Unusual neighbourhood names in Singapore and the stories behind them

The name is synonymous with the Hokkien phrase “red-haired man’s bridge” or “bridge of the Caucasian”, but who the real person with the red-hair is still a mystery. Some say it's John Turnball Thomson, a British civil engineer and artist who played a major role in the development of the early infrastructure of late 19th century Singapore. Others claim it's Lady Jennifer Windsor who lost her daughter at the bridge where she would spend hours by, hoping to catch a glimpse of her daughter's spirit.

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There's no doubt that this matured residential town makes our hearts go "Bedok, Bedok." Cheesy lines aside, the name Bedok first made a mark in Manuel Godinho de Erédia's map of Singapore in 1604 to refer to Sungei Bedok. Derived from the Malay word 'bedoh', Bedok translates to a massive drum used as a call to prayer or to sound the alarm back when loudspeakers were non-existent. However, it could also come from the Malay word 'biduk' which translates to a sampan-like fishing boat, which then explains the many fishing villages by the east coast.

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Don't be fooled by its name – Kampong Glam isn’t all that glamorous but it is one of Singapore's oldest (and hippest) neighbourhoods. Kampong Glam was named after the long-leaved cajeput tree called gelam which was used locally for boat-making, medicine, and even as a food seasoning. Back in the 1800s, it was an ethnic enclave allocated by Stamford Raffles for the Muslim community, and became home to the Malay royal family in Singapore. Now, it’s a melting pot of vibrant cultures, rich history, eye-popping street art, charming restaurants, and trendy shops.

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There’s no other neighbourhood that captures Singapore’s transformation from fishing village to major trading port to modern metropolis like Tanjong Pagar. Meaning 'cape of stakes' in Malay, Tanjong Pagar was once a small town by the shore home to fishermen as well as agricultural plantations. Today, wooden huts by the sea have been replaced by tall, glossy skyscrapers that make up Singapore’s Central Business District. But this neighbourhood hasn’t lost all its old-world charm. Traditional nineteenth-century shophouses line the street, walls decked in street art hint at its history and hawker stalls dishing out classics from yesteryear remain.

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The area we now know as Tampines is named after the Tempinis tree, a type of timber tree that was once abundant in the district. It can be pronounced as ‘tam-pee-knees’ or ‘tam-pe- knees’, or even ‘tam-penis’ if you're being cheeky, but not ‘tam-pines’. Nonetheless, Tampines is the beast in the East that draws the crowds with its shopping malls, 24-hour eateries, and lifestyle destinations. And if it’s tranquillity you’re seeking, Tampines Eco Green is just a stone’s throw away.

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This neighbourhood's name gives away its morbid past. Derived from the Hokkien word 'tiong' which means 'to die' or 'in the end', and the Malay word 'bahru' which means 'new', Tiong Bahru once contained burial grounds for the Cantonese and Hakka communities including one that was located at the present site of the Singapore General Hospital. The intimate 'hood then had a major facelift in the 1920s by the Singapore Improvement Trust, and now it's a true paradigm of the beautiful marriage of new and old-world allure – a place where plush condominiums nestle against pre-war shophouses, and where time-honoured food markets sidle up to pristine cafés.

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The name literally translates to 'cough hill' in Malay, but can hills even cough? There are various accounts of its origin. One claims that coconut trees used to grow on the hills in the area. Hence, the name 'batok', which is a Javanese term for coconuts. Another says that the hills were formed from solid granite which is synonymous with the name 'batu' which means stone in Malay, and this was corrupted to 'bato' and finally 'batok'. Others believe that the batok (or cough) is due to the sound of explosives historically used at its granite quarry Little Guilin. It's also been linked to the cool air that causes coughs and colds in the area.

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One of Singapore's oldest districts, Bras Basah was first mentioned in an 1835 GD Coleman map as Brass Bassa. No, it's not home to brass bands nor a hidden gem for the yellow alloy of copper and zinc. Instead, the area is a transliteration of the Malay words beras basah which mean wet rice. This is attributed to the 'decayed rice' from sailing vessels which had to be transported from ships to an area outside of the city centre due to the repulsive smell of saturated and rotten rice.

The origin story of Dhoby Ghaut dates back in the 19th century when a garrison of sepoys (British-employed Indian soldiers) was based at the foot of Government Hill. This garrison included Indian washermen known as dhobis who laundered clothes in nearby Sungei Brass Bassa. Soon after, the area became popularly known as Dhoby Ghaut where 'Dhoby' means 'washerman' in Hindi, and 'Ghaut' or 'Ghat' refers to the area along the riverbank.