When Was London Founded? Roman Londinium (AD 43) — But the Story Goes Deeper

The conventional founding date is AD 43 — when the Romans established Londinium as a civilian settlement and bridging point on the Thames. But "founded" depends on what you mean.

Layers of "Founding"

Why AD 43 Is the Standard Answer

• First urban settlement with continuous occupation to present
• First written record (Tacitus, Annals ~AD 60)
• First bridging point making it a transport hub
• Archaeologically distinct: Roman layer underlies the City of London today

The Name

Londinium → Lunden (OE) → London. Etymology debated: Celtic *Londinios ("place of the bold one") or pre-Celtic *Plowonida ("wide flowing river").

Continuous Settlement?

Yes — but with a gap. Roman Londinium declined ~410 AD. Lundenwic (1 km west) thrived 600–850 AD. Alfred reoccupied the walled city (886) as Lundenburh. Continuous urban presence since ~886; continuous habitation in area since prehistory.

London wasn't "founded" once — it accumulated. AD 43 is the urban seed; the rest is 2,000 years of layering.