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!

Home

Köie (Köis)

Rope, cable. After the former rope-making community of Köismäe.

Kõivu (Kõiv)

Alternative, dialectical and/or Võro* term for Kase (cf. koivu in Finnish, kõuv in Livonian, and koiv in Veps). Counterpart in antiquity to Lõhmuse. Variants include arukõiv (see Arukaskede); marokõiv (see Kase [above]), and sookõiv (see Sookaskede). Tree/shrub group, see Leedri.

* Strictly, Võru, but the ‑o ending is proper to the Võro language/dialect, and was also proposed by Hurt (see Oti) as part of the Estonian language reform (see also Aate) to replace the ‑u ending, but it didn’t catch on.

Kõla (Kõla)

1) Sound, tone, ring, resonance; 2) Weaving-tablet, flat board with holes in the corner used (usually in pairs) in belt-weaving. Next to Sanatooriumi, so maybe the latter for occupational therapy, but probably the former since named same year as Laulu.

Kolde (Kolle)

Hearth, fireplace, grate. Named after nearby housing scheme kooperatiivehitusühing (cooperative building union), ‘Oma Kolle’, a sort of ‘Home Sweet Home’ (lit. my (one’s) own home/hearth).

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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.

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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.