Old Road Bridge, Tonbridge, Kent.

One of the many Road Bridges over the River Medway, with Tonbridge Castle in the background.

The town was recorded in the Domesday Book 1087 as Tonebrige, which may indicate a bridge belonging to the estate or manor.

An alternative theory suggests that the name is a contraction of "town of bridges", due to the large number of streams the High Street originally crossed.

Until 1870, the town's name was actually spelt Tunbridge, as shown on old maps including the 1871 Ordnance Survey map and contemporary issues of the Bradshaw railway guide. In 1870, this was changed to Tonbridge , due to confusion with nearby Tunbridge Wells, despite Tonbridge being a much older settlement.