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

Nigli (Nigli)

Lesser or small sand eel, Ammodytes tobianus, better known as väike tobias, little Toby (see Viki). Part of a fish group. See also Räime.

Niguliste (?)

Street and church. Nicholas, presumed dead around 350 CE, relics nicked by Italian merchants in 1087, patron saint of sailors, children, unwed girls, apothecaries, merchants, pawnbrokers and perfumers, and patron saint of Russia. Saint’s day: Dec. 6, evolution into Santa Claus began during Middle Ages. For a variation on the theme, see Vene. First recorded as platea beati Nicolai in 1377, then going through some unusual contorsions in the 18th & 19th Cs: Nikkola ulits (like the next one, but more Finnish sounding, 1723), niggola ulits (old school Estonian spelling with Russian ‘street’ appended, 1732), Nigulaste uulits (where the ‑laste makes it sound like ‘Nigulians’, while ‑(i)ste may be from old Norse, 1861), and Nigolas uulits (1885). For some reason, probably related to the Kelchi pärn (see Nõelasilm and Pärnade), called Липовая (Lipovaya) or Липовая Городская (Lipovaya Gorodskaya, Linden or Linden City Road, in the early 20th C.

Niidi (Niit)

Thread, filament. One of a textile raw materials street group. See also Puuvilla.

Niidu (Niit)

Meadow, hayfield. One of a meadow flower or grass group. See Nurmiku.

Niine (Niin)

Bast, bass, phloem, the inner bark of lime trees, see Lõhmuse.

Nikonovi J.

(Jevgeni Alexandrovich Nikonov, 1920-1941)

Russian marine who fought in the defense of Tallinn in 1941, and, wounded and caught but refusing to divulge any military information, burned alive by the Germans. Decorated as Hero of the Soviet Union, an honor he shared with Matrossov. Soviet occupation renaming (1951-1991) of Soo.

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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.