Why is London called London? How the capital got its name

So much so that the word London has practically lost its meaning and now stands as another word amongst the great many.

Yet beyond the word that is the name of the capital, there is a lot more to it.

Once upon a time, a group of people had to come up with the name that would later become the centre of the UK.

Whether you think about it daily or never give it a second thought, the story behind how London got its name is an interesting fact that just might give you a new insight into the capital.

London's history suggest a number of answers. (Image: Getty)

How did London get its name?

There is a lot of application to how London got its name, and whilst there is no final answer, there are several possibilities that people stand by.

Starting with the Romans and the most likely option, it is believed they called the land Londinium.

After finding what we now know as London, in 43 AD, the Romans created a fort in 'Londinium' which was discovered by archaeologists in 2016. 

Unfortunately, only the Romans know why the name was picked and sadly we can't ask them.

Aside from the Roman theory, there is another idea, with suggestions from 12th-century author Geoffrey of Monmouth that London was named after a mythical King.

What's your favourite theory? (Image: Getty)

Geoffrey of Monmouth believed that the capital was named after King Lud, which makes 'Karelud' aka 'the fortress of Lud'.

Later on in history, some writers suggested that the Celtic war leader known as Londions gave the capital its namesake.

Whilst others believe that the Celtics made the name London based on the word Lowonidonjon.

Another Celtic idea comes from the name Londinion which is understood to be inspired by the name of a local chieftain, or the Celtic word lond which means 'wild'.