The name “London” appears in several early historical documents, most notably in Roman and medieval sources. The Roman historian Tacitus mentions Londinium, and the city’s name appears in the Ravenna Cosmography (a 7th-century geographic list), the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, and other medieval texts.

But the form of the name has varied significantly through time:

• Londinium (Latin, Roman period)

• Lundenwic (Old English, Anglo-Saxon period)

• Lundenburgh (Old English, Anglo-Saxon fortified city)

• Lundon (Middle English)

• London (Modern English)

The evolution from Londinium to London is a gradual linguistic process influenced by the languages spoken by successive inhabitants of Britain. shutdown123