judiasim. It is the eternal capital of Eretz Yisrael which is a central theme in Judiasim. Yet, ירושלים is not mentioned in the Torah. 

The reasons for ירושלים not being mentioned in the Torah but rather as המקום אשר יבחר ה'  are discussed in the Rishonim. Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in the Kuzari states ירושלים לא תיבנה כי אם כשיתאוו אליה בתכלית הכוסף  Jerusalem will not be built up until Israel shows God that they really desire it with all their heart. This is based on a Sifri that says as follows:

כי אם אל המקום אשר יבחר ה' א‑להיכם מכל שבטיכם' – דרוש על פי נביא... יכול תמתין עד שיאמר לך נביא? תלמוד לומר 'לשכנו תדרשו ובאת שמה

דרוש ומצוא ואחר כך יאמר לך נביא. וכן אתה מוצא בדוד, שנאמר 'זכור ה' לדוד את כל עֻנותו אשר נשבע לה' נדר לאביר יעקב אם אבא באהל ביתי אם אתן שנת לעיני... עד אמצא מקום לה' משכנות לאביר יעקב' (תהילים קל"ב, א-ה)"         (ספרי דברים פסקה סב

God wanted us to show him that we really desired it before he gave it to us. The reason for the above is beyond the scope of this discussion. 

The other reasons given are by Maimonides in Moreh Nevuchim who says as follows:

ואשר לא התבאר בתורה ולא נזכר בפרט, אבל רמז אליו ואמר 'אשר יבחר ה', יש בו אצלי שלש חכמות. האחת מהן - שלא יחזיקו בו האומות וילחמו עליו מלחמה חזקה, כשידעו שזה המקום מן הארץ הוא תכלית התורה; והשנית - שלא יפסידוהו מי שהוא בידם עתה וישחיתוהו בכל יכלתם; והשלישית, והיא החזקה שבהם, שלא יבקש כל שבט בהיותו בנחלתו ולמשל בו, והיה נופל עליו מן המחלוקת והקטטה, כמו שנפל בבקשת הכהונה, ולזה באה המצוה שלא יבנה בית הבחירה אלא אחר הקמת מלך, עד שתהיה המצוה לאחד, ותסתלק המחלוקת..."      (מורה הנבוכים ח"ג פרק מה)

1. So that the nations of the world will not try to possess it first, fortify it and fight a war to retain it knowing that it is our desired capital (As the Arabs are doing today with East Jerusalem).

2. So that the nation that possessed it before us wouldn't destroy it to the best of their ability so that when we do take over we will be left with "Scorched Earth" (as the Jordanians did from 1948 to 1967)

3. So that the Jews themselves wouldn't fight over it and try to control it when Eretz Yisrael was divided amongst the 12 tribes. 

ירושלים was always known throughout the Torah as the undisclosed future Capital of Eretz Yisrael. Eventually King David discovered it by way of Nevuah from גד הנביא.

At that point it became know to all that the "undisclosed location" that had always been talked about and mentioned many times in the Torah was in fact the city of Jerusalem.

However, it must have been referred to, up to that point with some name. Maybe it was referred to as "ציון" "The Assigned Place". ציון was the original name of the undisclosed location that had always been discussed as the future Capital. How else would have it been mentioned when it came up in discussion? That name stuck. The generic name ציון was its name for hundreds of years. Now finally King David uncovered the place which the whole of Israel aspired to for so long and was referred to as ציון.  ציון is really a term for an assigned place and was the placeholder name for ירושלים until  ירושלים's discovery. However, still now, the nom de guerre ציון remained the fondly remembered title used for the Israelite capital. 

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