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

Kampri (Kamper)

Camphor, after a nearby cosmetics co. Street remaining to be built.

Kana (Kana)

Hen, chicken. Street more or less opposite the Maakri synagogue until 2000. Formerly Hühnerzehgasse, Hühnerzehstraße (chicken-toe, the German term reminiscent of French patte d’oie (goose foot) which indicates a junction with various streets forking off, but doesn’t apply here, see Kuke), Hühnergasse, Куриная (Kurinaya).

Kanali (Kanal)

Canal, watercourse, duct. Road close to the canal linking Ülemiste lake and Pirita river.

Kanarbiku (Kanarbik)

Common heather, heather, ling, heath, briar (in decreasing order of correct usage), Calluna vulgaris. The generic name Calluna is said to come from the Greek, καλλύνω (kallýnō, to beautify, purify, sweep clean), since it used to be used in besom-, i.e. broom-making.

Kandle (Kannel)

Kannel, Estonian zither or psaltery, with strings of horsehair (usu. 4) or metal (usu. 7), but a wide variety of string numbers and types exist. Exquisite to listen to. Given its neighbors – Laulu, Vanemuise, etc. – perhaps attempting to associate the instrument with the mythical birth of Estonia. See also Narva.

Kanepi (Kanep)

Hemp. Word possibly derived from 6/7th‑C Proto-Latvian, but widespread Eurasian usage and interloan makes anything hard to pin down. Belonging to TT’s group of the tekstiilitoorainetenimeliste tänavad, or streets named after textile raw materials, in Sitsi Sub-district of Põhja-Tallinn. See also Lina. Can also mean cannabis, but not in this instance.

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Wanted!

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