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

Metsise (Metsis)

Usual name for western capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus. Breeds in Estonia. Part of the Lilleküla bird-name group of streets. See also Mõtuse.

Metsniku (Metsnik)

Forester, woodman, gamekeeper. One of an occupational street-name group. See Raiduri.

Mihkli (Mihkel)

Michael: former farm name.

Miinisadama (Miinisadam)

Not mini-harbor but Mine Harbor, built in the very early 1900s as ‘Peter the Great Harbor’ to service ships involved with mines. Group of five ports/harbors in Kalamaja. See Noblessneri.

Miku (Mikk?)

Given the predominance of garden centers, market gardeners and florists in the area, perhaps a former farm name, ‘descendent’ of a poolmõis (see Mõisa) known in 1913 as Ges. Miku. (Mikk’s dependency). What the original name was is uncertain. Mikk:Miku was an Estonian name, probably a diminutive of Est. Mihkel, calqued on German Michael, so possibly after an Est. farm manager. Streetname replaces that of eastern half of former Kiviaia. Bit of an enigma too: looks like it’s in Iru but KNAB lists it in Laiaküla, and the street may actully be the demarcation line between them, possibly explaining the otherwise excellent Nerman & Lõhmus leaving it out of their index completely.

Mineraali (Mineraal)

Mineral. Close to Metalli and Mehaanika, but also, Tallinn oblige, Vaarika and Maasika. Heaven help us. While English ‘mineral’ has a range of definitions, there is debate as to whether maavara (earth good/asset) might be a better translation. One of a small technico-industrial group founded by Albert Koba in 1904 (see Tarabella), see Keemia.

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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.