How did Scotland Yard get its name?

Scotland Yard gets its name from Great Scotland Yard, the street where the rear entrance to its original headquarters was located. This rear entrance became the public entrance to the headquarters and eventually a nickname for the building. Later the nickname extended to the entire police force.

The official name of Scotland Yard is the Metropolitan Police Force. This force serves most of the greater London area except for the City of London, which is served by the City of London Police. As of 2014, the current headquarters building carries the name New Scotland Yard, as have all of the headquarters buildings since the force's first move in 1890.