This is a list of the etymology of street names in the London district of Holborn. Holborn has no formally defined boundaries - those utilised here are: Theobald’s Road to the north, Gray's Inn Road and the City of London boundary to the east, Victoria Embankment/the Thames to the south, and Lancaster Place, the north-west curve of the Aldwych semi-circle, Kingsway/Southampton Row to the west.
Streets in the Hatton Garden sub-district are covered in Hatton Garden#Street name etymologies Aldwych: from Old English ‘Ealdwic’ or ‘Aldwic’, meaning ‘old settlement’, given by Anglo-Saxons referring to a Danish settlement here of the 9th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p6Hobley B, Lundenwic and Lundenburh: two cities rediscovered, AHDS Archaeology, University of York (PDF)Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p21 Andrews Crosse: after a Tudor-era inn here of this nameBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p24 Arundel Street: after Arundel House which formerly stood on this siteFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p13Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p27 Bedford Row: from Peter Harpur of Bedford, a local landowner who laid this street out in the early 18th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p26Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p39-42 Bell Yard: after the Bell Inn, which stood here in the 16th centuryBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p43 Bishop’s Court: formerly led to the palace of the Bishop of Chichester, built in the 13th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p32Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p78 Brownlow Street: after William Brownlow, who built this street in the 17th century; his family had held land in the area since the 16th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p46Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p61 Carey Street: after Nicholas Carey, who lived in this area,Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p58 or Sir George CareyBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p72 Catton Street: after the painter Charles Catton who lived nearby in the 18th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p61Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p76 Chancery Lane: the former site of Edward III’s office of the Master of the Rolls of ChanceryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p64 Chichester Rents: formerly a street of rented houses leading to the palace of the Bishop of Chichester in the 13th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p68 Clare Market: the former site of a butcher’s market on land owned by John Holles, Earl of Clare, who lived nearbyFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p72Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p88 Clement’s Inn, Clement’s Inn Passage and Clement’s Lane: after the nearby St Clement Danes churchFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p73Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p90 Clerkenwell Road: from a local well ('the clerk's well'), which gave its name to the area and this districtFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p74 Dane Street: from the church of St Clement Danes on Aldwych, which owned land in the areaFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p91Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p108 Devereux Court: from the Devereaux family, earls of Essex, who occupied Essex House on this site in Tudor timesFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p97Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p11 Dog and Duck Yard Drake Street: thought to be after an early 18th-century builder of this nameBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p114 Eagle Street: named after an inn here in the 18th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p107Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p118 Essex Street and Little Essex Street: the former site of a townhouse belonging to the earls of EssexFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p112-13Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p125 Field Court Fisher Street: after Thomas Fisher, a local 16th-century landownerFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p119Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p131-2 Fleet Street: after the now covered river Fleet which flowed near hereFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p122Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p134 French Horn Yard: unknown; the entrance to this yard is now covered by development, and though it still exists between nos. 87 and 90 and High Holborn it is no longer generally accessible to the public Fulwood Place: after Sir George Fulwood, 16th-century member of Gray's InnFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p127Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p137-8 Grange Court: thought to be a descriptive name dating from the Middle Ages when this was farmlandBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p148 Gray’s Inn Place, Gray's Inn Road and Gray's Inn Square: from Lord Gray of Wilton, owner of a local inn or town house which was later leased to lawyers in the 16th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p140Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p149 Great Turnstile, Little Turnstile Street and New Turnstile Gate: after turnstiles that stood here in the 17th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p143Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p202 Greyhound Court: thought to be after a former inn of this nameBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p156 Hand Court: thought to be from a former shop sign advertising gloves or a tailorBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p161 High Holborn, Holborn, Holborn Circus and Holborn Place: thought to be from ‘hollow bourne’ i.e. the river Fleet which formerly flowed in a valley near here. The ‘High’ stems from the fact that the road led away from the river to higher ground. Circus is a British term for a road junction.Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p161Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p174 Houghton Street: after John Holles, second Baron Houghton, who built the street in the 1650sFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p166Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p178-9 India Place: after the adjacent Indian High Commission Jockey’s Fields: thought to date from the old custom of the Lord Mayor and retainers on horseback inspecting the nearby conduit on the river TyburnBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p185 Kingsway: named in honour of Edward VII, reigning king when this road was completed in 1906Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p183Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p191 Lamb’s Conduit Passage: after a conduit built by William Lambe in the 16th century to bring clean water from the countryside north of LondonFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p186Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p194 Lancaster Place: the former site of the Savoy Palace. It passed into the ownership of the earls of Lancaster in the 13th century, the most famous of which was John of Gaunt, who owned the palace at the time of its destruction in Peasant’s Revolt of 1381 Lincoln's Inn Fields: after Lincoln’s Inn, the townhouse of the Lacy family, earls of Lincoln, later leased to lawyers in the 14th centuryFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p193Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p200 Maltravers Street: built on the site of the former Arundel House; since 1415 the title of Baron Maltravers has been joined to that of Earl of ArundelFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p204 Melbourne Place: after Melbourne in Australia, as the Australian High Commission is on this siteBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p218 Milford Lane: origin unknown, though possibly from a Thames mill located on this site in former timesFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p214Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p220 Montreal Place: after Montreal in Canada Newman’s Row: after Arthur Newman, who built the street in the mid-1600sFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p226Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p232 New Inn Passage: as this formerly led to the New Inn, one of the Inns of ChanceryBebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p231 New Square and New Square Passage: named simply as it was new when built by Henry Serle Old North Street: as it leads northwards from Red Lions Square, ‘Old’ to contract with New North Street which continues northwardsFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p234Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p240 Old Buildings and Old Square: gained this name after the building of New Square in 1682Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p241 Portsmouth Street: a house belonging to Louise de Kérouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth, mistress of Charles II, stood on this siteFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p253Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p262 Portugal Street: named in honour of Charles II’s Portuguese queen Catherine of Braganza, or possibly after the Portuguese embassy which was formerly located here Princeton Street: formerly ‘Prince Street’, though after which prince exactly is unknown. It was changed to avoid confusion with other Prince Streets.Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p255Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p265 Procter Street: after the 19th-century poet Bryan Waller Procter, who lived at Red Lion SquareFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p256Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p266 Raymond Buildings: after Lord Chief Justice Raymond, who was called to the bar at Gray's Inn in 1697Fairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p263Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p272 Red Lion Square and Red Lion Street: from the 17th-century Red Lion Inn, now demolishedFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p264 Remnant Street: after James Farquharson Remnant, 1st Baron Remnant, a lawyer at Lincoln’s Inn and later MP for HolbornFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p265Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p275 River Terrace: presumably as it overlooks the river Thames Sandland Street Sardinia Street: after the embassy of the Kingdom of Sardinia and its associated chapel, formerly located on this siteFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p288Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p295 Serle Street: after Henry Serle, who built the street in the 1680sFairfield, S. The Streets of London – A dictionary of the names and their origins, p291Bebbington, G. (1972) London Street Names, p297 Sheffield Street