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

Mahla (Mahl)

Juice, sap. Former name Roopa. Same railway, further away from town center.

Mahtra (Mahtra)

Fight, quarrel, brawl. Word derived from the peasant insurgency on the Mahtra estate, 60 km from Tallinn, in 1858, about which Vilde E. wrote in his 1902 historical novel Mahtra sõda (‘The Mahtra war’).

Mai (Mai)

May (month). Originally Apteegi (till 1959) and, for some obscure reason, renamed as Ale (see Alemaa) from 1940-1941.

Maikellukese (Maikelluke[ne])

Lily of the valley (lit. little may bell), Convallaria majalis, lone species in the Convallaria genus, aka lambakeel, sheep’s tongue. One of the Mähe flower-name group, see Mugula.

Mailase (Mailane)

Probably harilik mailane (i.e. common or garden mailane), heath or common speedwell, common gypsyweed, Paul’s betony, Veronica officinalis, aka hundihamba rohi, lit. wolf’s tooth medicine. One of a meadow flower or grass group. See Mesika.

Maimu (Maim)

Immature fish, whitebait, smelt, fry once developed from larva, or even baby anything. Part of a fish group. Also a woman’s name that appears to have been created in 1886 by 20-year-old Georg Eduard Luiga, later editor-in-chief of Päevaleht (see Mändmetsa J.), in his story Muruneid (fairy of the greensward), a probable reference to the Kalevipoja’s Murueit, queen / mother of the fairies / greensward. As will Daenerys, the name had its fifteen minutes then faded away. See also Merihärja.

Page 138 of 315

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.