Since 1990, there have been a small number of places in Namibia which have been renamed, mainly for political, cultural, or linguistic reasons. Some names have been changed to remove colonial or apartheid references, often reverting to their original native language names. Other names (such as street names in Windhoek) have been renamed after foreign leaders or famous Namibians. Overall, Namibia has had fewer renamed places than neighbouring South Africa and Zimbabwe.
German period
Most place names in German South West Africa continued to bear German spellings of the local names, as well as German translations of some local phrases. The few exceptions to the rule included places founded by the Rhenish Missionary Society, generally biblical names, as well as Hornkranz (Hoornkrans) Sandfontein Stolzenfels Waterberg (Omuverumue)
Regions and constituencies Caprivi Region → Zambezi Region (2013) Okavango Region → Kavango Region (1998)
Brandberg Constituency → Dâures Constituency (1998) Buitepos Constituency → Kalahari Constituency (1998) Khomasdal North Constituency → Khomasdal Constituency (2013) Lüderitz Constituency → ǃNamiǂNûs Constituency (2013) Okalonga Constituency → Okalongo Constituency (1998) Okatope Constituency → Onyaanya Constituency (1999) Oshikoto Constituency → Tsumeb Constituency (1999) Otjozondjou Constituency → Otjombinde Constituency (1998) Rundu Rural West Constituency → Ncuncuni Constituency (2013) Steinhausen Constituency → Okorukambe Constituency (2013) Uutapi Constituency → Outapi Constituency (1998) Wanaheda Constituency → Samora Machel Constituency (2003)
Settlements ǀAixa-aibes → Warmbad (1760) ǃAutsawises → Berseba (1850) Arahoab → Aranos (1960s) ǀAi-ǁgams (Khoekhoegowab) / Otjomuise (Otjiherero) → Windhoek (1838) → Elberfeld / Barmen (1842) → Concordiaville (1844) → Esek (1844) → Windhoek Kalkfontein → Karasburg (1939) Klipfontein (ǀUiǂgandes) → Bethanie (1815) Naosanabis → Wesley Vale (1843) → Leonardville (20th century) Schuckmannsburg → Luhonono (2013) Welwitschia → Khorixas (1989)
Streets Swakopmund Status: 2002Namibia: Minister Urges Swakopmund Residents to Accept Change. Maggi Bernard, AllAfrica.com, 12. Dezember 2002 New Name Old NameLibertina Amathila Avenue BrückenstraßeAnton Lubowski AvenueLazarettstraßeDaniel Tjongarero StreetPoststraßeFranziska Van Neel StreetMosely AvenueUranstraßeHendrik Witbooi StreetSchulstraßeRoonstraßeHidipo Hamutenya AvenueFeldstraßeMandume ya Ndemufayo StreetSchlosserstraßeMoses ǁGaroëb StreetNordringSüdringNathaniel Maxuilili StreetBreite StraßeNelson Mandela AvenueWinterstraßeRakotoka StreetKolonelstraßeKnoblochstraßeGarnisonstraßeSam Nujoma AvenueKaiser-Wilhelm-StraßeTheo-Ben Gurirab AvenueBahnhofstraßeTobias Hainyeko StreetMittelstraßeGarnisonstraßeMoltkestraßeVrede Rede AvenueLouis-Botha-StraßeDante Avenue
Windhoek
New Name Old NameAaron Tjatindi StreetBetlehem StA. B. May StreetKalk StAmsas StreetOtjivero StAndimba Toivo ya Toivo StreetKruppstraßeAxali Doëseb StreetLouis Botha StBernt Carlsson RoadPionier RoadBishop Patropas Tjitjo StreetGenesis StCity of Windhoek Mass Street renaming NAMPA, 2018-10-01Bishop A. C. Kamburona StreetKlaagliedere StKronieke StBonifatius Haushiku StreetJordan StWindhoeker Straßen werden umbenannt Allgemeine Zeitung, 2024-05-17Christa Davids StreetPaul Kruger StClemens Kapuuo StreetSabbat Street Daniel Munamava StreetGöringstraßeDavid Hosea Meroro RoadHochland RoadDr. António Agostinho Neto SquareAusspannplatzDr. Mose Tjitendero StreetMalcom Spence StDr. Kenneth David Kaunda StreetUhlandstraßeDr. Kwame Nkrumah AvenueGevers StMission RoadDr. Theo-Ben Gurirab StreetBurg StEneas Peter Nanyemba RoadMonte Christo RoadRoads renamed after liberation heroes The Namibian, 2021-12-06Ephraim Hei StreetHandelinge StEvergreen StreetDorado Park StFestus Lazarus StreetLazarus StCity changes 13 street names Windhoek Express, 2019-11-14Fidel Castro StreetPeter Müller StFonnie Karuaihe StreetLüderitz StFrankie Fredericks DriveKnudsen StFrans Indongo StreetBülowstraßeFumbe StreetOngeama StGaob Dr. Justus ǁGaroëb StreetJohann Albrecht StWindhoek now has 17 new street names Windhoek Observer, 2024-05-20General Murtala Muhammed AvenueOmuramba RoadGeneral Karel Ndjoba StreetHennie Laubscher StWindhoek gets 17 new street names The Namibian, 2024-05-17Hamutenya Wanahepo Ndadi StreetReginald Walker StHans-Dietrich Genscher StreetHostel StRand StPool StHendrik Witbooi DriveCharl Marais StreetHosea Kutako DriveOkahandja RoadT. V. More StIndependence AvenueKaiserstraßeJackson Kaujeua StreetStorchstraßeJoseph Mukwayu Ithana StreetGloudina StJulius K. Nyerere StreetLazarett StGovt honours Julius Nyerere with street naming The Namibian, 2019-05-28Juuso Katangolo StreetTuin StKatjikuru Katjiuongua StreetDüsseldorf StKuaima Riruako StreetBachstraßeLaurent-Désiré Kabila RoadPopulier StreetMahatma Gandhi StreetPerset StSterling StMandume Ndemufayo AvenueGamsberg RoadTalstraßeMarcus Garvey StreetBabs StBabs Street renamed Marcus Garvey New Era Live, 2018-02-05Marien Ngouabi StreetKörner St (eastern part)Nujoma Hails Street's Renaming New Era Live, 2011-10-17Mburumba Kerina StreetBahnhofstraßeMika Kaiyamo StreetDorp StMichelle McLean StreetGold StNelson Mandela AvenueKlein-Windhoek-WegOlof Palme StreetDe Jager StOmuzeme StreetOmuzu StPaul Mogagabe StreetTrinitatis StraßePhillip Shiimi StreetZenobia StreetRev. Erwin Tjirimue StreetLegioen StCity of Windhoek honours heroes and heroines Namibia Economist, 2019-11-18Rev. Michael Scott StreetNeser StReverend Karuaera StreetCaesar StRobert Mugabe AvenueJoan Harrison StreetLeutweinstraßeSam Nujoma DriveCurt von François StraßeGobabis RoadSean McBride StreetFanie Du Plessis StSeretse Khama StreetFeld StAmong other streets to be renamed is Feld Street The Namibian, 2018-05-02Shanghai RoadCentral AvenueJaguar StShikongo Nuunyango StreetPenning StCity of Windhoek honours heroes and heroines Namibia Economist, 2019-11-18Tsukhoe //Gowases StreetRanonkel StBegonia StRooivalk StCity of Windhoek honours heroes and heroines Namibia Economist, 2019-11-18Simeon Shixungileni StreetBismarckstraßeWerner List StreetStübel StWika DriveLiechtenstein StWilibald Kapuenene StreetAttie Potgieter StWinnie Madikizela Mandela RoadOtjomuise Road
The sources of the previous renaming documents are outdated or no longer available and are being reprocessed.
Airports J. G. Strydom International Airport → Hosea Kutako International Airport (1990)
Other Windhoek: Zoo Park → Verwoerd Park → Zoo Park (2004)
See also List of placename renaming in South Africa List of placename renaming in Zimbabwe
References