Street is an English habitational surname derived from the Old English stræt, meaning "Roman road," which itself comes from the Latin strata (paved road). The name was originally given to someone who lived near or in a settlement called Street, such as various places named Street in Somerset, England. Toponymic and habitational surnames like this emerged when people were identified by the name of their locality or landmark, particularly during the medieval emergence of England's hereditary surnames. Etymologically, the word street carried special significance in early England, since Roman roads were among the few paved thoroughfares and served as prominent landmarks in the landscape. The Latin word strata gave rise not only to English street but also to related terms like estrada in Spanish or Portuguese, citing a prominent variant across spaces intermixed by Roman influence. The prominence of the word in place-names and urban landscapes eventually gave rise to the common noun street, describing a public road or thoroughfare lined with buildings. However, as a surname, Street remains relatively rare and is concentrated in southwestern England, especially Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Dorset. Its distribution both in Britain and in diaspora (United States, Australia, Canada) corresponds with patterns of English emigration. Historically, Street was also a toponym used in small villages; the most notable place of this name is the market town of Street, Somerset, which today gives its name to several local institutions. A related surname in the Romance languages is Estrada, from the Spanish word estrada (road or path), ultimately sharing the same Latin origin. Its use in Romance-speaking countries mirrors the semantic development in English, although less closely linked to Roman history as specific source for personalized attribution. Meaning: Habitational name for someone who lived by a Roman road Origin: English Type: Surname (toponymic / habitational) Usage Regions: England, world through migration Related: Estrada (Spanish), other forms derived from Latin strata