If you do a search on Mecca, you find the full quote (p71). Ananias equals Mecca to Pharan.
Have you read Tomas Artsruni ?
1/What seems probable from these early sources is that quite early in Islam (maybe a pre-Islamic tradition?), the arabs had a certain praying focus. The question is where was it? Was it different places?
6th century chronicles will give you the answer.
2/ Where does this name "Mecca" come from? Was it the name of an existing (little) settlement? Or is it an older name stuck on the site that was decided to be a pilgrimage site having another meaning or coming from outside?
Read the Bible for that name.