The fascinating story of how Budapest got its iconic name

By Virág Papp, HellóMagyar

The vibrant city of Budapest, renowned for its stunning architecture and rich history, wasn’t always a unified metropolis. It emerged from the joining of three distinct settlements: Buda, Óbuda, and Pest. But what stories lie behind this historic union? In 1873, these three cities officially merged, and the name “Budapest” was chosen—a name that would soon resonate as the beating heart of Hungary.

Széchenyi’s vision

Interestingly, the idea of merging these twin cities had been proposed much earlier, in the 1830s. In 1831, István Széchenyi expressed his thoughts on the matter in his work Világ:

“The name of your capital should be changed to Budapest, which, in a few years or even months, would sound as familiar and natural as Bucharest. This union would bring the two cities together, which at present do not regard each other with the kindest eyes. What benefits would flow from this union, what a prosperous capital Hungary would have in a short time! Especially if the Diet were held not in Bratislava, so far from Transylvania and on the frontiers, but in the heart of the country… These cities should form one capital, not two; one, not divided and contradictory hearts.”

Count István Széchenyi, renowned for his contributions to Hungary—including the construction of the Chain Bridge—was a visionary who spoke several languages. He was dissatisfied with the name “Pest,” as it evoked the German words Pest and Peste (plague), as well as the Latin pestis. In an attempt to find a more harmonious name, he proposed several alternatives, including Bájkert, Dunagyöngye, Etelvár, and Hunvár.

Ultimately, Széchenyi advocated for Honderű. However, by the early 1840s, he abandoned this idea after it was pointed out that Honderű sounded uncomfortably similar to the French words honte (shame) and rues (streets), writes Miklós Szabolcsi in his work Honderű.

When the widely accepted name “Pest-Buda” was to be printed on maps, it became evident that the word Pest would fall on the Buda side of the Danube and Buda on the Pest side. This prompted a shift towards the more balanced name “Budapest” after the unification of Pest, Buda, Óbuda, and Margaret Island into a single capital.

Interestingly, the name “Budapest” appeared as early as 1846 in János Arany’s ninth canto of Toldi: “The city of Budapest is inhabited by many thousands.”

Why Buda and why Pest?

To trace the origins of these names, we must go back to Roman times. According to the Budapest Archives, Roman conquerors arrived in the area in the mid-2nd century BC. The Danube served as a natural border for the Roman province of Pannonia, where military camps were built at crossing points to defend the empire. Towns, such as Aquincum—located in present-day Óbuda—were established near these camps. By 103 AD, Aquincum had become the seat of Pannonia Inferior. Roman citizens built their stone houses and baths, enjoyed entertainment at the amphitheatre, and relied on the protection of the Roman army.