evidence: The name Derry comes from the Irish word doire, meaning "oak grove." "London" was appended as a prefix to the name in 1613 when King James I granted the city a royal charter. Nationalists generally use the local popular name Derry, as do many unionists, though the latter are more likely to use Londonderry in political discussion. The British government officially refers to the city as Londonderry City. In 1984 the nationalist-controlled Londonderry City Council renamed itself the Derry City Council. In 2007 a British High Court judge ruled that the city’s name could be changed to Derry only through legislation or by Royal prerogative. In 2015 the realigned Derry City and Strabane District Council approached the British government with a request to officially change the city’s name to Derry. Thousands of people signed petitions in favour of or opposing the name change. Ultimately, the government rejected the request for the name change.