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 1750 of the 1884 articles (A to most of T & Vs included) entered so far, so some 10% 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

Rätsepa

Rätsepa (Rätsep)

Tailor, from rätt (and Sepa), today used more in the sense of kerchief (cloth being riie [giving riided, clothes], lapp [used more in cleaning contexts], or kangas [fabrics, material]), but might have had a broader meaning in the past. Earliest street-name records give Johann Retsepp (1725) but, given the variability in 18th-C name spelling and change (e.g. Johannes or Jaan and Rätsep(p) or Schneider), he remains untraced. One of an occupational street-name group. See Jahimehe.

Ratta

Ratta (Ratas)

Wheel. Parallel to Rulli. Probably loaned from Lithuanian ratas (before the arrival of Ger. Rad), and fairly widespread across FU languages, this is quite an ancient loan. The plural, in Est. as well as Latv., Lith., Finn. and other FU languages is often wagon or cart. In Est. as in Eng., the same pl. may also mean car. Russian ‘wheel’, колесо́ (kolesó), on the other hand, is related to Eng. cycle, and Anc. Gk κύκλος (circle), whose pl. κύκλοι or κύκλα, also became ‘wheels’… These, along with Eng. ‘car’ – via French < Latin < Gaulish karros from PIE root *kers- ‘to run’ – are related to PIE *kʷel-1 or *kʷelǝ-, to turn or revolve, as is (prob.) also French ‘neck’, cou.

Raua

Raua (Raud) Symbol designating a Tallinn "Asum", or Sub-district.

Iron, both literally and metonymically, i.e. horse bit, horseshoe, chains, gun… Renamed (1952-1989) as Gogoli N. during the Soviet occupation. One of a metals street group. See Terase.

  1. Raua K.
  2. Raudalu
  3. Raudosja
  4. Raudsüdame

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Advertise...

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.

Sponsorship logo top bare

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.