Orange Street gets its name from William III, Prince of Orange - the reigning king when the street was built.
The western section between Haymarket and St Martin’s Street was formerly called James Street, after James II.
The original Orange Street comprised only that section of the present street which extends from St. Martin’s Street to Charing Cross Road, the sections between Whitcomb Street and St. Martin’s Street, formerly called Blue Cross Street, and between the Haymarket and Whitcomb Street, formerly James Street, having been included in Orange Street in 1905. A brief history of each section is given here:—
James Street was built up at the same time as Panton Street and Oxendon Street. On the wall of the tennis court there was formerly a tablet with the inscription "Iames Street, 1673." The street first appears in the ratebook for 1675. Though no absolute proof is available it seems fairly certain that it was built by Colonel Panton on the southern part of the grounds of Shaver’s Hall, and that the Tennis Court on the south side of the street which survived until 1866 was that built by Simon Osbaldeston, circa 1634.
The site of Orange Street was formerly covered by the Duke of Monmouth’s stables. The street was formed circa 1696, in which year building leases of the ground on either side were granted by Ann, Duchess of Buccleuch, and her son, James, Earl of Dalkeith, to various purchasers.
In 1720 Orange Street was described as "fair" with "good built houses."
