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Exploring Budapest’s street names: From gender disparities to naming after non-existent individuals
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Budapest, the capital of Hungary, boasts a unique and diverse array of street names that reflect its rich history, cultural heritage, and evolving social landscape. An innovative map project by a team of dedicated experts has shed light on the intriguing patterns and peculiarities of Budapest’s street naming conventions.
Street naming statistics
Budapest’s street naming practices reveal some interesting statistics:
- The city has 8,598 public spaces according to the Budapest Capital Public Space Register.
- 30% (2,591) of these spaces bear personal names.
- Of the personally named spaces:
- 89% (2,309) are named after men
- 11% (282) are named after women
- 10% (249) of public spaces are named after unidentified or fictional characters, Maxinewz writes.
The gender gap in street names
The stark disparity between male and female representation in street names is evident, with only 224 public spaces named after women, ÉnBudapestem writes. This imbalance has not gone unnoticed, and efforts are being made to address it:
- The 2nd District municipality named five public spaces after women in 2021.
- In February 2023, they held a vote for naming additional spaces after notable women.
- The 11th District (Újbuda) named four new streets after women connected to the district’s history.
- The 14th District (Zugló) named three public spaces after prominent women on International Women’s Day in 2023.
The “gender” “gap” exists because, throughout history and even today, there have been far fewer prominent women than men.