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, a couple of entries still pending, no photos with the streets yet, layout not finalized...

This started with a book (last few pages under review) and so far 1889 of the 1891 articles entered, 1 or 2 links may 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

Hattorpe-tagune torn (0) Symbol designating a Point of Interest.

The tower behind Hattorpe’s, a Hattorpe (van Hatdorp, fl. late 14th / early 15th C?) was listed in the 1410-1414 list of Tallinn tower chiefs, i.e. the ones with the keys (de de slotel hebben to den tornen). Das Bruderbuch der Revaler Tafelgilde (1364-1549) mentions a Tones Hatdorp (with standard variants: Tonnies, Tones, Toniges, Antonies, Anthonius [see Tõnu], van Hattorpp, and Hattorp) as a Tableguild brother from 1434, who might have been his son, hailing from Soest, Germany, source of many a later Baltic-German noble, and wealthy Hanseatic traders may well have kept two homes. See also Hellemanni torn.

Hauka (Haugas)

Hawk, no species indigenous to Estonia. Part of the Lilleküla bird-name group of streets. Also junior (8-13 y.o.) member of the patriotic youth paramilitary organization Noored Kotkad (Young Eagles of Estonia) and occasional misnaming of Falgi, Falck → falcon, geddit?  See also Hüübi.

Havi (Haug)

Pike, northern pike, Esox lucius. The one they managed to let slip through the net here (intentionally, one wonders) is tuulehaug: the garpike, Belone belone. Why did they keep it off the streets? Because, as you discover when sitting in a restaurant not far from Chernobyl (well, 1000 km anyway) with more than moderate alarm is that the fish’s bones are green. Part of a fish group. See also Kammelja.

Heina (Hein)

Hay. Part of a fodder and staples street-name group. See Lible.

Heinamaa (Heinamaa)

Lit. ‘hay land’, grassland, field or meadow, with or without wildflowers, grown for fodder. Next to Rohumaa.

Heinavälja (Heinaväli)

Hayfield, grassland, meadow. This differs from Heinamaa in having natural or man-made boundaries where heinamaa is more open land.

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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.