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 UNISEX 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 UNISEX NAME LONDON

The name London is used for both boys and girls in America, although it’s quite a bit more popular for females. The name limps onto the popularity charts for girls in 1994 and then disappears the following year. It returns to the charts in 1999 but doesn’t start to show any real promise until 2004. Between 2003 and 2010, London jumps over 700 positions on the girl’s list. It hasn’t quite hit the Top 100 list of most-favored girls’ names, but it’s very close. The name London for boys tells a slightly different story. It doesn’t come on the charts until 2000, and it hasn’t yet demonstrated anything meaningful other than going from low to moderate popularity. American parents are five-times more likely to bestow the name London on their daughters than their sons. In any case, the name does sound more masculine, but unisex names are the trend for baby girls. And so are place names (think: Brooklyn, Savannah, etc.)

Quick Facts

ON LONDON

GENDER:

Unisex

ORIGIN:

Celtic

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

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