Though street names in Singapore are usually quite straightforward, every local would do a double take when they spot a sign proudly displaying ‘Kay Poh Road’.
These ‘random’ street names make for a good laugh, but some digging into their origins unearths interesting stories of the country’s past.
In this article, we look at some of the strangest street names in Singapore. (Just a heads up, road number three is still Pending.)
Near Great World shopping centre is a small road that seems to be where all the nosy aunties asking whether you are married yet come from.
Source: Google Maps
Kay Poh Road branches off from the larger River Valley Road, and has been the subject of humour for many locals owing to its unfortunate name.
In Hokkien, ‘kaypoh’ means ‘busybody’ and is probably one of Singaporeans’ favourite insults.
But how did an innocent-looking street get its nosy name?
Source: Google Maps
As it turns out, Kay Poh Road is just an unfortunate coincidence.
Like many roads in Singapore, it was named after famous or important locals in the past.
Kay Poh Road was named in the honour of Wee Kay Poh, a landowner and businessman born in 1871.
He managed, among other things, a large opium and liquor farm.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
What you might not know is that Mr Wee Kay Poh himself actually requested the construction of Kay Poh Road, which was approved in 1903.
Source: The Straits Times via NewspaperSG
He lived in a private residence on his namesake street, but today, the road is the site of various condominiums, as well as the Kay Poh Road Baptist Church.
Source: Google Maps
Similarly, Cheow Keng Road in Marine Parade is not, in fact, named after chao keng — the act of pretending to be ill to dodge military duties.
Its name instead comes from Hainanese businessman Wee Cheow Keng.
Source: Google Maps
Close to Nex in Serangoon is a road with an interesting name — Lorong Lew Lian.
Aside from the amusing alliteration, the word “Lew Lian” appears to mean durian.
Unlike the previous two roads, Lorong Lew Lian was not named after an elusive wealthy businessman.
Source: Google Maps
The story behind its name is much simpler.
‘Lorong’ means ‘lane’ in Malay, while ‘Lew Lian’ is actually just ‘durian’ in Hokkien, making the road Durian Lane.
Source: Google Maps
Lorong Lew Lian thus highlights two core pillars of Singapore society: multiculturalism and, Singaporeans’ love for durians.
It is also said that the area was previously the site of durian plantations.
In November 1995, then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and other politicians planted durian saplings in the estate — further strengthening the area’s association to the king of fruits.
Source: Remember Singapore
According to Marine Parade Town Council, the estate is currently home to 13 durian trees between HDB Blocks 4 and 5.
Another interesting fun fact, Lorong Lew Lian also connects to Lorong Ong Lye (‘Pineapple Lane’).
Pending Road in Bukit Panjang is a case of a cross-linguistic homograph, which is when two words have the same spelling but different meanings.
Source: Google Maps
While the English word refers to awaiting a decision, the road is named after the Malay ‘pending’ — a kind of traditional ornamental belt buckle.
Source: British Museum
Most roads in the Bukit Panjang area are in Malay, such as Fajar (‘Dawn’), Senja (‘Dusk’), and Gangsa (a traditional musical instrument).
Pending Road is also the site of Pending LRT Station, which contrary the English meaning of the word, is fully complete.
Source: Vienna on Google Maps
Waterloo Street is the most famous and significant of the roads on this list.
It is best known for being the site of numerous religious buildings, like the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, Sri Krishnan Temple, and Southeast Asia’s oldest synagogue — the Maghain Aboth Synagogue.
Source: Chainwit on Wikimedia Commons
The road is named after the Battle of Waterloo — a historical event where the Duke of Wellington defeated Napoleon Bonaparte — which is not random in itself.
More interesting, however, is the Chinese name for Waterloo Street: Si Ma Lu (四马路).
Source: ProjectManhattan on Wikimedia Commons
Also known as Si Beh Lor in Hokkien, the name directly translates to “Fourth Horse Road”, or simply “Fourth Road” in more modern contexts, which has nothing to do with the Battle of Waterloo.
Several roads with European colonial names running in parallel to Waterloo Street similarly have corresponding Chinese names, and harken back to the days where these streets were referred to as main carriage roads:
Prinsep Street and Selegie Road are also colloquially referred to as the Sixth and Seventh Horse Road respectively.
Source: Google Maps
A significant number of roads in Singapore draw their names from the country’s past as part of the British Empire.
If you are looking for the densest collection of such locations, the area around Sembawang’s Admiralty Road houses a mini-Commonwealth of Nations.
Source: Google Maps
According to ‘Singapore Street Names — A Study of Toponymics’, Admiralty was associated with the Sembawang Naval Base, which began construction in 1923.
As such, most of the streets around Admiralty Road are named after locations in the British Empire and filled with old colonial bungalows.
Source: Google Maps
North of Admiralty Road are names mostly linked to Oceania, such as Auckland Road, Hobart Road, Tasmania Road, Fiji Road, and Wellington Road.
Heading south of Admiralty Road, signs show names such as:
Source: Keishi Hasegawa on Google Maps
Nearby, one can find places including Pakistan Road, King’s Avenue, Gibraltar Crescent, and Malta Crescent.
Source: Google Maps
The most famous of the colonial bungalows is the Former Admiralty House, where the Naval Base’s commander, the Rear Admiral, lived.
Source: Wei Li on Google Maps
Colonial roads, namesake streets of Chinese businessmen, and an intersection of two different languages just to call a place ‘Durian Lane’ — these varied road names are themselves reflections of Singapore’s diverse history.
This list only scratches the surface too. What’s the deal with Rotan Lane and Sandwich Road?
Source: Google Maps
With so many cultures and languages contributing, things might get confusing, but there is a method to the madness.
You can actually classify Singapore’s roads down to four types — descriptive, thematic, British colonial, and commemorative.
Learn more about them in the video below.
@mustsharenews Maybe there are still rubies at Ruby Lane. #mustsharenews #tiktoksg #msinvestigative #msoriginal ♬ original sound – MustShareNews
Also read: Uncovering the ‘missing’ canal under Orchard Road, hidden for decades
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Featured image adapted from Liane Zaobao and Google Maps.