Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name London

The given name London is essentially the transferred use of a surname which originated as a place name, which we, of course, know as London, England. An ancient city, the etymological sources of the name can be found from the 2nd century (that’s a long time ago!). The name is thought to be derived from an old Indo-European word “(p)lowonida” which indicated a ‘river too wide to ford (cross)’ presumably referring to the River Thames which flows through London. As ancient Celtic (Brythonic) people developed the area, the settlement came to be called “Lowonidonjon” (dropping the original “p”). The Latin “Londinium” was also recorded by the Roman historian, Tacitus, in the early 2nd century. In the Middle Ages, the surname was probably given (for identification purposes) to those who left the city of London and settled elsewhere, or else a person who visited the city and returned to their village with some remarkable account of their experience (hence, another identifier). The name is thought to derive from the Celtic element "lond" which means ‘wild or bold.’ London as a given name is distinct to the United States; other English-speaking countries don’t appear to be using it at all.

All About the Baby Name – London

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME LONDON

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME LONDON

For boy’s London is not a super common name (as it’s fast becoming for girls). In fact, what often happens is that a unisex name becomes so popular for females that American parents of little boys begin to find the name less appealing. As if it’s been emasculated somehow. Regardless, London appears to be on the rise for the male gender. On the boy’s charts for a little more than 10 years, London has climbed to levels of very mild moderation. In 2010 when you take all the baby Londons born in the United States, a whopping 85% of them were girls and a mere 15% of them were boys. That should give you an idea of the lopsided distribution of this name. It’s the similar surname turned first name Landon that U.S. parents far prefer for their sons. And when it comes to place names, Austin is currently tops for boys. Technically, we find London more masculine sounding but there’s no denying its popularity for baby girls over boys.

Quick Facts

ON LONDON

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

607

PRONUNCIATION:

LUN-den

SIMPLE MEANING:

Wild and bold, a river too wide to cross

Characteristics

OF LONDON

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – London

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME LONDON

The 1794 poem “London” by English poet William Blake was published in “Songs of Experience” as a social protest. There is no corresponding “Songs of Innocence” poem about London which implies Blake’s hopelessness and disillusionment with the city. It was written in a particular time in history when the French were waging their revolution and England was in its own state of political and social unrest. Social inequalities were rampant, and the government began imposing freedom of speech restrictions to subdue the masses. Blake countered with these words, in part: “I wander thro' each charter'd street, / Near where the charter'd Thames does flow, / And mark in every face I meet / Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”

The 1794 poem “London” by English poet William Blake was published in “Songs of Experience” as a social protest. There is no corresponding “Songs of Innocence” poem about London which implies Blake’s hopelessness and disillusionment with the city. It was written in a particular time in history when the French were waging their revolution and England was in its own state of political and social unrest. Social inequalities were rampant, and the government began imposing freedom of speech restrictions to subdue the masses. Blake countered with these words, in part: “I wander thro' each charter'd street, / Near where the charter'd Thames does flow, / And mark in every face I meet / Marks of weakness, marks of woe.”

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME LONDON

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name London


Popular Songs

ON LONDON

London Luck & Love
a song by Hall & Oates

London Girl
a song by The Jam

London Calling
a song by The Clash

London Bridge
a song by Fergie

London Boys
a song by The Go-Go's

London
a song by Willie Nelson

London Song
a song by The Breeders

Hey Young London
a song by Bananarama

Famous People

NAMED LONDON

London Fletcher (football player)
London Fletcher (football player)
London Fletcher (football player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED LONDON

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name London

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME LONDON

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name London