EESTI VABARIIL: Extra

Top 12 cities, a brief history in eras, and how Estonian place names work

Most names are built from Finno-Ugric roots, Baltic substrates, or Old Scandinavian and Germanic borrowings

Estonian place names reflect a deep-rooted relationship to land, water, and layered identity. With a language distinct from its Indo-European neighbours and centuries of foreign rule, Estonian toponyms are where native structure meets colonial residue — a grammar of forests, forts, and forgotten tribes.

Top 12 Cities of Estonia

1. Tallinn

“Danish Fort”
[Estonian: Taani, ‘Danish’; linn, ‘fort’, ‘town’]
The capital, formerly known as Reval, sits where Viking raids met crusader walls. Founded by the Danes in 1219 and later ruled by Germans, Swedes, and Russians, Tallinn is now a tech-savvy capital with a medieval core and a digital soul.

2. Tartu

It was initially a settlement named after the Estonian god, Tar [a.k.a. Taara, Tooru, Tharapita and Tarapitha, Uku or Jumal. Tar resembles the Finnic Ukko and the Germanic Thor].

In a successful military raid in 1030, Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise of Kiev captured Tartu, Estonia and renamed it Yuryev after his patron saint.

Estonia’s second city is its cultural and intellectual heart, home to the University of Tartu (est. 1632). Known for literature, science, and progressive politics, Tartu combines riverside charm with academic rigour.

City of Tartu

3. Narva

The Narva River [also Narwa or Narova], gives its name to the Neolithic Narva culture, as well as the city of Narva. The river flows 77 km(48 mi) from Lake Peipus to the Baltic Sea.

It has been suggested that the name is derived from Finnic: narva, 'waterfall' or 'stream'.

A heavily Russian-speaking border city on the Narva River, opposite Russia’s Ivangorod. Narva has been bombed, rebuilt, and politically torn every which which way — yet remains defiantly Estonian.

4. Pärnu

“Linden (town)”
[Estonian: pärn, ‘Danish’; ‘linden tree’]

Estonia’s summer capital and spa town. Pärnu sits on the coast with sandy beaches and 19th-century charm — popular with both Estonians and Finns.

5. Kohtla-Järve

“Lake Village” [Estonian: kohtla, ’village’; and järve, ‘lake’]

An industrial city shaped by oil shale extraction, Soviet planning, and post-Soviet redefinition. The name justaposes older local geography with modern urban sprawl.

Article—Viljandi: A jewel of a town in deepest Estonia

6. Viljandi

“Grain (town)” [Estonian: vilja, ‘grain’ or ‘cereal’]

The region has historically been important for agriculture
A hilltop town with lake views and strong folk culture. Viljandi is known for its annual folk music festival and its moody castle ruins.

https://deepbaltic.com/2016/03/17/viljandi-a-jewel-of-a-town-in-deepest-estonia/

7. Rakvere

From Rako personal name; and Estonian: (toponym) ‘settlement’ or ‘farmstead’.

A legend tells the tale of a raki, ‘small dog’ whose vere, ‘blood’ was spilt when he was kicked by Kalevipoeg, hero of Estonia’s national epic.

Home to one of Estonia’s most dramatic hilltop castles and a famously large bronze bull. A small city with big symbolism.

City of Rakvere

8. Maardu

“Manor” [Estonian: word mõis, ‘manor’ [Finnish: moisio] a borrowing from Low German/Old Swedish: mēse, mēz(e)]. This dates back to the Middle Ages when German-speaking landlords and Swedish nobility ruled the roost.

Maardu has a recorded manor history dating back to the 14th century, aligning with the German-Danish expansion into northern Estonia. The -du ending is a place-based suffix.

An industrial suburb east of Tallinn, shaped by Soviet-era infrastructure and post-independence reforms. Known for its diverse population and port connections.

9. Sillamäe

“Bridge Hill”. [Estonian: sild, ‘bridge’; and mäe, ‘hill’]

A Stalinist show-town on the northern coast, once closed to outsiders due to uranium processing. Today it’s open, but still heavy with Soviet architecture and symbolism.

10. Haapsalu

“Aspen Grove” [Estonian: haab, ‘aspen’; and salu, ‘grove’].
A charming coastal town known for its curative mud, wooden houses, and the ghostly White Lady of its castle. Haapsalu once had a direct rail line to the Tsar.

11. Kuressaare

“Crane Island Town”. [Estonian: kurg, ‘crane’; saar, ‘island’]

Capital of Saaremaa, Estonia’s largest island. Kuressaare has a storybook castle, spa traditions, and slow island rhythms.

12. Valga

Shared town with Valka, Latvia. Probably from Latvian: valga, ‘wet’, ‘humid’

The town is split by the border — Valga on the Estonian side, Valka on the Latvian. Once one town, now a quiet border-crossing with two languages and one shared past.

Valga railway station

Estonia: A Brief History in Eras

1. Prehistory & Tribal Estonia (–13th c.)
   Finno-Ugric peoples, sacred groves, runic chants. A land of oral culture and forest-based communities.
   

2. Crusader and Hanseatic Era (13th–16th c.)
   Danish conquest, Teutonic Knights, and German-speaking elites. Tallinn joins the Hanseatic League.
   

3. Swedish and Polish Rule (16th–18th c.)
   Sweden governs the north, Poland the south. Lutheranism spreads. Baltic German nobility entrenched.
   

4. Russian Empire (18th–1918)
   Estonia absorbed into Tsarist Russia, but retains German landowners. The Estonian national awakening begins.
   

5. First Republic (1918–1940)
   Estonia wins independence after WWI and the War of Independence. A modern parliamentary democracy emerges.
   

6. Occupation and Soviet Era (1940–1991)
   Soviet annexation, Nazi occupation, then Soviet rule again. Deportations, Russification, resistance.

7. The Singing Revolution and EU Statehood (1991–Today)
   Independence restored through mass singing protests. Estonia joins NATO and the EU. Becomes a digital state with a distinct global voice.

   

   Place Names in Estonia with English meaningd —for fun rather than accuracy!

How Estonian Place Names Work

Estonian place names are compact, often descriptive, and deeply rooted in nature. Many are two-part compounds, combining:

• Geographic features: mägi (hill), järv (lake), saar (island), oja (stream)

• Descriptors: suur (big), must (black), vana (old), uus (new)

• Possessives or personal names

• Suffixes: -küla (village), -linn (town/city), -mäe (of the hill)

Influences include:

• Finno-Ugric roots: indigenous, pre-Indo-European structure

• German, Swedish, Russian layers: often seen in alternate historical names

• Soviet renamings: industrial or ideological replacements, some reversed post-1991

The result is a landscape where the names are not just labels — they are linguistic fossils.

Glossary: 40 Estonian Place-Name Elements

• ala – ‘area, region’ – Karala – Bear Area

• anu – ‘gift’ or personal name root – Anumõisa – Anu's Manor

• argi – ‘weekday’ or ‘everyday’ – Argimäe – Everyday Hill

• elu – ‘life’ – Eluküla – Life Village

• hansu – ‘Hans’ (personal name) – Hansuküla – Hans’s Village

• isa – ‘father’ – Isaküla – Father’s Village

• jõe – ‘of the river’ – Jõeküla – River Village

• kaev – ‘well’ – Kaevuotsa – Well End

• karja – ‘herd’ – Karjaküla – Herd Village

• kase – ‘birch (tree)’ – Kasevälja – Birch Field

• hall – ‘grey’ – Halliste – Greystone or Grey Place

• hein – ‘hay’ – Heinamäe – Hay Hill

• järv – ‘lake’ – Peipsi järv – Lake Peipus

• kivi – ‘stone’ – Suurkivi – Great Stone

• kõrts – ‘tavern’ – Kõrtsuotsa – Tavern End

• kõrve – ‘wilderness’ – Kõrvemaa – Land of Wilderness

• küla – ‘village’ – Väljaküla – Field Village

• kurg – ‘crane (bird)’ – Kuressaare – Crane Island

• laht – ‘bay’ – Tallinna laht – Bay of Tallinn

• liiva – ‘sand’ – Liivaküla – Sand Village

• laste – ‘children’s’ – Lasteaed – Kindergarten

• linn – ‘town, city’ – Tallinn – Danish Town

• loss – ‘castle’ – Rakvere loss – Rakvere Castle

• maa – ‘land, region’ – Läänemaa – Western Land

• maa – ‘country’ – Eesti Vabariik – Estonian Republic

• mäe – ‘of the hill’ – Sillamäe – Bridge Hill

• mägi – ‘hill, mountain’ – Munamägi – Egg Hill

• met – ‘forest (root)’ – Metsaküla – Forest Village

• must – ‘black’ – Mustla – Black Place

• nõmme – ‘heath’ – Nõmme – Heath

• oja – ‘stream’ – Mustoja – Black Stream

• pae – ‘limestone’ – Paeküla – Limestone Village

• põllu – ‘field (genitive)’ – Põlluküla – Field Village

• rand – ‘shore, beach’ – Pirita rand – Pirita Beach

• rahva – ‘people’ – Rahvalinn – People’s Town

• raud – ‘iron’ – Raudteejaam – Railway Station

• saar – ‘island’ – Saaremaa – Island Land

• salu – ‘grove’ – Haapsalu – Aspen Grove

• soo – ‘bog, swamp’ – Soomaa – Bog Land

• suur – ‘big’ – Suurküla – Big Village

• tee – ‘road’ – Pärnu maantee – Pärnu Road

• torni – ‘tower’ – Tornimäe – Tower Hill

• uja – ‘stream (variant)’ – Mustuoja – Black Stream (alt. form)

• uus – ‘new’ – Uus Maailm – New World

• vana – ‘old’ – Vanalinn – Old Town

• välja – ‘field’ – Väljaküla – Field Village

• veski – ‘mill’ – Veskimetsa – Mill Forest

• väike – ‘small’ – Väike-Maarja – Little Mary