The oldest version of the name - kindhæstagatan (1449), Kindhästegatan (1544) - contains the old Swedish word kindhäst (literally "cheek horse", meaning "box on the ear") but was gradually corrupted to the present name - Kinnestugatun (1667), Kinstugugatan (1709), Kimstagatan (1740), Kimstugatan (1814), Kindstugatan (1847).
During medieval times, the street was known as tverru gatu ("Cross Street") as it passed between the eastern city gate (where today is Köpmantorget) and one of the western gates once located where the street changes name to Tyska Brinken [REF].