Its population is documented at 7 1/2 million people, but the population could be easily twice that figure.
The meaning of the name London is disputed. It might be based on the name of King Lud, who took over the city in pre-medieval times. Kaerludein was the city's name, and it could have been phonetically altered to London.
Another more plausible theory is that the name came from a Welsh-Celtic word "Lyndon," meaning "shadowy waters," describing the characteristics of the Thames River.
When the Romans invaded in 43 AD, they named the city Londinium. Londinium means "a settlement on a lower bank." It was so named by Emperor Claudius in 55 BC to describe the location and purpose of the city: to be a military camp.
The latter two theories of the meaning of the name of London seem to have more validity.
There was much importance placed on this city, because it had so many dwellers wishing to claim it as their own.
