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London Place Names

The origin of London's place names (districts and boroughs)


A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Place Name
District
or
Borough
Original Meaning
First
Recorded
A
Acton Doak farm 1181
Addington DEadda's estate 1086
Addiscombe DAeddi's enclosed land 1229
Alperton DEalhbeorht's estate 1199
Arkley DArkeley's land 1547
B
Balham Drounded enclosure 957
Barking B place of Berica's people 731
Barnes D place by the barn1086
Barnet B land cleared by burning1070
Barnsbury Dde Berners' manor 1406
Battersea D Beaduric's island1086
Bayswater D Bayard's water1380
Becontree DBeohha's tree1086
Beckenham DBeohha's enclosure 973
Beddington DBeadda's estate 908
Bedfont Dspring with drinking vessel 1086
Bellingham DBera's enclosure 998
Belmont Dbeautiful hill 1212
Bermondsey DBeornmund's island712
Bethnal Green DBlitha's green1443
Bexleyheath Dheath by a box wood774
Biggin Hill Dhill near a building 1499
Blackheath Ddark field 1166
Bloomsbury Dde Blemund's manor1291
Brent BCeltic river name 
Brentford Dford over the river Brent705
Brixton DBeorhtsige's stone1086
Brockley Dbadgers clearing 1182
Bromley Bclearing where broom grows862
Brondesbury DBrand's manor 1254
C
Camberwell Dplace by the well1086
Camden Bnamed after Charles Pratt Camden18th C
Canonbury Dmanor of the canons1373
Carshalton Dfarm by the spring where cress grows 1086
Catford Dford with wild cats1254
Chalk Farm Dcold cottages1253
Charring Cross Dbend with a cross1360
Cheam Dhomestead by the tree stumps967
Chelsea Blanding place for chalk789
Chessington DCissa's hill1086
Chingford Dshingle ford1086
Chislehurst Dgravely wooded hill973
Chiswick Dcheese farmc1000
Clapham Dhomestead by the hillock880
Clerkenwell Dwell where students come1150
Cockfosters Destate of the chief forester1524
Coulsdon DCuthraed's hill967
Cowley DCofa's clearing959
Cranham Dland frequented by crows1201
Crayford Dford over the river Cray1199
Cricklewood Dcurved wood1294
Crofton Dfarm near a hillc900
Croydon Bvalley of wild saffron809
Crystal Palace Dnamed after a glass structure in Hyde Park1851
Cudham DCuda's homestead1086
D
Dagenham BDaecca's homestead690
Dalston DDeorlaf's farm1294
Debden Ddeep valley1086
Deptford Ddeep ford1293
Dulwich Dmarshy meadow where dill grows967
E
Ealing BGilla's people698
Edgware DEcgi's fishing enclosure975
Edmonton DEadhelm's farm1086
Elmstead Dplace by the elm trees1320
Eltham Dhomestead frequented by swans1086
Enfield BEana's open land1086
Epping Dlookout place1086
Erith Dmuddy landing place1086
F
Feltham Dhomestead where mullein grows969
Finchley Dclearing where finches are1208
Finsbury DFinn's manor1235
Fulham BFulla's riverside land705
G
Goddington DGoda's estate1240
Golders Green DGolder's green1612
Goodmayes Dnamed after Goodmay family1456
Greenford Dgreen river crossing845
Greenwich Bgreen (grassy) port964
Gunnersbury DGunnhildr's manor house1334
H
Hackney BHaca's island1198
Haggerston DHaergod's boundary stone 1086
Hammersmith Bplace with a hammer smithy (forge) 1294
Hampstead Dhomestead 959
Hampton Dfarm in a river bend1086
Hanwell Dspring where cocks are959
Hanworth DHana's enclosure1086
Harefield Dopen land used by army1206
Haringey Benclosure in the grey wood1201
Harlesden DHeoruwulf's farm1086
Harlington DHygered's estate831
Harmondsworth DHeremod's enclosure1086
Harold Wood D(King) Harold's wood1237
Harrow Bheathen temple825
Hatch End Ddistrict by the gate1448
Havering BHaefer's people1086
Hayes Dovergrown with brushwood831
Heathrow Drow of houses by a heath1410
Hendon Dhigh hill975
Heston Dfarm among the brushwood1125
Highbury Dhigh fortc1000
Highgate Dhigh (toll) gate1354
Hillingdon BHilda's hill1080
Holborn Dhollow stream1086
Holloway Dhollow road1307
Homerton DHunburh's farm1343
Hornchurch Dchurch with horns1233
Hornsey Denclosure in the grey wood1201
Hounslow BHund's mound1086
Hoxton DHoc's farm1086
I
Ickenham DTicca's homestead1086
Ilford Dford over the river Hyle1086
Isle of Dogs Dmarshy area frequented by stray dogs1593
Isleworth DGislhere's enclosure1086
Islington BGisla's hillc1000
J
K
Kennington DCena's farm1086
Kensal Green Dvillage green by the king's wood1253
Kensington BCynesige's estate1086
Kentish Town Destate held by man from Kent1208
Kenton Dfarm on the River Kenn1086
Keston DCyssi's boundary stone973
Kew Dspur of land by a landing place1327
Kidbrooke Dbrook where kites are seen1202
Kilburn Dcows' stream1130
Kingsbury Dking's manor1044
Kingston
Upon Thames
Bking's estate on the Thames838
Knightsbridge Dknights' bridge1050
L
Lambeth Blanding place for lambs1088
Lewisham BLeofsa's homestead1086
Leyton Dfarm on the river Lea1050
Limehouse Dlime kilns1367
London Bnamed after Londinos (bold one) 115
M
Malden Dhill with a cross1086
Marylebone DSt Mary's stream1453
Mayfair Dplace of the May fair 
Merton Bfarm by a pool967
Mill Hill Dhill with a wind mill1547
Mitcham Dlarge village1086
Morden Dhill in marshland969
Mortlake Dburial pit1086
Mottingham DModa's enclosure1044
Muswell Hill Dmossy spring by a hill1155
N
Neasden Dnose shaped hillc1000
Newham Bnew place1965
Newington Dnew farmc1200
Norbiton Dnorthern outlying farm1205
Northolt Dnorthern nooks of land960
Northwood Dnorthern wood1435
Norwood Dnorthern wood1176
Notting Hill DCnotta's hill1356
O
Ockendon DWocca's hill1070
Orpington DOrped's estate1032
Osterley Dwoodland clearing with sheepfold1274
P
Paddington DPadda's estate1050
Palmers Green Dnamed after Palmer family1608
Peckham Dhomestead by a peak1086
Penge Dend of the wood1067
Perivale Dvalley of the pear trees1254
Petersham DPeohtric's homestead1086
Petts Wood Dwood owned by Pett family1577
Pinner Dplace by a peg shaped ridge1232
Plaistow Dplace for playing1414
Plumstead Dplace of the plum trees961
Poplar Dpoplar tree1327
Pratt's Bottom DPratt's valley1801
Purley Dwood where pear trees grow1200
Putney DPutta's landing place1086
Q
R
Rainham Dhomestead of the Roegingas1086
Redbridge Bred bridge1777
Richmond Bnamed after Richmond (Yorkshire) 1502
Roehampton Dhome farm where the rooks gather 1332
Romford Dwide ford1177
Rotherhithe Dlanding place for cattle1105
Ruislip Dleaping place where rushes grow 1086
S
St John's Wood Dgranted to the Knights of St John1294
St Pancras Dnamed after a saint1086
Selsdon DSele's hillc880
Shepherds Bush DShepherd's bushes1635
Shoreditch Dditch by a steep bank1148
Sidcup Dflat topped hill1254
Sipson DSibwine's farm1150
Snaresbrook DSnare's (?) small river1599
Soho Da hunting cry1632
Southall Dsouthern nook of land1198
Southgate Dsouthern gate1370
Southwark Bsouthern defensive work1086
Stamford Hill Dhill by a sandy ford1294
Stanmore Dstony pool1086
Stepney DStybba's landing placec1000
Stockwell Dspring by a tree stump1197
Stoke Newington Dnew farm by the tree stumps1086
Stratford Dford on a Roman road1177
Streatham Dhomestead on a Roman road1086
Surbiton Dsouthern grange1179
Sutton Bsouthern farm1086
Sydenham DCippa's homestead1206
T
Teddington Dtide end town969
Thames Riverdark river (Celtic)51 BC
Thamesmead Dreclaimed marshland by the Thames c1960
Thornton Heath Dheath by a farm with thorn trees 1511
Tolworth DTala's enclosure1086
Tooting DTota's people675
Tottenham DTotta's homestead1086
Totteridge DTata's ridge1150
Tower Hamlets Bhamlets of the Tower of London c1700
Tufnell Park Dnamed after William Tufnell1753
Tulse Hill Dnamed after the Tulse familyc1650
Twickenham DTwicca's land in a river bend 704
U
Upminster Dhigher minster (church)1086
Uxbridge Dbridge of the Wixan people1145
V
Vauxhall DFalkes' hall1279
W
Waddon Dhill where woad grows1115
Walthamstow Dplace where guests are welcome 1075
Wallington Dvillage of the Britons1086
Walworth Denclosure of the Britons1001
Wandsworth DWaendel's enclosure1086
Wanstead Dplace by a mound1055
Wapping DWaeppa's people1220
Wealdstone Dplace by the stone of Harrow Weald 1822
Welling Dnamed after Willing family1362
Wembley DWemba's clearing825
West Ham Dwestern riverside land1086
Westminster Bwestern monastery975
Whetstone Dplace of wet stones (for sharpening) 1417
White City Dnamed after colour of nearby stadium1908
Whitechapel Dwhite chapel1340
Willesden Dplace by a hill with a spring939
Wimbledon DWynnmann's hill950
Winchmore Hill DWynsige's boundary hill1319
Wood Green Dgreen place near a wood1502
Woodford Dford by a wood1086
Woolwich Dplace where wool was loaded918
Wormwood Scrubs Dscrubland by a wood with snakes 1200
X
Y
Yeading DGeddi's settlement716
Yiewsley DWifel's clearing1235
Z


KryssTal Related Pages

An essay on the origin and history of the includes a section on the origin of British Place Names.

This section gives more information about the city itself for visitors.


The 32 London Boroughs

© 1997, 2000 KryssTal


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