Place Name
Along with the continuation Upper Thames Street this is thought to mark the bank of the River Thames in Roman/Saxon times. It was recorded in a French document as la rue de Thamise sometime around 1208 and vicus super Ripam Tamis in 1222 in Latin but Tamisestrete in 1275 and Temestret in 1308. It was split into Upper Thames Street and Lower Thames Street in the late 18thCentury. The origins for the name of the River Thames have long been lost giving rise to numerous theories. It almost certainly has the same Celtic root as many other British river names such as Thame, Tame, Tavy, Tamar, Team and Teme which probably meant dark, referring to the muddy waters.
