Piccadilly: Origin of the Name

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Sir Walter Besant, in The Fascination of London, published in 1903, continues his survey of London with a look at the origin of the name Piccadilly:

There is no authentic derivation for this curious name, though many fancy suggestions have been made.

The most probable of these is that which connects it with the peccadilloes or ruffs worn by the gallants of Charles II's time.

Pennant traced the name to piccadillas, turnovers or cakes which were sold at Piccadilla Hall, at the upper end of the Haymarket.

In Thomas Blount's "Glossographia" we read: "Pickadil...the round hem or the several divisions set together about the skirt of a garment or other thing; also a kinde of stiff collar made in fashion of a Bande. Hence perhaps that famous ordinary near St. James called Peckadilly took denomination because it was then the utmost or skirt house of the suburbs that way, others say it took its name from this, that one Higgins a tailor who built it got most of his estate by Pickadilles, which in the last age were much worn in England." There seems to be no other foundation than Mr. Blount's lively imagination for "Higgins a tailor."

There is as much confusion about the first date at which the name was used as there is about its derivation.

Whether the hall took its name from its situation or the district from the hall will probably ever remain in doubt.

The earliest occurrence of the name is in 1636, by which time the hall was built.

The gaming-house was at a later time also known as Piccadilly, which has increased the confusion.

Some writers have identified the hall and the gaming-house, but there seems to be no doubt that these were two separate buildings.

The former was a private house standing at the corners of Windmill and Coventry Streets.

The latter seems to have been built by Robert Baker, and sold by his widow to Colonel Panton, who built Panton Street.

It was otherwise known as Shaver's Hall, and had a tennis-court and upper and lower bowling-green, and was a very fashionable place of resort.

The secondary name probably emanated from the proprietor's former trade, but it is said to have stuck to the place after Lord Dunbar lost £3,000 at one sitting, when people said a Northern lord had been shaved here.

Sir John Suckling was among the habitues of the place, and his sisters will ever be remembered from Aubrey's pathetically humorous description of their coming "to the Peccadillo bowling-green crying for feare he should lose all (their) portions," as he was a great gamester.

The name Piccadilly appears to have begun at the east end, near the circus, and spread over the whole, a fact which is in favour of its being derived from the house, not the name of the house from the locality.

Next: Regent Street