Toronto Street Name Origins

This list gives the origin of 146 Toronto street names. Type part of a street name to filter the list; each entry shows the source of the explanation.

About the list

Only names with a source that states the origin are included. Many entries rest on the standard reference, Toronto Street Names by Wise and Gould (2000), and on Mike Filey’s street histories, as cited in each entry; the entries name the exact source. Where sources disagree, the entry says so, and where no origin is documented, the street is left out. The longer discussion of the best-known names is in the article on the origins of Toronto street names.

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Last verified: October 2026

Street names as plain text (146 streets)

Adelaide Street: Robertson says it was formerly called Newgate Street, because the jail was to have been built on it. The present name honors Adelaide, eldest daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen and queen consort of William IV.
Admiral Road: Robertson lists the name as commemorating Admiral Baldwin and gives no further detail.
Asquith Avenue: Originally Jarvis Street, named for Sheriff William Botsford Jarvis. After Yorkville joined Toronto in 1883 it became Bismarck Avenue, for the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck. The name was changed to Asquith Avenue in August 1915 because of heightened anti-German sentiment, honoring the British prime minister H. H. Asquith.
Avenue Road: No namesake or event is recorded. Robertson (1894) lists Avenue Road, with Avenue Street, Avenue Lane, and Avenue Place, among the fanciful names given to streets.
Baldwin Street: Robertson says the street commemorates Dr. William Warren Baldwin, who received a large tract of land in that part of the city under the will of Miss Elizabeth Russell.
Bathurst Street: Named for Earl Bathurst, Secretary for the Colonies in the reign of George IV, according to Robertson (1894) and Scadding (1873). Robertson adds that the part north of Queen Street was long known as Crookshank's Lane. City of Toronto heritage reports call him Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst, and place the naming in the 1834 subdivision of Garrison Common.
Bay Street: Scadding (1873) reports that old inhabitants said Bay Street was at first Bear Street, so called from a noted chase given to a bear that made for the water along this route. Robertson (1894) says Bay is said to be a corruption of Bear, from a bear hunt on that thoroughfare. Both give it as tradition, not as a documented fact.
Bayview Avenue: Originally East York Avenue. It became known as Bayview after Dr. James Stanley McLean's house, Bay View, overlooking the Don Valley, dated to 1930 in one Wikipedia article and 1931 in another.
Belmont Street: Robertson says it is named after the birthplace of John Sheppard, who owned property where Belmont Street is.
Berkeley Street: Robertson says Berkeley Street, which was formerly Parliament Street, was named from a small town in Gloucestershire, England.
Beverley Street: Robertson says Beverley Street and Beverley Terrace recall Sir John Beverley Robinson, whom he describes as Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario from 1880 to 1887. The printed text is ambiguous about which Robinson is meant, so this entry repeats his wording only.
Bishop Street: Robertson says it is named after Bishop John Strachan, first Anglican bishop of Toronto.
Bleecker Street: Robertson (spelling it Bleeker) says it bears the name of Admiral Bleeker, with no further detail.
Bloor Street: Named for Mr. Bloor, who owned a large tract along the road east of Yonge Street. Scadding (1873) says he was long landlord of the Farmers' Arms inn at York and later opened a large brewery in the ravine north of the road. Robertson (1894) adds that the road had been called St. Paul's Road and then Sydenham Road, and that Bloor and Sheriff W. B. Jarvis laid out the village of Yorkville. A City of Toronto council document gives his first name as Joseph, says he was born in Staffordshire, and dates the renaming of the concession road to 1854.
Bond Street: Robertson says Bond Street is named after Sir Francis Bond Head.
Borden Street: Robertson says it was named by the Denison family after one of their members, without naming the person.
Brock Street: Robertson says Brock Street, Brockton Avenue and Brockton Road take their names from General Sir Isaac Brock, slain at Queenston.
Brunswick Avenue: Robertson says the street was on Denison family land and was named by them for the House of Brunswick.
Carlton Street: Scadding (1873) says Carleton, Gerrard, and Shuter streets took their names from personal friends of John McGill, the first owner of the tract, names mostly tied to the early annals of Montreal. Robertson (1894) says the same for Carlton, Gerrard, Shuter, and Gould streets. Neither names the individual friend behind Carlton.
Cecil Street: Robertson says it is named after Lord Cecil and does not identify him further.
Chapais Crescent: Commemorates one of two Fathers of Confederation honored by Chapais and Langevin crescents.
Chapleau Place: Named after a man who was a premier and lieutenant governor of Quebec.
Christie Street: Robertson (1894) says Christie Street is named for William Christie, a biscuit baker. A competing explanation, reported by Wikipedia from footnotes that could not be read, points to Peter McDougall and his wife Christy on 1835 maps. The origin is therefore not settled.
Church Street: Robertson (1894) says it was so named because it ran by the western side of the St. James church plot. A City of Toronto heritage report gives the same explanation, tied to St. James' Church at King and Church streets.
Colborne Street: Robertson says it was formerly Market Lane, because it ran to the market, and takes its present name from Sir John Colborne, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada from 1828 to 1836.
College Street: Shares its origins with University Avenue as one of the two private entrances to King's College, the institution that became the University of Toronto.
Collier Street: Originally James Street, possibly named for Joseph Bloor's father. It became Park Road in 1883, and the western section was later renamed Collier, likely for Francis Collier Draper, the son of William Henry Draper. The source marks both namesakes as probable, not certain.
Concord Avenue: Robertson calls Concord Avenue an 'eclectic name,' meaning a name chosen without a specific local origin.
Courcelette: One of several Toronto streets named after battlefields.
Coxwell Avenue: Robertson (1894) says it is named after Mr. Coxwell of Osgoode Hall. Wikipedia, citing Wise and Gould, Toronto Street Names (2000), p. 65, identifies him as Charles Coxwell Small, a resident of Berkeley House.
Creek Place: Named after a buried creek under the lane and another creek close by.
Cumberland Street: Robertson says Cumberland Road and Cumberland Street are named after the birthplace across the sea of the late James Wallace, one of the first councillors of Yorkville.
Cummer Avenue: Named after Jacob Kummer, a German settler. The road to his mill became linked with the anglicized form of the family name.
Dalhousie Street: Robertson says it is named after Lord Dalhousie.
Danforth Avenue: The avenue shares its name with Asa Danforth, an American contractor hired in 1799 to open a road east from York toward the Trent River. Sources disagree on the link: the Broadview Danforth BIA says the avenue was named after him, while the historian Barbara Myrvold states that he had nothing to do with the avenue's construction.
Davenport Road: Named for Davenport, the home of Colonel Wells, formerly of the 43rd Regiment, according to Robertson (1894) and Scadding (1873). The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says Joseph Wells bought the 200-acre Davenport estate from the McGill family in 1821. Other suggested namesakes are not supported by a source read for this list.
Dieppe: One of several Toronto streets named after battlefields.
Ditty Lane: Named by City Council in 2012 to recall the 19th century Ditty Hotel at Church and Richmond streets, which was named after its proprietor, Ann Ditty.
Don Mills Road: Robertson (1894) says it is so called because it leads to the mills on the Don. Scadding (1873) quotes an 1802 road order running from the Bay Road to the Don Mills.
Dovercourt Road: Robertson says the road runs through property belonging to the Denison estate and was named by that family in honor of their English home.
Draper Street: Robertson says it is named after Chief Justice Draper.
Duchess Street: Robertson says it honors the Duchess of York, eldest daughter of the King of Prussia. He says the name was first applied to the modern Duke Street and later transferred to the present Duchess Street.
Dufferin Street: Named for Frederick Temple Blackwood, Earl of Dufferin, appointed Governor General of Canada in 1872, according to Robertson (1894). The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says his term as governor general expired in 1878.
Duke Street: Robertson says what is now Duke Street was originally Duchess Street and the change was made at an early date. The name complimented the Duke of York, son of George III, after whom the town itself was named.
Dundas Street: The City of Toronto calls it a commemorative name for Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville (1742 to 1811), a minister under Prime Minister William Pitt. Council voted in July 2021 to rename the street, and in December 2023 it paused that work until further direction.
Dupont Street: Robertson (1894) says Dupont Avenue is named after George Dupont Wells, and that Wells Street is named for him as well. The Wells family owned the nearby Davenport estate.
Eglinton Avenue: Named for the small farming village of Eglinton in York County, an agricultural hub settled in the early 1800s, according to Heritage Toronto. Scadding (1873) calls the village name a memorial of the Eglinton Tournament held in Ayrshire in 1839. Other explanations exist, so the origin of the village name is not settled.
Elgin Avenue: Robertson says it commemorates James Bruce, Earl of Elgin, Governor of Canada from 1847 to 1854.
Elizabeth Street: Robertson says it is named after Elizabeth Russell, sister of President Peter Russell.
Ellesmere Road: Named after the village of Ellesmere, a post-office village at Kennedy Road. The page dates its post office to 1853.
Elm Street: Robertson says it is so called because a solitary elm tree was long conspicuous at the point where the street starts from Yonge Street.
Emdaabiimok Avenue: A name chosen to reflect the history of the community and its surroundings and to promote Anishinaabe culture. It replaced the name of Lower Coxwell Avenue between Queen Street East and Lake Shore Boulevard East.
Esplanade: Robertson defines an esplanade as a clear flat surface. He says the Toronto Esplanade corresponds to some extent with the Thames Embankment in London and has given the city a new front.
Euclid Avenue: Robertson says it is named after Euclid of Alexandria, celebrated as the father of mathematics.
Evangeline Court: Honors the legendary Acadian of the same name.
Finch Avenue: Named after John Finch, a hotel owner whose hotel stood at the corner of Finch Avenue and Yonge Street. The list of east-west roads says he bought the Bird-in-the-Hand Inn in 1847.
Flax Field Lane: Named after crops grown in the 1800s to make linen for covering First World War airplane wings.
Frederick Street: Robertson says it was named at the laying out of the town after Frederick, Duke of York.
Front Street: Robertson says it was named because it skirted the bay front when laid out. The eastern part was originally King Street (for George III), later called Palace Street because it led to the Parliament House. When Front Street was laid out it was joined to Palace Street and the united streets took the name Front Street.
Gala Lane: Named after a variety of apple grown in Ontario.
George Street: Robertson says it was named at the original laying out of the town in 1793 after George, Prince of Wales, and was the original western boundary of the town.
Gerrard Street: Scadding (1873) and Robertson (1894) say Gerrard Street was named, with Carlton and Shuter streets, for a Montreal friend of John McGill, who first owned the tract. Neither gives a first name. The usual identification is Samuel Gerrard (1767 to 1857), a Montreal fur trader and businessman, but the sources read do not state that link.
Givens Street: Robertson says it bears the name of Colonel James Givens, an aide to Governor Simcoe and owner of the park lot the street passes through.
Gladstone Avenue: Robertson says it bears the name of William Ewart Gladstone.
Gould Street: Robertson says Carlton, Gerrard, Shuter and Gould streets took their names from Montreal friends of Colonel McGill, the first owners of the tract. He does not name the friends.
Harbord Street: Uncertain. Robertson (1894) lists Harbord Street among the streets whose derivation is uncertain or unknown. Later suggestions of a link to Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield have no source read for this list.
Hazelton Avenue: Robertson says it was named by George White, a landholder of the section, in honor of his wife, nee Miss Hazelton.
Huron Street: Named for the Huron tribe and the lake of that name, according to Robertson (1894). The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that Huron is the French name for the Wendat.
Jameson Avenue: Named for Robert Sympson Jameson, Vice-Chancellor of Upper Canada and husband of the writer Anna Jameson, according to Robertson (1894). The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says he became attorney general of Upper Canada in 1833 and vice-chancellor in 1837.
Jarvis Street: The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says Samuel Peters Jarvis had his park lot subdivided in 1845, and that his house Hazelburn was torn down to make way for the street that still bears his name. A City of Toronto report describes the street as named for the Jarvis family.
Jean Lumb Lane: Named after a Chinese Canadian woman who lobbied against racist immigration laws.
John Street: Robertson says it bears one of the Christian names of John Graves Simcoe, first Governor of Upper Canada.
Jordan Street: Robertson says it preserves the Christian name of Jordan Post, once owner of the whole frontage from Bay Street to Yonge Street.
Keele Street: Named for William Keele. The list of north-south roads calls him a lawyer, while another Wikipedia article calls William Conway Keele a local businessman and farmer.
Kent Street: Robertson says it bears the royal name of the Duke of Kent, father of Queen Victoria, who on a visit to York early in the century was lodged near where the street now passes.
Ketchum Avenue: Robertson says it keeps in memory Jesse Ketchum, an early tanner of York and a liberal patron of religious, educational and temperance causes.
King Street: Robertson (1894) says King Street was originally Duke Street, for the Duke of York, and was renamed in honor of his father, George III. Scadding (1873) says that at the laying out of York the name King Street went first to the town's Front Street, and the modern King Street was then Duke Street. Robertson also says the eastern part of Front Street was originally King Street, for George III.
Kipling Avenue: Rumored, but not proven, to honor the writer Rudyard Kipling, tied to a planned 1907 visit to Woodbridge that he cancelled. The page also says the name may have been given earlier for a local farmer, a claim marked as needing a citation.
Laird Drive: The source calls the origin disputed. One theory points to Robert Borden, and another to a man named Alexander Laird.
Langevin Crescent: Commemorates one of two Fathers of Confederation honored by Chapais and Langevin crescents.
Lansdowne Avenue: Named for Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, Lord Lansdowne, Governor General of Canada from 1883 to 1888, according to Robertson (1894). The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says he was formally appointed governor general in August 1883.
Lawrence Avenue: Named after the Lawrence family. A separate Wikipedia article names Jacob Lawrence, a tanner and farmer in the area.
Leslie Street: Named for George Leslie, a nurseryman, according to Robertson (1894).
Lippincott Street: Robertson says it is named after a family of Lippincotts connected with the Denisons.
Lisgar Street: Robertson says it is named after Lord Lisgar.
Lombard Street: Robertson says it now bears the name of the financial street of London. It was at first March Street, from the Earl of March (second title of the Duke of Richmond), and that name was displaced by Stanley, for Lord Stanley, the Colonial Minister of the day.
Maitland Place: Robertson says it is named after Sir Peregrine Maitland, Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada from 1818 to 1828.
Major Street: Robertson says Major Place and Major Street bear the name of John Major, a bank official.
Markham Street: Robertson says Markham Street and Markham Place are named after Captain Markham of the 32nd Regiment.
McCaul Street: Robertson says it is named after Dr. McCaul, a professor in the University.
McCowan Road: Named for the McCowan family. The mccowan.org guide to historic sites in Scarborough Heights says it is named for the Robert McCowan family, who farmed part of lot 22, concession C, near Kingston Road for almost 100 years, and records the James McCowan family settlement of 1833 on lot 20.
McGill Street: Robertson says it bears the name of Colonel John McGill, an early resident of York who owned the park lot through which it passed.
Mercer Street: Robertson says it derives its name from Adam Mercer, whose property reverted to the Crown at his death.
Mill Street: Robertson says it is so called because it was beside the Gooderham and Worts mill.
Mississauga Street: Robertson says it preserves the memory of the tribes that once inhabited the Toronto locality, and notes that the name is spelled variously, including Mississaga and Mississague.
Mount Pleasant Road: Named after Mount Pleasant Cemetery, through which it passes.
Mutual Street: Robertson lists Mutual Street and Myrtle Avenue as names chosen and applied to the streets, with no personal or local origin given.
Nathan Phillips Square: Named in honor of Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto, to recognize his advocacy of the City Hall project. The City says the square was named for him before construction began in 1961.
Ontario Street: Robertson calls Ontario Street and Ontario Place names of self-evident derivation.
Ossington Avenue: Named for the estate of the Denison family, which Wikipedia describes as their ancestral Nottingham home.
Palmerston Avenue: Robertson says Muter Street was changed to Palmerston Avenue in honor of Lord Palmerston. Muter Street had been named after Colonel Muter.
Pape Avenue: Robertson (1894) says it is named after the late Mr. Pape, a gardener.
Park Road: James Street in Yorkville became Park Road in 1883 because it linked up with Park Road in Rosedale. Gwynne Street was renamed Park Road in 1896 for the same reason, because it linked to Bloor Street.
Parliament Street: Robertson says the name was formerly applied to the southern part of the present Berkeley Street because it ran to the first Parliament buildings, and was later transferred to the next street opened to the eastward.
Peter Street: Robertson says it is a memento of Peter Russell, President of the Province.
Portage: One of three Toronto streets named after French-sounding Canadian rivers (Portage, Rideau, and Rouge).
Princess Street: Robertson says it is a corruption of Princes Street, originally named in honor of the Dukes of Clarence, Kent, Cumberland, Sussex and Cambridge, sons of George III.
Queen Street: Originally Lot Street, since it formed the southern boundary of the park lots. Robertson (1894) says Simcoe's plan first named it Dundas Street, that it was afterwards called Lot Street, and that it was later changed to Queen Street in honor of Queen Victoria. The City's Queen Street West heritage district plan places the renaming in the 1840s, and Scadding (1873) notes that an 1833 directory still called it Lot Street.
Railway Lane: Recognizes the location of the lane, which runs along a railway corridor.
Richmond Street: Robertson (1894) says it was long known as Hospital Street because a plot had been set apart on it for a hospital, and took its present name to honor Charles Gordon Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, Governor General of Canada. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says he was appointed governor-in-chief of British North America in 1818.
Rideau: One of three Toronto streets named after French-sounding Canadian rivers (Portage, Rideau, and Rouge).
Robert Street: Robertson says Robert Street and Robert Place are named after Colonel Robert Denison.
Roncesvalles Avenue: Named after the Battle of Roncesvalles, which took place in Spain in 1813.
Rosedale Road: Robertson says it takes its name from Rosedale, the residence of Sheriff W. B. Jarvis, who with Mr. Bloor projected and laid out the village of Yorkville, which narrowly escaped being called Bloorville. Rosedale and Cumberland were also suggested before Yorkville was chosen.
Rouge: One of three Toronto streets named after French-sounding Canadian rivers (Portage, Rideau, and Rouge).
Runnymede Road: Named for the house of John Scarlett.
Rusholme Road: Robertson says it is named from Rusholme, the family residence of one of the branches of the Denison family.
Russell Street: Robertson says Russell Street and Russell Place are named from Peter Russell, President of the Province.
Sackville Street: Robertson says it is named after Sackville Street in Dublin, and was formerly Pine Street.
Sankofa Square: Formerly Yonge-Dundas Square. On December 14, 2023, the City of Toronto announced that Council had adopted Sankofa Square as the new name. The City describes the concept of Sankofa, which originates in Ghana, as reflecting on and reclaiming teachings from the past. Council also paused work on renaming Dundas Street.
Scadding Avenue: Robertson says Scadding Street commemorates the Scadding family, whose senior member came to York with Simcoe and settled just east of the Don, and whose son was the Rev. Dr. Henry Scadding, historian of York and Toronto.
Seaton Street: Robertson says it preserves the title of John Colborne, Field Marshal Lord Seaton.
Shaw Street: Robertson says it preserves the name of Major-General Aeneas Shaw, original possessor of the park lot through which the street was laid out.
Sheppard Avenue: Originally the Lansing Sideroad, it is named after one of two families who lived beside its intersection with Yonge Street. The source names Tom Shepherd (or Sheppard) first.
Sherbourne Street: Created in 1845 when Thomas Gibbs Ridout and William Allan agreed to widen Allan's lane. The new street was named Sherborne Street after Ridout's home town, and the spelling later changed to Sherbourne.
Shuter Street: Robertson says Carlton, Gerrard, Shuter and Gould streets took their names from Montreal friends of Colonel McGill, the first owners of the tract. He does not name the friends.
Simcoe Street: Robertson says Simcoe Street and Simcoe Terrace are named after Lieutenant-General John Graves Simcoe, first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada. The lower part was formerly Graves Street and the upper part William Street.
Sorauren Avenue: Robertson says it is a Spanish name given to the street by Colonel O'Hara.
Spadina Avenue: From the Ojibwe word ishpadinaa, meaning high hill or ridge. The road up the hill was called Spadina before the avenue existed, and the name is tied to Dr. William Baldwin's house Spadina, which the Dictionary of Canadian Biography says took an Indian word for hill.
St. Clair Avenue: Named after Augustine St. Clare, a character in the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, according to a family account of the Grainger brothers, who posted a joke sign near Yonge Street. The spelling St. Clair came from a theater program.
St. George Street: Disputed. Robertson (1894) lists St. George Street among streets named for saints. Wikipedia, citing Toronto Life (2007), says it honors Quetton St. George, a French Royalist officer who settled at York. Scadding (1873) and the Dictionary of Canadian Biography describe Quetton St. George but do not say the street is named for him.
Stanley G Grizzle Lane: Named after an influential Black leader in the Canadian labour movement, who was one of the first African Canadians to run in an Ontario election.
Steeles Avenue: Named after Thomas Steele, who lived at what is now Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue from 1856 and was the first proprietor of the Green Bush Inn there. The name once carried an apostrophe, which was dropped by the mid 20th century.
Strachan Avenue: Robertson says it preserves the name of the Rev. Dr. John Strachan, first Anglican bishop of Toronto.
Sumach Street: Robertson says it runs through what was formerly a region of sumacs.
Summerhill Avenue: Robertson says it comes from a residence of that name built by Charles Thomson, whose name he associates with the former travel and postal service along Yonge Street and the upper lakes.
Sydenham Street: Robertson says Sydenham Street and Sydenham Lane are called after Sir Charles Poulett Thomson, Baron Sydenham, who lived for a time in Toronto while Governor-General of the Canadas in 1839-40.
Tecumseth Street: Named for Tecumseh (spelled Tecumseth on the street sign), the Shawnee chief who was an ally of Brock, according to a City of Toronto heritage report, which places the naming in the 1834 subdivision of Garrison Common. Robertson (1894) says the street is named after the celebrated Indian chief Tecumseth.
University Avenue: Robertson (1894) says the ground was a gift of Sir John Robinson, who called it Park Lane. The name was changed to University Street because it runs to the University, which Robertson notes is confusing beside the parallel College Avenue. Scadding (1873) calls the change to University Street uncalled for.
Victoria Park Avenue: Took its name from the Victoria Park amusement park that operated south of Queen Street from 1878 until 1906.
Vimy: One of several Toronto streets named after battlefields.
Wellesley Street: Robertson (1894) says the Wellesley street names combine the name and title of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington.
Wellington Street: Named for Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who defeated Napoleon. The name was given when part of Garrison Common near Fort York was subdivided in 1834.
Woodbine Avenue: Robertson (1894) says it is so called because it runs by the Woodbine race course.
Yonge Street: Named by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe for Sir George Yonge, the British Secretary for War. The Ontario Heritage Trust gives the completion date as February 16, 1796, while The Canadian Encyclopedia says completion was announced on February 20, 1796.
Ypres: One of several Toronto streets named after battlefields.