Street names of Soho

This is a list of the etymology of street names in the London district of Soho, in the City of Westminster. The following utilises the generally accepted boundaries of Soho viz. Oxford Street to the north, Charing Cross Road to the east, Shaftesbury Avenue to the south and Regent Street to the west.

Air Street – believed to be a corruption of ‘Ayres’, after Thomas Ayre, a local brewer and resident in the 17th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p4Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p18 Archer Street – formerly Arch Street, presumed to be after a former archway on this siteFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p11Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p25 Argyll Street and Little Argyll Street – after John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll, owner of the land in the 18th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p12Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p26 Bateman's Buildings and Bateman Street – after Sir James Bateman, who owned a house on this site in the 18th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p22Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p36 Beak Street – after Thomas Beak, or Beake, who owned this land in the late 17th century; the section between Upper James Street and Lexington Street was originally called Silver Street until 1883Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p25Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p46 Berwick Street – after James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, son of James II, as the local landowner James Pollett was a Roman CatholicFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p29 Blore Court – unknown; possibly after 19th century architect Edward Blore, who built the nearby St Luke's House (demolished 1936, now Kemp House) Bourchier Street – after Rev. Basil Bourchier, rector of St Anne's Church, Soho in the early 1930s; prior to renaming in 1937 it was Little Dean Street, and further back it has been known as Milk Alley and Hedge LaneFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p37Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p53 Brewer Street – after the breweries that existed here in the 17th century; the easternmost section was formerly known as Little Pulteney Street until 1937Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p41Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p56 Bridle Lane – thought to be after Abraham Bridle, a carpenter who leased land here in the last 17th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p42Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p57 Broadwick Street – originally Broad Street, it was renamed in 1936 to avoid confusion with other Broad Streets; the easternmost section between Berwick Street and Wardour Street was formerly called Edward Street, after Edward WardourFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p43Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p59 Cambridge Circus – after Prince George, 2nd Duke of Cambridge, who formally opened the new development of Charing Cross Road in 1887Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p54Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p69 Carlisle Street – after Carlisle House on Soho Square, owned by the earls of CarlisleFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p58Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p73 Carnaby Street – after Karnaby House, owned by 17th century property developer Richard Tyler; the meaning of the ‘Karnaby’ is unknownFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p59Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p73-4 Chapone Place – after famed Georgian essayist Hester Chapone, who lived nearby on Dean Street; formerly Dean's YardBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p79 Charing Cross Road – built 1887, and named as it led to the cross at Charing, from the Old English word "cierring", referring to a bend in the River ThamesFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p65Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p81 D'Arblay Street – after the author Frances Burney, Madame D’Arblay, who lived on Poland Street as a girlFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p92Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p108 Dean Street – unknown; possibly by connection with Old Compton Street, named for Henry Compton, Bishop of London in the 1670s, who was also Dean of the Chapel RoyalBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p239 Denman Street – after Thomas Denman, 1st Baron Denman, 19th century attorney general, who was born here; it was formerly known Queen Street, in honour of Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles IIFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p96Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p110 Diadem Court – unknown, though possibly from a former inn; formerly Crown CourtBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p111 Duck Lane Dufour's Place – from the early 18th century street builder Paul DufourFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p104Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p151 Falconberg Mews – after Falconberg House (demolished 1924) the former home of Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg in the 17th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p117Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p315 Fareham Street – built in the early 18th century as Titchfield Street, after the Duke of Portland, Marquis of Titchfield (in Hampshire); the street was renamed in 1950 after the neighbouring town of Fareham Flaxman Court – after the John Flaxman, 18th – 19th century sculptor who lived on Wardour StreetFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p120Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p133 Foubert's Place – after Major Henry Foubert, who established a military riding school nearby in the 18th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p123-24Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p135 Frith Street – after Robert Frith, late 17th century property develop in the areaFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p126Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p137 Ganton Street – unknown, though possibly after Ganton, North Yorkshire; prior to 1886 this was three separate streets - Cross Street, Cross Court and South RowBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p138-9 Glasshouse Street – after a former glass factory on this siteFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p134Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p143 Golden Square – believed to be a corruption of ‘gelding’, after Gelding's Close, a field in the site prior to the square's creation in 1670Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p136Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p145 Goslett Yard – named after A Goslett & Co, builders' merchants, who occupied a building nearby on Charing Cross Road; formerly George YardBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p147 Great Chapel Street – this formerly approached a Huguenot chapel on the corner with Sheraton Street (then called Little Chapel Street)Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p141Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p150 Great Marlborough Street, Little Marlborough Street and Marlborough Court – after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, 17th – 18th century generalBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p213 Great Pulteney Street – after Sir William Pulteney, who built the street in 1719–20; the ‘great’ prefix was to distinguish it from Little Pulteney Street, now the eastern end of Brewer StreetFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p142 Great Windmill Street – after a windmill that formerly stood near here in Ham Yard n the 17th century; the ‘great’ prefix was to distinguish it from Little Windmill Street, now Lexington StreetFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p143Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p153 Greek Court and Greek Street – after the Greek refugees, and the church they built nearby, who came here fleeing Ottoman rule in the 17th centuryBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p153-4 Green's Court – after the paviour Thomas Green, who leased land here from Edward Wardour in 1685Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p336 Ham Yard – after the Ham tavern, now the Lyric, on the corner with Great Windmill StreetFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p151Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p160 Hills Place – thought to be after local resident in the 1860s TH Hills; formerly Queen StreetBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p173 Hollen Street – after its builder Allen Hollen, in the 18th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p161 Hopkins Street – after Richard Hopkins, who owned a lease here in the early 18th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p164 Ingestre Place – after Lord Ingestre, who financed the building of an artisans’ block here in 1852; before this it was two streets – New Street and Husband Street, after Thomas Husbands, 18th century local building ownerFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p169Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p181 Kemp's Court Kingly Court and Kingly Street – originally ‘King Street’, in honour either of the original owner of this land of Henry III, or James II, reigning monarch when built; it was renamed in 1906 so as to avoid confusion with other King StreetsFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p181Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p191 Lexington Street – named in 1885 after the Baron Lexington, whose family – the Suttons – purchased this land in 1645; it was formerly known as Little Windmill StreetFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p192 Livonia Street – thought to be after Livonia (roughly modern Latvia), in allusion to the nearby Poland Street. Prior to 1894 it was called Bentinck Street, from the family name of the Duke of Portland, local landowners.Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p202 Lower James Street and Upper James Street – after James Axtell, co-owner of the land when Golden Square was developed in the 1670sFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p199 Lower John Street and Upper John Street – after John Emlyn, co-owner of the land when Golden Square was developed in the 1670sBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p256 Lowndes Court – after William Lowndes, 16th-17th century financier and politician, who owned land here Manette Street – after the Manette family in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, part of which is set on this streetFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p205Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p211 Marshall Street – built in the 1730s by the Earl of Craven, whose seat was at Hampstead Marshall, BerkshireFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p207Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p214