By Tim Lambert
Acton
Acton comes from ac tun meaning oak farm or village
Barking
Barking was Berica ingas, which means Berica’s people
Barnet
Barnet is derived from the Saxon word baernet, meaning a burned place, from the days when people cleared land for farming by burning trees.
Battersea
An eg was an island or an area of dry land surrounded by marsh. It’s believed the ‘batter’ is derived from a man’s name, possibly Beaduric.
Bermondsey
Bermondsey takes its name from a Saxon landowner. It was Beormund’s eg. The word eg meant an island, a promontory of land, or in this case an ‘island’ of dry land surrounded by marsh.
Bexley
Bexley comes from byxe leah, which means box tree clearing
Blackfriars Lane
This street takes its name from Dominican friars. They were called blackfriars because of the colour of their costumes
Bromley
It was broom leah or clearing where broom grew
Brixton
Brixton was Brixi’s tun, Brixi’s farm or hamlet
Camden Town
Camden Town is named after the first earl of Camden who began development there
Catford
It was the ford of wild cats
Cheam
This name is probably derived from the Saxon words ceg ham, meaning village by the tree stumps
Chelsea
The name Chelsea is derived from Saxon words cealc hythe. The word hythe meant a landing place for boats. The word cealc meant chalk so perhaps it was a chalky landing place for boats.
Chislehurst
Hurst meant hill. The ‘chisle’ part is derived from the Saxon word cisel meaning gravel or shingle.
Chiswick
The word wick sometimes meant a specialised farm. Chiswick was the cheese farm.
Clapham
Its name was originally clopp ham, which meant the village (ham) by the short hill (clopp)
Clerkenwell
It was the clerk’s well. It stood on the site of Farringdon Road
Cricklewood
This was a wood with an uneven edge
Crutched Friars
This street takes its name from friars who lived there in the Middle Ages. The word crutched is a corruption of crouche, the old English word for cross. Their proper name was Friars of the Holy Cross.
Croydon
Croydon probably takes its name from crog denu, which means saffron valley
Dagenham
Dagenham was Daecca’s ham or village
Deptford
Deptford was the deep ford
Downing Street
Downing Street was built by George Downing in the late 17th century
Dulwich
Dulwich was dill wics. Wics means a wet meadow
Ealing
Ealing was Gilla ingas the people of Gilla
Edgware
This name comes from the words Ecgi’s Weir
Eltham
Eltham may have been Elta’s ham, Elta’s village
Enfield
The Saxon word feld meant open land. Enfield was Eana’s feld.
Finchley
Finchley was finch leah or the clearing with finches
Golders Green
It takes its name from the Godyer family who lived here in the Middle Ages
Greenwich
It was once called green wic (the word wic meant a port)
Fulham
Fulham was Fulla’s hamm or Fulla’s land by a river
Hackney
Hackney was Hacca’s ey, an ‘island’ of dry land surrounded by marsh
Hammersmith
It was the place where a smith made hammers
Hampstead
Its name meant homestead
Harrow
Harrow takes its name from the Saxon word haerg which means a temple to pagan gods
Havering
Havering was Haefer ingas or Haefer’s people
Hillingdon
It may have been the dun, meaning hill of a man named Hille
Holborn
Holborn was the hol bourne, the brook in a ‘hole’ or hollow
Hounslow
Hounslow probably comes from Hund’s hluew meaning Hund’s slope or hill
Islington
Islington was Gisla inga dun, which means the hill (dun) belonging to Gisla
Kingston
Kingston Upon Thames was once the king’s tun or estate
Lambeth
The name Lambeth is derived from the Saxon word hythe meaning a landing place for boats. It was a landing place where lambs were landed.
Lewisham
Its name was probably Leofsa’s ham (ham meant village)
Merton
This name comes from the words mere meaning pool and tun meaning farm or village
Minories
This street takes its name from an abbey dedicated to St Clare. The nuns were called sorores minores or little sisters of St Clare
Muswell Hill
Muswell is derived from words meaning mossy spring
Old Jewry
This was the district of the city of London where Jews lived in the Middle Ages. In 1290 Jews were expelled from England. In the 17th century Jews were allowed to return and they gave Jewry Street its name.
Pall Mall
Pall Mall takes its name from a game similar to croquet that was once played here
Plumstead
The Saxon word stede meant place or farm. So it was the plum stede.
Purley
Purley was pear leah or pear (tree) clearing
Richmond
Richmond used to be called Shene. Henry VII renamed it after Richmond in Yorkshire
Rotherhithe
Hyth meant a landing place for boats and hryther meant cattle. The hryther hyth was the landing place for cattle
Soho
Soho is believed to get its name from an old hunting cry
Southwark
It was called the south work and became known as Southwark
Streatham
The Saxons called a Roman road a straet and their word for village was ham. So it was straet ham, the village by the Roman road.
Surbiton
Surbiton may have been sud bere tun, which means south barley farm
Sutton
This was sud tun or south farm
Teddington
This place-name comes from the words Tedd inga tun, which means the farm or hamlet belonging to Tedd
Towers Hamlets
In the 17th century, there were hamlets around the Tower of London
Walthamstow
Walthamstow comes from 3 Saxon words – weald meaning forest, ham meaning village, and stowe meaning place.
Wandsworth
Wandsworth was once Waendel’s worth. A worth was an enclosure.
Wanstead
The second part of the name comes from the Saxon word stede meaning place. The first part of the name is probably from wen meaning hill. So it was the place by the hill.
Wembley
Wembley was Wemba’s leah or Wemba’s clearing
Willesden
Willesden was once wella’s dun, which means spring hill
Wood Street
Firewood was sold in this street
Woolwich
Wick meant port so it was the wool port