The origins of street names and how they are chosen today

Street names have existed as long as streets themselves. Naming them is a long-standing tradition that has evolved significantly over time, adapting to new societal trends and changes.

“The street name registry is a mirror of society at the time it was created. It is a notarial act of the country that defines us as a nation,” explains Miquel Parella, head of toponymy at the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia (ICGC).

The earliest street names were “natural and spontaneous,” born from simple descriptions of the place itself, names like Wide Street, Main Street, Old Street, or New Street, as well as locations tied to local landmarks such as Fountain Street, Castle Street, or Church Street.

“The origin of these names came from the very descriptions citizens used centuries ago out of the need to identify places,” Parella adds.

This natural naming origin is reflected in the frequency of street names across Catalonia. According to data from the ICGC analyzed by Catalan News, the most common street name is Main Street, followed by Church Street and Catalonia Street.

As society developed and urban expansion accelerated, the process of naming streets shifted. “When the need arose but names no longer emerged spontaneously from citizens, city councils took on the role of naming streets,” Parella explains.

It was especially in the 19th century that an official record of street names, known as the ‘Nomenclàtor’ in Catalan, began to take shape, marking a surge in streets named after notable individuals.

Despite Catalonia having over 106,000 streets, squares, avenues, and alleys, nearly half of these have unique names that do not repeat elsewhere.

“Those unique street names are my favorites because, as they are one of a kind, they reflect the true essence of each town,” says Parella, reflecting on his 35 years of experience.

Contrary to popular belief that most street names honor people, Parella clarifies that it is actually the natural and geographical descriptions that form the majority of street names.

In fact, many of the most popular street names across the region are inspired by natural elements, such as rosebushes, pine trees, or nightingales, as well as prominent mountains like Montserrat and rivers like the Llobregat.

Recent transformations

Political and societal events have long influenced the naming of streets. A striking example is the Francoist regime, which erased all Catalan street names and replaced them with names honoring Francoist leaders.

For instance, Barcelona’s iconic Avinguda Diagonal was once called Avenida del Generalísimo Franco, and the current Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes was known as Avenida de José Antonio Primo de Rivera.

Following Franco’s death and the linguistic normalization efforts of the 1980s, most references to Francoism were removed from street names, which were then standardized in Catalan terms such as Carrer, Plaça, Avinguda, Travessera, and others.

“Some Spanish names had been distorted or misused, so there was a need to restore and standardize them in favor of the Catalan language,” explains Miquel Parella.

This major overhaul of Catalonia’s nomenclature has seen a similar event recently, following the 2017 Catalan pro-independence referendum, deemed illegal by Spain.

“That is the most recent significant street name addition in Catalonia,” Parella says, noting that around 160 towns now have a street, square, or road named after the referendum date.

Changes like these, Parella believes, demonstrate how street names “mirror the political and social climate of their time.”

How are street names chosen? 

Traditionally, naming streets is the responsibility of each town’s city council. They decide on new names or on changing existing ones.

“The decision must be voted on, approved, and the council has to justify any change. Then there is a period of public consultation lasting several days,” Parella explains.

Once the council approves a new name or a change, it must be reviewed according to linguistic norms by the Catalan Institute of Studies (IEC).

After linguistic approval, the name is sent to the ICGC, which registers it and incorporates it into official maps and cartography. Only then can the name be displayed on street signs.

Parella notes that their work has grown increasingly important over the years, especially with the widespread use of digital mapping tools like Google Maps.

To learn more about Catalonia’s street names and the stories behind them, listen to this episode of Filling the Sink.