Detschew, in his commentary on Αυλο-, Αυλου-, refers to it as a settlement name, quoting Kretschmer. J. Tishler defines it as of Asia Minor origin and places it in the list of Thracian names with a question mark, i.e., he doubts it.

As understood by Detschew and Tishler, the name actually appears to be hybrid—the first component represents the genitive case of the personal name Αυλος, more commonly found as the first component in a large group of double-stem Thracian personal names (Αυλουζενις, Αυλουπορις, Αυλουδενθης, etc.) or is from the same root, while the second is the Greek word κρήνη.

The connection with αὐλός “flute” suggested by ancient authors seems to be a mythological invention. The settlement name Aulocra/Aurocra points to another possibility. It seems to me that the variety of forms in various authors indicates some misunderstanding and adaptation. The names of the valley and the region share the same form Aulocrene in Pliny. Therefore, it seems possible that the Greeks incorrectly separated and understood the sequence -κρηνη in Αυλουκρηνη as the Greek word κρήνη “spring, fountain,” while the name may actually be an adjective from the settlement name Aulocra, formed with the suffix -ηνος /f. – ηνη.

In that case, we would have a hydronym derived from a settlement name.