Origin of London's Name

London's name derives from Londinium, the Roman settlement established around 43 AD near present-day Billingsgate. The site was likely a pre-Roman trading center, but the Romans formalized it as a provincial capital. The etymology of "Londinium" is debated—possibly from a pre-Celtic Old European root *plowonida ("fast-flowing river") or a Celtic personal name. The name evolved through Anglo-Saxon Lunden to modern London.