Kensington - The Meaning Behind the Name

Kensington hotels are a popular destination for visitors to London, many of whom may wonder about the origins of the names of some of the most famous places they encounter. But you certainly don’t have to be an avid history fan to wonder about the origin of words in general, and place names in particular. It can be a fascinating pastime, as well as a way of getting closer to the past.

What's in a Name?

Many of the UK's original settlements or towns have names derived from some particular characteristic of the place itself or, just as frequently, from the people or families who lived there. As you may expect, given that there has been some sort of settlement in place for more than 2000 years, the names of the boroughs and districts that today make up London are an amazing mix of naming conventions adopted over the centuries - by Romans, Anglo Saxons and, from an even earlier time, the Celtic tribes.

If you're planning a visit to London to stay in one of the many excellent Kensington hotels, what could be more appropriate than to start with an explanation of the name of the place itself?

• Ton’ in old English or Anglo-Saxon stands for a place or town which may or may not have been fortified. The ‘Kensing’ part probably denotes the name of the main family or chieftain in the area at the time – the ‘Cynesiges’ – so Kensington derives from the place or the farm or homestead of the Cynesiges.
• Ham’ has a similar meaning, so Paddington and Tottenham could have been the family seats of the Padda and Totta clans. Of course it is no accident that the London of today grew from the numerous settlements that sprang up at the various landing places along the banks of the Thames. In early times, water was an essential element for the establishment of any settlement, providing not just drinking water and a means of irrigation, but also a waterway facilitating the carriage of goods.

Many of the settlements along the Thames, like Rotherhithe and Greenhithe, became major trading centres with the ‘Hithe’ of their names being the same as the old English word for landing place ‘Hythe’. The ‘ley’ ending of other famous parts of London, such as Henley and Wembley, denotes that these settlements originated in woodland clearings.

As the centuries passed, some of the names of the developing areas of London reflected the trades that were carried out there - Poultry and Bread Street being just two examples. Wherever you go in the city you will be surrounded by street and place names that refer to facets and events that were important at the time that these places were built. King James I, for example, was an avid collector of exotic birds and you can see this commemorated in Birdcage Walk, a street with runs alongside St James’s Palace.Trafalgar Square and Waterloo Station are both references to the Napoleonic Wars and there are many other fascinating places of this type for you to discover in London.

So much of the city is easily accessible from the Kensington hotels either on foot or by tube or taxi. You can enjoy your own mini-history tour, trying to work out the meanings of names and places.

Matthew Zelinski works for the London Regency Hotel, one of the top Kensington hotels. This wonderful hotel embodies the true flavour of Kensington, with its traditional regency-style façade and superb facilities. Whether you're looking for accommodation in London for business or leisure, the Regency offers an effortlessly elegant experience.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.