Share All sharing options for: How San Francisco streets got their names

Every street and avenue has a story to tell, some stranger than others

Share All sharing options for: How San Francisco streets got their names

Street names can be tricky business in a city like San Francisco; for example, right now the residents of a nameless Upper Market alley are fighting to get a name—any name—conferred on their longtime avenue of residence, unofficially known as John’s Way.

Most of San Francisco’s most prominent streets are named for local leaders, national historical figures, and monumental landmarks. But sometimes even a particularly shrewd and hardworking milkman or con artist can end up immortalized on SF street signage.

Here’s a tour of the sometimes surprising histories behind some of San Francisco’s most and least remarked upon avenues.