10 unusual street names in Singapore and the stories behind them

Why it’s unusual Technically not a road, the Dhoby Ghaut of today is a modern lifestyle destination and major transport hub, with little to show that its name is actually derived from the Hindi words dhoby meaning washerman and ghat for ‘steps along the bank of a river’.

The story Since the 1830s, Bengali and Madrasi dhobies used to wash their clothes with water from the Stamford Canal and dry them at the empty plot of land opposite Cathay cinema. In fact, the whole area was associated with laundry activities – for example, Queen Street was known in Tamil as ‘vannan theruvu’ or street of the dhobies.

Why it’s unusual Anyone who’s ever skived off work, school or even national service knows that to ‘chao keng’ means to feign illness or injury in order to escape your duties.

The story The road is actually named after Wee Cheow Keng, a leader among the Hainanese community back in the old days. He was no skiver – at one point, he was director of the Sze Hai Tong Bank, which used to be a subsidiary under OCBC Bank.

Why it’s unusual This is a rare street in Singapore named after a woman. According to Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics, there are only 40 roads named after women compared to 540 roads named after men.

The story Close to Upper East Coast Road, this used to be the site of a Malay kampung. It was named after its founder Madam Hajijah, who bought the land here and built the original Kampung Siglap Mosque. Sadly, the kampung was lost to history in the 1980s.

Why it’s unusual The name of this road is unusual for its mix of three languages – reflecting Singapore’s multicultural heritage. Jalan is Malay for road, wat is Thai for temple while siam is the former English name for Thailand.

The story Jalan Wat Siam can be found on Pulau Ubin, and was so named for the Thai temple that used to stand at the end of the road. However, it was cleared in the 2000s to make way for the planned reopening of Kekek Quarry. Today, the road is also known as Cemetery Road – after a steep uphill hike, you’ll find yourself at the Kampong Bukit Coffee Chinese Cemetery.

Why it’s unusual No one likes to be called a kaypoh or busybody. Nearby, you can also find Kay Poh Road Baptist Church.

The story The road’s namesake Wee Kay Poh was actually a former apprentice at A.L. Johnston & Company in the 19th century. It was a sprawling business that traded in opium, pepper, gambier and spices, and acted as an agent for banks and insurance companies. Wee Kay Poh later went on to make a name for himself as the boss of his own opium and liquor business.  

Why it’s unusual Look closely and you’ll notice that the cluster of roads at Keris Estate is named after classic Malay films. Jalan Buloh Perindu for example, is named after the first Malay movie in colour.

The story Cathay-Kris Studio used to be situated at 532D East Coast Road. In its heyday in the 50s and 60s, it produced many black-and-white Malay films, such as the 1957 hit Pontianak. Competition from television forced its closure in 1973, marking the end of Malay film production in Singapore.

Why it’s unusual The name of this street might cause some to crinkle their nose. A mash-up of Malay and Hokkien, Lorong Lew Lian literally means Durian Lane.

The story Durian haters might not have liked living near Lorong Liew Lian back in the day, as it’s most likely named after durian plantations in the vicinity. Perhaps the nearby Lorong Ong Lye (Pineapple Lane), so-called for the pineapple plantations that were also in the area, might have been more agreeable.

Why it’s unusual Need some motivation to forgive and forget? A trip to Makepeace Road, connected to Makeway Avenue, might do the trick.

The story This road was named after Walter Makepeace, journalist and editor of the Singapore Free Press, an English newspaper founded in 1835. He was also one of the founders of the Singapore Swimming Club, and a general editor of One Hundred Years of Singapore – a valuable historical resource that was compiled to mark Singapore’s centenary celebration in 1919.

Why it’s unusual For anyone who’s ever been disciplined with a rotan or rattan cane, this road name might bring back some unpleasant flashbacks.  

The story There used to be a rattan factory located on Chander Street, which runs adjacent to Rotan Lane. The factory may be gone, but some of that history still exists in the handful of rattan handicraft stores that still dot this street and other parts of Little India.

Why it’s unusual The name Waterloo is a clear mark of our colonial past, but what’s interesting is that Chinese Singaporeans are more likely to know it as ‘si beh lo’, which instead translates to ‘the fourth road’.

Why it’s unusual Waterloo Street was named to commemorate the Duke of Wellington’s victory over the French at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. However, the name was just too difficult to pronounce for the largely Chinese and Chinese dialect-speaking population then. The parallel roads of North Bridge Road, Victoria Street, Queen Street and Waterloo Street were hence known as ‘toa beh lo’, ‘tzee beh lo’, ‘sa beh lo’ and ‘si beh lo’ – meaning the first, second, third and fourth road in sequence.