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

Kompassi (Kompass): Symbol designating a Tallinn "Asum", or Sub-district.

Compass. Not street, but square. Probably after an inn of that name. There was a street here first recorded in 1830 as sogenannte (so-called) Compass-strasse.

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.

Vesikupu (Vesikupp)

Water lily, nenuphar, Nuphar spp., aquatic plant of the Nymphaeaceae family. Common name of the waterlily shared with other confamiliar genera, and ‘nenuphar’ might apply more to Nymphaea alba, aka European white waterlily or white lotus. Status uncertain, unlisted pending KNAB update, Google maps shows a Pilliroo põik street-name sign, with Vesikupu overlay on road… Pretend it never happened*.

* NB: 2026 update - mileage may vary...

Teemeistri (Teemeister)

Highways supervisor. Streetname replacing some of the wilder excrescences of Pärnu.

Page 164 of 473

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.