Streetsign reading "Tallinn Streets dot com" Header

Work in progress

A pile of ro ad signs half-trashed and piled up on a building-site, to indicate the site is in construction.

Website under construction, many entries missing, no photos with the streets yet, layout not finalized...

This started with a book (last few pages under review) and so far 1814 of the 1884 articles (A to Z, with 50-odd Ts remaining) entered so far, so some 5% of the links go nowhere.

Logo of the Tallinn Children's Hospital Foundation

The Book

All author earnings of A Rambling Dictionary of Tallinn Street Names to be donated to the foundation or donate here.

If anyone could help or advise as to the legal mechanism, it would be appreciated, thanks!

The Website

Not intended at the beginning, the present website is taking on a life of its own, with plans for relevant discussion forums, picture galleries and, over time, more non-streetname entries.

In theory, it will be funded by advertising relevant to people in Tallinn, to be determined.

A percentage of profits (also to be determined) to be donated to the foundation. 

Contact

Photograph of Simon Hamilton in Pikk street, Tallinn.

Apparently, a company that uses its owner's name is considered more trustworthy because they put themselves on the line.

This is me, in Tallinn this spring (2025), on a 3-month spree to check details, take photos (about 12K), explore (ave. 15K/day), and so on. I think I covered every street in Kesklinn (apart from Mõigu), most of Põhja-Tallinn and some Kristiine.

For information, please contact Simon at this address dot com, thanks!

Names

Ehitajate (Ehitajad [pl.])

Builders, constructors. Also shipwrights. (Sing.: Ehitaja). Named in honor of the workers building housing in Mustamäe. During the Soviet period, an old joke went: how do you conjugate the verb ‘to build’? Mina ehitan, sina ehitad, tema ehitab, meie ehitame, teie ehitate, nemad kolivad sisse. (I build, you build, he/she builds, we build, you (pl.) build, they move in).

Ehte (Ehe)

Adornment, ornament, ouch (see Sõle for information), piece of jewelry. Some would say trinket. Appropriately, next door to the above Sõle. Only Tallinn street name a palindrome in the nominative, but not the genitive.

Elektri (Elekter)

Electricity. Known briefly, 1959-1960, as Iili, by which they probably mean a blast or gust (of wind) rather than clepsine, an outdated term for the glossiphonid or snail-leech. All the more so since its previous name was Tuule. Leads off Alajaama.

Elektroni (Elektron)

Electron. Parallel to Energia.

Endla (Endla)

Name of a lake, bog, basin, region and nature reserve in central Estonia, home to the white-tailed eagle, golden eagle and osprey. The lake is home also to Juta, the Maid of Järve, a Muse-like fairy capable of evoking the past. Speaking of which, previous name Wittenhofi after former burgomeister. Remains of the manor, bought up by Koba (see Tarabella) in 1904, were converted into plots, effectively initiating the Lilleküla district, starting with (working outwards) Mineraali, Metalli, Mehaanika and Keemia (Oddly, while Kivi lists them as dating 1904, for KNAB it’s 1923, perhaps unofficial local records vs official?). 

Enela (Enelas)

Spirea, meadowsweet, Spiraea spp., shrub of the rose family. Street neither built, nor now planned to be built.

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Your business, store or consultancy next to your street address and a percentage of your fee (to be determined) goes the the Children's Hospital fund.

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Post your favorite local photo and sponsor the foundation. Your entire sponsorship goes go the the Children's Hospital fund

Wanted!

Beautiful photos of your street or Tallinn! Send them in! No remuneration planned for now, but will be attributed according to your preferences.