All stations in London

Tap a name to read where it comes from. The stories are short, checked against their sources, and free to read.

A

• Abbey RoadNamed after Abbey Road, which recalls Stratford Langthorne Abbey.
• Abbey WoodNamed after the woods by Lesnes Abbey.
• Acton Central'Acton' means the farm by the oak trees.
• Acton Main Line'Acton' means the farm by the oak trees.
• Acton Town'Acton' means the farm by the oak trees.
• AldgateNamed after Aldgate, one of the gates in London's Roman and medieval wall.
• Aldgate EastNamed after Aldgate, an old gate in the City wall, and placed just east of it.
• All SaintsNamed after All Saints Church, the parish church of Poplar.
• Alperton'Alperton' means the farm of a man called Ealhbeorht.
• Amersham'Amersham' means the village of a man called Ealhmund.
• Anerley'Anerley' comes from a Scots word meaning 'solitary' or 'only'.
• AngelNamed after the Angel, an inn here from the 17th century.
• ArchwayNamed after the bridge that carries Hornsey Lane over the road to the north.
• Arnos GroveThe name probably recalls the Arnold family, landowners in the 14th century.
• ArsenalNamed after Arsenal Football Club, whose old Highbury ground was next door.

B

• Baker StreetNamed after William Baker, who laid out the street in 1755.
• Balham'Balham' probably means a homestead in a rounded enclosure.
• BankNamed after the Bank of England, which stands above the station.
• Barbican'Barbican' means a watchtower or outer defence of a fortified town.
• Barking'Barking' means the settlement of Bereca's people, or the one by the birch trees.
• Barking RiversideNamed after a new development beside the Thames at Barking.
• Barkingside'Barkingside' means the Barking side of Hainault Forest.
• Barons CourtAn invented name, chosen around 1900 for new houses.
• Battersea Power StationNamed after the power station next door, now shops, homes and offices.
• Bayswater'Bayswater' recalls Bayard's Watering, recorded in 1380.
• BecktonNamed after Simon Adams Beck, governor of the Gas Light and Coke Company.
• Beckton ParkNamed after Beckton and its park, recalling Simon Adams Beck of the Gas Light and Coke Company.
• Becontree'Becontree' probably means the tree of a Saxon called Beohha.
• Belsize Park'Belsize' comes from the French bel assis, beautifully situated.
• Bermondsey'Bermondsey' means the island of a man called Beornmund.
• Bethnal Green'Bethnal' comes from Blithehale: a 'happy corner', or the corner of a man called Blitha.
• BlackfriarsNamed after the Dominican friars, who wore black and had a priory here.
• Blackhorse RoadNamed after Blackhorse Road, whose name is a corruption of Black House Lane.
• BlackwallNamed after a dark-coloured river wall built along the Thames against floods.
• Bond StreetNamed after Sir Thomas Bond, who developed the land here in the 17th century.
• BoroughNamed after the Borough of Southwark, the town at the south end of London Bridge.
• Boston ManorNamed after Boston Manor House, a Jacobean mansion near the station.
• Bounds GreenNamed after the le Bounde family, who owned the land here in the 13th century.
• Bow ChurchNamed after St Mary's Church, Bow, which stands on an island in the middle of the road.
• Bow RoadNamed after the bow-shaped bridge over the River Lea.
• Brent CrossNamed after the River Brent and a crossroads nearby.
• Brentwood'Brentwood' means the burnt wood.
• Brixton'Brixton' means the stone of a man called Beorhtsige.
• Brockley'Brockley' may mean a woodland clearing where badgers are seen, or Broca's clearing.
• Bromley-by-Bow'Bromley' probably means a bramble field – or a wood where broom grew.
• Brondesbury'Brondesbury' means the manor of a man called Brand.
• Brondesbury ParkNamed after Brondesbury, the manor of a man called Brand, and its park.
• Bruce GroveNamed after the road Bruce Grove, the old approach to Bruce Castle.
• Buckhurst Hill'Buckhurst Hill' means a hill covered with beech trees.
• Burnham'Burnham' means the homestead on a stream.
• Burnt OakNamed after an old oak tree, said to have been burnt by lightning.
• Bush Hill ParkNamed after Bush Hill Park, an old country estate with a mansion.
• Bushey'Bushey' means an enclosure made of bushes.

C

• Caledonian RoadNamed after the Caledonian Asylum, a home for Scottish children.
• Caledonian Road & BarnsburyNamed after the Caledonian Asylum, and Barnsbury, the manor of the Berners family.
• Cambridge HeathDespite the name, Cambridge Heath probably has nothing to do with Cambridge.
• Camden RoadNamed after Camden Road, which runs from Camden Town to Holloway Road.
• Camden TownNamed after Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, who owned the land.
• Canada WaterNamed after a lake that was once part of Canada Dock.
• Canary WharfNamed after a 1936 wharf for the Canary Islands fruit trade.
• Canning TownProbably named after a Canning, but nobody is sure which one.
• Cannon Street'Cannon' has nothing to do with guns: it comes from candle-makers.
• Canonbury'Canonbury' means the manor of the canons.
• Canons ParkNamed after the canons of St Bartholomew's Priory, who owned land here.
• Carpenders ParkNamed after Carpenders Park, an estate called after the Carpenter family.
• Chadwell Heath'Chadwell' almost certainly means the cold spring.
• Chalfont & LatimerNamed after the villages of Chalfont and Latimer.
• Chalk FarmNot from chalk in the ground: most likely from Chalcot, 'cold cottage'.
• Chancery LaneNamed after Chancery Lane, itself named after the High Court of Chancery.
• Charing Cross'Charing' probably means a bend, and the Cross is a memorial to a queen.
• Chesham'Chesham' means the river meadow at the pile of stones.
• Cheshunt'Cheshunt' recalls a Roman fort, though its second half is uncertain.
• ChigwellNobody is quite sure what 'Chigwell' means.
• ChingfordChingford is named after an old ford, but nobody is sure what 'Ching' means.
• Chiswick Park'Chiswick' means the cheese farm.
• Chorleywood'Chorley' may mean the clearing of the ceorls, Anglo-Saxon peasants.
• Clapham CommonNamed after Clapham Common, once common land for two parishes.
• Clapham High StreetNamed after Clapham's high street; 'Clapham' means the homestead or enclosure near a hill.
• Clapham JunctionNamed after Clapham, though the station is actually in Battersea.
• Clapham NorthNamed after Clapham, whose name may mean the homestead near a hill.
• Clapham SouthNamed after Clapham, whose name may mean the homestead near a hill.
• Clapton'Clapton' means the farm on the hill.
• CockfostersNobody knows for sure where 'Cockfosters' comes from.
• ColindaleNamed after the Collin family, landowners here in the 16th century.
• Colliers WoodNamed after a wood used by colliers, or charcoal burners.
• Covent Garden'Covent' is Anglo-French for a religious community, a 'convent'.
• CrossharbourThe name refers to a crossing of Millwall Dock nearby: Glengall Bridge.
• Crouch HillNamed after the street Crouch Hill; 'crouch' is Middle English for a cross.
• Croxley'Croxley' probably comes from a man called Croc or Croca.
• Crystal PalaceNamed after the Crystal Palace, the huge glass building of the Great Exhibition of 1851.
• Custom HouseNamed after the custom house of the Royal Victoria Dock, where duty was paid on goods.
• Cutty SarkNamed after the Cutty Sark, a tea clipper of 1869, now a museum ship nearby.
• CyprusNamed after the island of Cyprus, which came under British control in 1878.

D

• Dagenham East'Dagenham' almost certainly means the farm of a man called Dæcca.
• Dagenham HeathwayNamed after Dagenham and the Heathway, the road that leads to Becontree Heath.
• Dalston Junction'Dalston' probably means the farm of a man called Deorlaf.
• Dalston Kingsland'Kingsland' recalls land once owned by the king.
• Debden'Debden' means the deep valley.
• Denmark HillSaid to be named after Prince George of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne.
• Deptford Bridge'Deptford' means the deep ford.
• Devons RoadNamed after Devons Road, which may honour a former landowner, Thomas Devon.
• Dollis HillNobody is quite sure where 'Dollis Hill' comes from.

E

• Ealing Broadway'Ealing' comes from the Gillingas, the people of a Saxon chief called Gilla.
• Ealing CommonNamed after Ealing Common, an open space of about 47 acres in Ealing.
• Earl's CourtNamed after the court of the Earls of Oxford, lords of the manor.
• East Acton'Acton' means the farm by the oak trees.
• East Finchley'Finchley' probably means Finch's clearing, or the clearing of the finches.
• East Ham'Ham' means dry land in a river bend or between rivers.
• East IndiaNamed after the East India Docks, opened in 1806 with East India Company backing.
• East Putney'Putney' means the landing place of a man called Putta.
• Eastcote'Eastcote' means the cottage to the east – east of Ruislip.
• Edgware'Edgware' means Ecgi's weir, the fishing pool of an Anglo-Saxon chieftain.
• Edgware RoadNamed after the road to Edgware, which follows the Roman Watling Street.
• Edmonton Green'Edmonton' means the farmstead or estate of a man called Ēadhelm.
• Elephant & CastleMost likely named after a coaching inn called the Elephant and Castle.
• Elm ParkNamed after Elm Farm, one of the farms replaced by a 1930s garden city.
• Elverson RoadNamed after Elverson Road, a street laid out in the late 19th century.
• EmbankmentNamed after the Victoria Embankment, built along the Thames in the 1860s.
• Emerson ParkNamed after Emerson, the eldest son of the developer William Carter.
• Enfield Town'Enfield' most likely means the open land belonging to a man called Ēana.
• Epping'Epping' comes from Old English yppeingas, the people of the raised place.
• EustonNamed after Euston Hall in Suffolk, home of the Dukes of Grafton.
• Euston SquareNamed after Euston Square, laid out in the 1810s and named after Euston Hall in Suffolk.

F

• FairlopNamed after the Fairlop Oak, a giant tree in Hainault Forest.
• FarringdonNamed after Nicholas and William de Faringdon, aldermen of the City.
• Finchley Central'Finchley' probably means 'finches’ clearing' or 'Finch’s clearing'.
• Finchley RoadNamed after the road to Finchley, first called Finchley New Road.
• Finchley Road & FrognalThe name 'Frognal' recalls a nook frequented by frogs.
• Finsbury ParkNamed after the park opened in 1869, about three miles north of Finsbury.
• Forest GateNamed after a gate that kept animals from straying out of Epping Forest.
• Forest HillThe name was coined by a developer in the 1790s for a wooded area.
• Fulham Broadway'Fulham' probably means the riverside land of a man called Fulla.

G

• Gallions ReachNamed after a stretch of the Thames, recalling the Galyon family.
• Gants HillProbably named after the le Gant family, stewards of Barking Abbey.
• Gidea ParkNamed after Gidea Hall, a manor house first recorded in the mid-13th century.
• Gloucester RoadNamed after Maria, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, who built a house here by 1805.
• Golders GreenNamed after the Godyere family, who held land here in the 14th century.
• Goldhawk RoadProbably named after John Goldhawk, who held large estates in Fulham.
• Goodge StreetNamed after John Goodge, who gained the land in 1718.
• GoodmayesProbably named after the family of John Godemay, a 14th-century landowner.
• Gospel OakNamed after an oak tree where the gospel was read at the parish boundary.
• Grange HillA grange was a farm with a granary; this one stood on a hill.
• Great Portland StreetNamed after Great Portland Street, which honours the Dukes of Portland.
• Green ParkNamed after the park, renamed The Green Park in 1746.
• Greenford'Greenford' means the place at the green ford.
• Greenwich'Greenwich' means the green wic, a trading place.
• Gunnersbury'Gunnersbury' is most often explained as the manor of a woman called Gunnhild.

H

• Hackney Central'Hackney' probably means Haca's ey, raised ground in the marshes.
• Hackney DownsNamed after Hackney Downs, an old common nearby.
• Hackney Wick'Wick' comes from Old English wic, here a dairy farm.
• Haggerston'Haggerston' may recall a Saxon farmer called Hærgod.
• Hainault'Hainault' probably means the wood of a religious community.
• Hammersmith'Hammersmith' may mean a place with a hammer smithy, or forge.
• Hampstead'Hampstead' simply means homestead.
• Hampstead HeathNamed after Hampstead Heath, an ancient heath on a sandy ridge.
• Hanger Lane'Hanger' means a wooded slope.
• Hanwell'Hanwell' probably means the spring or stream frequented by cocks.
• Harlesden'Harlesden' means the farmstead of a man called Herewulf.
• Harold WoodNamed after King Harold, who held the estate here before 1066.
• Harringay Green Lanes'Harringay' means the enclosure of a Saxon chieftain called Haering.
• Harrow & WealdstoneNamed after Harrow and Wealdstone, the boundary stone of Harrow Weald.
• Harrow-on-the-Hill'Harrow' comes from Old English hearg, a heathen temple.
• Hatch End'Hatch End' is said to mean the gate of Pinner Park.
• Hatton Cross'Hatton' means the farmstead on the heath.
• Hayes & Harlington'Hayes' means land overgrown with brushwood; 'Harlington' the farmstead of Hygered's people.
• Headstone LaneNamed after Headstone, whose moated manor house was built around 1310.
• Heathrow Terminal 4'Heathrow' means the row of houses on the heath.
• Heathrow Terminal 5'Heathrow' means the row of houses on the heath.
• Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3'Heathrow' means the row of houses on the heath.
• Hendon Central'Hendon' means the high hill, or at the highest hill.
• Heron QuaysNamed after Heron Quays, between two basins of the old West India Docks.
• High Barnet'Barnet' means the land cleared by burning, from Old English bærnet.
• High Street Kensington'Kensington' means the homestead of a Saxon called Cynesige.
• Highams ParkNamed after Highams, a mansion built in 1768.
• Highbury & Islington'Highbury' means the high manor; 'Islington' means the hill of a man called Gisla.
• HighgateNamed after a high gate on the hill, a toll gate on the road north.
• Hillingdon'Hillingdon' may mean the hill of a man, Hille – or of a woman, Hilda.
• Holborn'Holborn' may mean the brook in the hollow – or the old brook.
• Holland ParkNamed after Holland House, a 17th-century mansion whose grounds became the park.
• Holloway Road'Holloway' may mean the hollow way, or the hallowed way: nobody is sure.
• Homerton'Homerton' recalls the farm of a woman called Hūnburh.
• Honor Oak ParkNamed after the Oak of Honor on One Tree Hill.
• Hornchurch'Hornchurch' means the horned church.
• Hounslow Central'Hounslow' means something like the mound of the hound.
• Hounslow East'Hounslow' probably means the barrow, or mound, of the hound.
• Hounslow West'Hounslow' probably means the barrow, or mound, of the hound.
• Hoxton'Hoxton' probably means the farm of a man called Hōc.
• Hyde Park CornerNamed after the road junction at the south-eastern corner of Hyde Park.

I

• Ickenham'Ickenham' means the homestead or village of a man called Tic(c)a.
• Ilford'Ilford' means the ford over the Hyle, an old name of the River Roding.
• Imperial WharfNamed after Imperial Wharf, the housing built on the old Imperial Gasworks in Fulham.
• Island GardensNamed after a small riverside park at the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs.
• Iver'Iver' probably comes from the Old English for the brow of a hill.

K

• Kennington'Kennington' is thought to mean the farm or estate of a man called Cēna.
• Kensal Green'Kensal' comes from King's holt: the king's wood.
• Kensal Rise'Kensal' comes from Kingisholt, meaning the king's wood.
• Kensington (Olympia)Named after Olympia, the exhibition centre built beside the station in the 1880s.
• Kentish TownDespite the name, Kentish Town has nothing to do with Kent, as far as anyone knows.
• Kentish Town WestDespite the name, Kentish Town is thought to have nothing to do with Kent.
• Kenton'Kenton' probably means the farm of a man called Coena and his family.
• Kew GardensNamed after the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
• Kilburn'Kilburn' may mean the king's stream or the cattle stream.
• Kilburn High Road'Kilburn' is named after a stream: perhaps the king's stream or the cattle stream.
• Kilburn Park'Kilburn' comes from a stream; 'Park' was a builders' invention.
• King George VNamed after King George V Dock, the last of the three Royal Docks.
• King's Cross St PancrasNamed after a statue of King George IV, and the church of St Pancras.
• Kingsbury'Kingsbury' means the king's fortification, or the king's manor.
• Knightsbridge'Knightsbridge' means the bridge of the young men.

L

• Ladbroke GroveNamed after James Weller Ladbroke, who developed the area in the mid-19th century.
• Lambeth North'Lambeth' means the landing place for lambs.
• Lancaster GateNamed after Lancaster Gate, an entrance to Kensington Gardens.
• Langdon ParkNamed after Langdon Park, which may honour Father C. G. Langdon, a Poplar vicar.
• Langley'Langley' means the long clearing.
• Latimer RoadNamed after Edward Latymer, a London lawyer who died in 1627.
• Leicester SquareNamed after Robert Sidney, Earl of Leicester, who built Leicester House here.
• Lewisham'Lewisham' probably means the village of a man called Leof or Leofsa.
• Leyton'Leyton' means the settlement on the River Lea.
• Leyton Midland RoadNamed after Leyton, the settlement on the River Lea, and Midland Road.
• Leytonstone'Leytonstone' means Leyton at the stone.
• Leytonstone High RoadNamed after Leytonstone's High Road, part of an ancient highway from Epping to London.
• Limehouse'Limehouse' means the lime oasts: the kilns by the river.
• Liverpool StreetNamed after Lord Liverpool, Prime Minister from 1812 to 1827.
• London BridgeNamed after London Bridge, the Thames crossing right beside it.
• London City AirportNamed after London City Airport, the London airport nearest the City of London.
• London FieldsNamed after London Field, common land recorded by that name from 1540.
• Loughton'Loughton' means the farm or settlement of a man called Luhha.

M

• Maida ValeNamed after a pub, the Hero of Maida, which recalled a battle in Italy.
• Maidenhead'Maidenhead' comes from Maiden Hythe, a wharf on the Thames.
• Manor HouseNamed after the Manor House Tavern, a pub on Green Lanes.
• Manor ParkNamed after a manor house built around 1810 on the Hamfrith estate.
• Mansion HouseNamed after Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London.
• Marble ArchNamed after the white marble arch designed by John Nash.
• MarylandNamed after Maryland Point, said to recall the American colony of Maryland.
• Marylebone'Marylebone' means the stream of St Mary, after a church by the Tyburn.
• Mile EndNamed because it lies one mile from Aldgate, the old City gate.
• Mill Hill East'Mill Hill' appears to mean the hill with a windmill.
• MonumentNamed after the Monument to the Great Fire of London of 1666.
• Moor ParkNamed after Moor Park, a Palladian mansion in the old park of The More.
• MoorgateNamed after the Moorgate, a gate in the City wall that led to Moorfields.
• Morden'Morden' probably means the hill in the marshland.
• Mornington CrescentNamed after the Earl of Mornington, elder brother of the Duke of Wellington.
• MudchuteNamed after a mud chute: mud dredged from Millwall Dock was dumped here.

N

• Neasden'Neasden' means the nose-shaped hill.
• New CrossProbably named after a coaching inn, the Golden Cross, on the road to Kent and Dover.
• New Cross GateNamed after the New Cross tollgate, set up in 1718 by the New Cross Turnpike Trust.
• Newbury ParkThe medieval name ‘Newbury’ comes simply from ‘new borough’.
• Nine ElmsNamed after a row of elm trees that lined the road.
• North Acton'Acton' means the farm by the oak trees.
• North Ealing'Ealing' means the people of a Saxon called Gilla.
• North Greenwich'Greenwich' means the green harbour or trading place.
• North Harrow'Harrow' comes from Old English hearg, a heathen temple.
• North Wembley'Wembley' means the clearing of a Saxon called Wemba.
• NorthfieldsNamed after Great and Little Northfields, two large fields in the west of Ealing parish.
• Northolt'Northolt' means the northern nook of land.
• Northwick ParkNamed after Northwick Park, the open space beside the station.
• Northwood'Northwood' means the northern wood – the wooded land north of Ruislip.
• Northwood HillsThe name won a competition; it was suggested by a woman from North Harrow.
• Norwood Junction'Norwood' is a contraction of 'North Wood' – the Great North Wood.
• Notting Hill Gate'Notting' probably comes from a man called Cnotta; the 'gate' was a toll gate.

O

• OakwoodNamed after Oakwood Park, which took its name from a house called Oak Lodge.
• Old StreetNamed after the street, recorded as Ealdestrate around 1200.
• Osterley'Osterley' probably means the clearing with a sheepfold.
• OvalNamed after the Oval cricket ground, which took its name from a street plan.
• Oxford CircusNamed after Oxford Street; a 'circus' is a place where traffic circulates.

P

• Paddington'Paddington' probably means the homestead of Padda's people.
• Park RoyalNamed after the Royal Agricultural Society's showground, opened here in 1903.
• Parsons GreenNamed after the parsonage of Fulham, which stood beside the green.
• Peckham Rye'Peckham' probably means the homestead by a hill; 'Rye' means a stream.
• Penge West'Penge' is a Celtic name meaning the head or end of the wood.
• Perivale'Perivale' probably means the valley of pear trees.
• Piccadilly CircusNamed after Piccadilly, which recalls 'piccadills', fashionable collars of the early 1600s.
• PimlicoNobody knows for sure where the name 'Pimlico' comes from.
• Pinner'Pinner' probably means the pin-shaped hill, or the hill of a man called Pinn.
• Plaistow'Plaistow' is either a 'place for playing' or the village of the de Plaiz family.
• Pontoon DockNamed after a dock where ships were lifted on pontoons for repair.
• Poplar'Poplar' takes its name from the black poplar trees that once flourished here.
• Preston Road'Preston' probably means the farm belonging to the priest.
• Prince RegentNamed after Prince Regent Lane, which honours the future George IV.
• Pudding Mill LaneNamed after Pudding Mill Lane, which recalls a lost stream, the Pudding Mill River.
• Putney BridgeNamed after Putney Bridge, the crossing to Putney on the other bank.

Q

• Queen's ParkNamed after Queen Victoria, like the housing estate and the park.
• Queens Road PeckhamNamed after Queens Road, renamed in 1866 in honour of Queen Victoria.
• QueensburyAn invented name, chosen in the 1930s as a play on neighbouring Kingsbury.
• QueenswayNamed in honour of Queen Victoria, who was born at nearby Kensington Palace.

R

• Ravenscourt ParkA pun on a family name: a raven is 'corbeau' in French.
• Rayners LaneNamed after the lane, said to recall Daniel Rayner, a local farmer.
• Reading'Reading' probably comes from the Readingas, 'Reada's people'.
• Rectory RoadProbably named after the rectory of St Mary's Church, Stoke Newington.
• RedbridgeNamed after a red brick bridge over the River Roding.
• Regent's ParkNamed after the Prince Regent, later King George IV.
• RichmondNamed after Richmond in Yorkshire, through Henry VII.
• Rickmansworth'Rickmansworth' means the farm or enclosure of a landowner called Ryckmer, or Ricmær.
• Roding ValleyNamed after the River Roding, which flows just east of the station.
• Romford'Romford' means the wide or spacious ford.
• Rotherhithe'Rotherhithe' is thought to mean the landing place for cattle.
• Royal AlbertNamed after the Royal Albert Dock, which honours Albert, Queen Victoria's husband.
• Royal OakNamed after a pub called the Royal Oak, which gave the station its name in 1871.
• Royal VictoriaNamed after the Royal Victoria Dock, which honours Queen Victoria.
• Ruislip'Ruislip' is thought to mean the leaping place where rushes grow.
• Ruislip GardensNamed after Ruislip, thought to mean the leaping place where rushes grow.
• Ruislip ManorThe name recalls the old Manor of Ruislip, on whose fields this suburb was built.
• Russell SquareNamed after the Russell family, the Dukes of Bedford.

S

• Seven KingsDespite its name, Seven Kings probably has nothing to do with kings.
• Seven SistersNamed after a ring of seven trees on Page Green.
• ShadwellWhere the name 'Shadwell' comes from is unclear: a shallow creek or St Chad's well.
• Shenfield'Shenfield' is explained as beautiful open land, or good lands.
• Shepherd's BushNobody really knows where 'Shepherd's Bush' comes from.
• Shepherd's Bush MarketNamed after the street market beside the railway, in Shepherd's Bush.
• Shoreditch High Street'Shoreditch' comes from Old English for a ditch by a bank or slope.
• Silver StreetNamed after Silver Street, an old road in Edmonton.
• Sloane SquareNamed after Sir Hans Sloane, physician and collector.
• Slough'Slough' probably comes from Old English sloh, a slough or mire.
• SnaresbrookNamed after a stream, the Snaresbrook, once called Sayesbrook.
• South Acton'Acton' means the farm by the oak trees.
• South Ealing'Ealing' means the people of a Saxon called Gilla.
• South Hampstead'Hampstead' simply means homestead.
• South Harrow'Harrow' comes from Old English hearg, a heathen temple or shrine.
• South KensingtonNamed after Kensington, the homestead of a Saxon called Chenesi or Cynesige.
• South Kenton'Kenton' probably means the farm of a man called Coena.
• South QuayThe station stands on the south quay of the West India Docks' South Dock.
• South RuislipNamed after Ruislip, probably the leaping place where rushes grow.
• South Tottenham'Tottenham' is thought to mean the ham, or hamlet, of a man called Totta.
• South WimbledonNamed after Wimbledon, though the station stands on Merton High Street.
• South Woodford'Woodford' means the ford in or by the wood.
• Southall'Southall' comes from the Anglo-Saxon for the southern corner.
• SouthburyNamed after Southbury Road, which took its name from a nearby field.
• SouthfieldsNamed after the South Field of the manor of Dunsford, south of Putney.
• SouthgateNamed after the south gate into Enfield Chase, a royal hunting ground.
• Southwark'Southwark' means the southern fort.
• St James StreetNamed after St James Street in Walthamstow.
• St James's ParkNamed after St James's Park, which takes its name from St James's Palace.
• St John's WoodNamed after the Knights of St John, who owned the woods here.
• St Paul'sNamed after St Paul's Cathedral, just to the south.
• Stamford BrookNamed after Stamford Brook, a lost stream between Hammersmith and Chiswick.
• Stamford HillThe hill is believed to be named after a sandy ford.
• Stanmore'Stanmore' means the stony pool.
• Star LaneNamed after Star Lane, the street beside the station.
• Stepney Green'Stepney' means the landing place of a man called Stybba.
• Stockwell'Stockwell' probably means the well or spring by a tree stump.
• Stoke NewingtonOnce simply Newington; 'Stoke' was added to tell it apart from other Newingtons.
• Stonebridge ParkNamed after a stone bridge that carried Harrow Road over the River Brent.
• Stratford'Stratford' means the ford on the Roman road.
• Stratford High StreetNamed after Stratford High Street, which follows a causeway built in 1110.
• Stratford InternationalNamed for the international trains that were meant to stop here.
• Sudbury Hill'Sudbury' means the southern manor, south relative to Harrow.
• Sudbury Town'Sudbury' means the southern manor, south of Harrow.
• Surrey QuaysThe name recalls the Surrey Commercial Docks, on the Surrey side of the Thames.
• Swiss CottageNamed after a pub built in 1804 to look like a Swiss chalet.
• Sydenham‘Sydenham’ was once Chipeham, probably the farmstead of a man called Cippa.

T

• Taplow‘Taplow’ means Tæppa’s mound, after an Anglo-Saxon burial mound.
• TempleNamed after the Temple, once the home of the Knights Templar.
• Theobalds GroveNamed after the grounds of Theobalds, a palace built by Lord Burghley.
• Theydon Bois‘Bois’ is the name of the family that held the manor in the 12th and 13th centuries.
• Tooting Bec‘Bec’ recalls the Abbey of Bec in Normandy, given land here by the Normans.
• Tooting Broadway'Tooting' may mean the people of a man called Tota.
• Tottenham Court RoadNamed after the road to the manor of Tottenham Court, not Tottenham.
• Tottenham Hale‘Hale’ comes from an old English word meaning to hoist or pull.
• Totteridge & WhetstoneTotteridge may be Tata’s ridge; Whetstone probably grew out of ‘West Town’.
• Tower GatewayThe name points to the Tower of London, which stands nearby.
• Tower HillNamed after the hill beside the Tower of London.
• Tufnell ParkNamed after the Tufnell family, lords of the manor of Barnsbury.
• Turkey StreetNamed after the old hamlet of Turkey Street – nothing to do with turkeys.
• Turnham Green'Turnham' possibly recalls a homestead or watery meadow by a bend in the Thames.
• Turnpike LaneNamed after Turnpike Lane, which recalls a toll gate on Green Lanes.
• Twyford'Twyford' means the double ford.

U

• Upminster‘Upminster’ means the large church on high ground.
• Upminster BridgeNamed after the bridge over the River Ingrebourne between Hornchurch and Upminster.
• Upney'Upney' may mean the higher island, or the higher stream.
• Upper Holloway'Holloway' may come from 'hollow way' or from 'hallow'; its origin is disputed.
• Upton Park'Upton' is thought likely to mean at the high-lying farmstead.
• Uxbridge‘Uxbridge’ means Wixan’s Bridge, after an Anglo-Saxon tribe.

V

• Vauxhall‘Vauxhall’ means Falkes’ Hall, the house of a medieval knight.
• VictoriaNamed after Victoria Street, which honours Queen Victoria.

W

• Walthamstow Central'Walthamstow' probably means the place of welcome.
• Walthamstow Queen's RoadNamed after Queens Road, which honours Queen Victoria.
• Wandsworth RoadNamed after Wandsworth Road, which runs from Vauxhall towards Wandsworth.
• Wanstead'Wanstead' means a place or settlement, but nobody is sure what kind.
• Wanstead ParkNamed after Wanstead Park, once the grounds of the grand Wanstead House.
• Wapping'Wapping' may come from wapol, a marsh.
• Warren StreetNamed after Admiral Sir Peter Warren, or his daughter Anne.
• Warwick AvenueNamed after Jane Warwick, who married into a local landowning family.
• WaterlooNamed after Waterloo Bridge, which commemorates the Battle of Waterloo.
• Watford'Watford' most likely recalls a ford over the River Colne.
• Watford High Street'Watford' may mean the wet ford, or the ford used for hunting.
• Watford Junction'Watford' may mean the wet ford, or the ford used for hunting.
• Wembley Central'Wembley' means the clearing of a Saxon called Wemba.
• Wembley ParkNamed after the park Humphry Repton designed at Wembley for Richard Page.
• West Acton'Acton' means the farm by the oak trees.
• West Brompton'Brompton' means the farm where broom grows.
• West Croydon'Croydon' is thought to mean the crocus valley, where saffron was grown.
• West Drayton'Drayton' was probably a farm by a slope where loads were dragged, or by ploughed land.
• West Ealing'Ealing' comes from the Gillingas, the people of a Saxon chief called Gilla.
• West Finchley'Finchley' probably means Finch's clearing, or the finches' clearing.
• West Ham'Ham' means dry land in a river bend or between rivers.
• West Hampstead'Hampstead' simply means homestead.
• West Harrow'Harrow' comes from Old English hearg, a heathen temple.
• West India QuayNamed after the West India Docks, opened in 1802 for the Caribbean trade.
• West KensingtonNamed after Kensington, the homestead of a Saxon called Cynesige.
• West RuislipNamed after Ruislip, thought to mean the leaping place on the river where rushes grow.
• West SilvertownNamed after Silvertown, which has nothing to do with silver.
• Westbourne ParkNamed after Westbourne, a medieval hamlet around Westbourne Green.
• WestferryNamed after Westferry Road – though there never was a 'west ferry'.
• Westminster'Westminster' means the minster, or abbey church, to the west.
• White CityNamed after the white exhibition buildings of 1908.
• White Hart LaneNamed after White Hart Lane, a road probably named in the 1600s.
• WhitechapelNamed after a white chapel, the church of St Mary Matfelon.
• Willesden Green'Willesden' means the hill of the spring.
• Willesden JunctionNamed after the railway junction in the old parish of Willesden.
• Wimbledon'Wimbledon' means the hill of a man called Wynnman, or perhaps Winebeald.
• Wimbledon ParkNamed after the park of Wimbledon's old manor house.
• Wood Green'Wood Green' was the green by Tottenham Wood.
• Wood LaneNamed after Wood Lane, called Turvens Lane until about 1830.
• Wood StreetNamed after Wood Street, an old road near the forest in Walthamstow.
• Woodford'Woodford' means the ford in or by the wood.
• Woodgrange ParkNamed after Woodgrange, a farm in the forest given to Stratford Langthorne Abbey.
• Woodside ParkNamed after Woodside House, built in Whetstone around 1840.
• Woolwich'Woolwich' probably means the trading place for wool.
• Woolwich ArsenalNamed after the Royal Arsenal, where weapons and ammunition were made for centuries.