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London

♀ Girl

Pronounced LUN-dun /ˈlʌn.dən/High

Meaning: From the Roman city name Londinium, of disputed Celtic origin; possibly from a Brittonic personal name or meaning river settlement, fort by the broad riverMedium

In 30 seconds: London is one of America's boldest city-name choices — a cosmopolitan statement name that evokes the grandeur of the world's most storied metropolis while sitting comfortably in the U.S. top 500 for girls.

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Origin MediumEnglish, Celtic

MeaningFrom the Roman city name Londinium, of disputed Celtic origin; possibly from a Brittonic personal name or meaning river settlement, fort by the broad river

U.S. rank (2025)#431 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births719 girls (0.04% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2013

Total births (all-time)≈ 44,435

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

London takes its name from the Roman settlement Londinium, of Brittonic Celtic origin. The exact meaning is debated but may relate to a personal name or to a word for a wide, tidal river.

As a given name, London has been used in the United States since the early 2000s, primarily for girls. It hit the top 100 by the 2010s and has remained there, one of the most successful city-inspired given names.

Did you know? London is one of only a handful of world-city names used as given names in the United States — alongside Paris, Sydney, and Brooklyn — each carrying a specific cultural personality.

Overall data confidence 80%

U.S. Social Security Administration — popularity dataBehind the Name — London — place name etymology

Variations

Londyn

Nicknames

Londi

Famous Bearers

★London Breed (b. 1974)
Served as the 45th Mayor of San Francisco from 2018 to 2025, becoming the first African-American woman to hold that office after winning a June 2018 special election following the death of Mayor Ed Lee.

If you like London…

Paris— shares the glamorous European city-name appeal and the same feminine given-name use

Brooklyn— fellow city-name that hit American top-100 status around the same era

Sydney— shares the international city-name feel with a similar gender-crossover arc

Savannah— shares the Southern-city name charm and the same warm two-syllable structure

Explore names like London

By thememodern place-name feminine

By meaningSea / Water

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Frequently Asked

What does the name London mean?

London comes from Roman Londinium, a Brittonic place name whose exact meaning is debated; it may mean fort by the broad river.

How do you pronounce London?

It is said LUN-dun /ˈlʌn.dən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is London a popular girl's name?

Yes, London has been in the U.S. girls' top 100 since the mid-2010s.

What is the difference between London and Londyn?

Londyn is a stylized feminine spelling; both are pronounced identically.