Street names
The city executive names new streets; the street naming committee advises the college on this. They also give names to other objects in public space, such as neighbourhoods, districts, waters, bridges, overpasses. You can submit your idea or suggestion for a name of a new street to us online.
Are you unwilling or unable to pass them on online?
Download and complete the street name suggestion form (PDF, 121.12 KB). Send the form to the City of Leeuwarden. You can also hand it in at the Town Hall. Your idea or suggestion for a name of a new street will be passed on to the naming committee secretary. This committee meets an average of 3 times a year.
What do you need to consider?
When suggesting names, you should consider
- The practicality of names.
- Automated processing.
- The systematics, which should lead to uniform naming (also by limiting the use of initials, given names titles, etc. as much as possible).
Principles for naming after people
People who are still living cannot be named after. Members of the Royal Family form an exception. The people named after have usually passed on a long time ago. The VNG (Association of Dutch Municipalities) recommends a 10-year period. It is important to avoid evoking emotional responses on the anniversary someone’s death.
Starting points when using themes
When a new neighbourhood or district is formed, we use 1 theme for naming in this neighbourhood or district. This gives the street names a coherence that provides recognition. It is important to choose a theme with enough choices for the number of streets in the neighbourhood/district.
Other points to consider
- Short street names are preferred.
- The use of additions such as “straat, strjitte, weg, wei, laan, plein, dyk, etc., should be in accordance with the actual situation.
- Designations like First, Second, Extended, West Side, South Side etc. are undesirable. So are names that have numbers in them.
- Names to which first names, initials, titles, etc. have been added should be avoided.
- Streets in line with each other, which have the character of 1 street, are given the same name, while cycle paths, footpaths and service roads running parallel to a road are given the same name as the main road.
- No new names that could cause confusion with existing names.
- The use of foreign names should not cause difficulties in pronunciation and/or spelling, and should not lead to a change of intonation or ‘Dutchification’.
- New names in suburbs, outlying areas and villages are preferably given in the Frisian language.
- Regarding the names of districts and neighbourhoods:
- The relationship to the street naming.
- Cultural or historical backgrounds.
- Social developments.
- Logical connection with pre-existing names.
- Acceptance (does the naming appeal to the population).
- The Executive may name bicycle tunnels for the following reasons:
- If an unclear situation could lead to expediting emergency assistance.
- The emergency services ask for naming for safety and orientation purposes.
- A naming request is made by the neighbourhood or interest group.
- Exercise restraint with regard to naming underpasses for sloop routes/culverts. The waterway of an underpass is usually named.
Register of street names
All street names of districts and villages in the City of Leeuwarden are listed in the register of street names. This register has been updated until July 2022. More information on the explanation of street names from Henk Oly’s book can be found on the Historical Centre Leeuwarden website.
Publications, announcements and bye-laws
On the Publications, notices and local regulations page, you can look up what new names have recently been given to streets, districts, neighbourhoods, bridges, overpasses and other objects in public spaces.
Laws and regulations
The following law can be found on the website Overheid.nl (national):
- Act on the Key Registers of Addresses and Buildings (BAG)
The following regulations can be found on the website Overheid.nl (local):
- Municipalities Act
- Regulation on naming and numbering (addresses) Leeuwarden 2018
- Further rules based on the Leeuwarden Naming and Numbering (Addresses) Ordinance 2018
Are you unwilling or unable to pass them on online?
Download and complete the street name suggestion form (PDF, 121.12 KB). Send the form to the City of Leeuwarden. You can also hand it in at the Town Hall. Your idea or suggestion for a name of a new street will be passed on to the naming committee secretary. This committee meets an average of 3 times a year.
What do you need to consider?
When suggesting names, you should consider
- The practicality of names.
- Automated processing.
- The systematics, which should lead to uniform naming (also by limiting the use of initials, given names titles, etc. as much as possible).
Principles for naming after people
People who are still living cannot be named after. Members of the Royal Family form an exception. The people named after have usually passed on a long time ago. The VNG (Association of Dutch Municipalities) recommends a 10-year period. It is important to avoid evoking emotional responses on the anniversary someone’s death.
Starting points when using themes
When a new neighbourhood or district is formed, we use 1 theme for naming in this neighbourhood or district. This gives the street names a coherence that provides recognition. It is important to choose a theme with enough choices for the number of streets in the neighbourhood/district.
Other points to consider
- Short street names are preferred.
- The use of additions such as “straat, strjitte, weg, wei, laan, plein, dyk, etc., should be in accordance with the actual situation.
- Designations like First, Second, Extended, West Side, South Side etc. are undesirable. So are names that have numbers in them.
- Names to which first names, initials, titles, etc. have been added should be avoided.
- Streets in line with each other, which have the character of 1 street, are given the same name, while cycle paths, footpaths and service roads running parallel to a road are given the same name as the main road.
- No new names that could cause confusion with existing names.
- The use of foreign names should not cause difficulties in pronunciation and/or spelling, and should not lead to a change of intonation or ‘Dutchification’.
- New names in suburbs, outlying areas and villages are preferably given in the Frisian language.
- Regarding the names of districts and neighbourhoods:
- The relationship to the street naming.
- Cultural or historical backgrounds.
- Social developments.
- Logical connection with pre-existing names.
- Acceptance (does the naming appeal to the population).
- The Executive may name bicycle tunnels for the following reasons:
- If an unclear situation could lead to expediting emergency assistance.
- The emergency services ask for naming for safety and orientation purposes.
- A naming request is made by the neighbourhood or interest group.
- Exercise restraint with regard to naming underpasses for sloop routes/culverts. The waterway of an underpass is usually named.
Register of street names
All street names of districts and villages in the City of Leeuwarden are listed in the register of street names. This register has been updated until July 2022. More information on the explanation of street names from Henk Oly’s book can be found on the Historical Centre Leeuwarden website.
Publications, announcements and bye-laws
On the Publications, notices and local regulations page, you can look up what new names have recently been given to streets, districts, neighbourhoods, bridges, overpasses and other objects in public spaces.
Laws and regulations
The following law can be found on the website Overheid.nl (national):
- Act on the Key Registers of Addresses and Buildings (BAG)
The following regulations can be found on the website Overheid.nl (local):
- Municipalities Act
- Regulation on naming and numbering (addresses) Leeuwarden 2018
- Further rules based on the Leeuwarden Naming and Numbering (Addresses) Ordinance 2018