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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, many entries missing, no photos with the streets yet, layout not finalized...

This started with a book (last few pages under review) and so far 1814 of the 1884 articles (A to Z, with 50-odd Ts remaining) entered so far, so some 5% of the links 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

Pikk Hermann

Pikk Hermann (0)

Tall Hermann. The first part was built from 1360-70, then completed in the 16th C. Why it earned its nickname of Hermann in the Middle Ages remains unknown. Some suggest that Hermann is a German word for sõdalane, poetic term for warrior, or pealik, chief, which may be so, MLG hērman meant nobleman; but Koebler (see Refs.) also gives hērmēster (Master of Men?) as ‘army commander’, or highest dignitary of the Livonian Order of the Sword’, which seems compelling, where a shift from master to man to surname is not unlikely. ‘Tall’ is pretty obvious. See also Pilstickeri torn.

Raudsüdame

Raudsüdame (Raudsüda)

Lit. Ironheart. The geological name of an approx. 20-cm-thick Estonian limestone bed from the Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician), dating back to 462.6 to 463 Ma, known locally as the Lasnamägi Lade (Lasnamägi Stage). New street in Uuslinn, named for the limestone mined in the former Lõunamurd quarry (lit. south quarry) south of Laagna tee. See also its geologically younger counterpart Muldvalge.

Muldvalge

Muldvalge (Muldvalge)

Lit. Earthwhite. The geological name of an approx. 50-cm-thick Estonian limestone bed from the Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician), dating back to 460.9 to 462.6 Ma, known locally as the Uhaku Lade (Uhaku Stage), usually divided into 30-cm upper (pealmine) and 20-cm lower (alumine) layers. New street in Uuslinn, named for the limestone mined in the former Lõunamurd quarry (lit. south quarry) south of Laagna tee. See also its geologically older counterpart Raudsüdame.

Karuse

Karuse (Karune)

Furry, also hairy, shaggy. One of the streets named after the nearby Raku Sovhoos (see Piibri). There was also, incidentally, a Battle of Karuse on the ice off Muhu in 1270 between the Livonian Order and Grand Duchy of Lithuania with, sadly, very few Livonians left to say who won.

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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.